Get Child to Eat Vegetables.

Hi C.,
My girls, 5 and 8, love vegatables. I've always given them veggies. Keep trying new ones and eventually he may decide he likes them. My 5 year old wouldn't eat them very well but now there are quite a few she loves. I also try to make them fun to eat. I make ants on a log, celery with peanut butter and raisins. I cut red bell pepper in to shapes, hearts for my girls. They love purple cabbage, cut into strips with Italian dressing (my coleslaw). Sometimes I've cut carrots into thin curls with the vegatable peeler they will eat them as well. One of my families favorites is corn on the cob (white sweet corn is best) with peanut butter, yum, yum. I hope this gives you some ideas. Good luck.

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I know this sounds goofy, but I recently discovered that my kids LOVE frozen veggies. Not cooked frozen, but frozen. I was pouring the veggies into a dish to cook one night and some fell on the floor and my kids were quickly fighting over them, to eat them frozen. So, now I serve them that way at a lot of the meals. Hey, if it works, right? :) They go for the french cut green beans, the carrot/pea mix or the mixed veggies that have corn/peas/carrots/lima beans etc. I haven't tried broccoli or cauliflower that way becuase they are so big, but my kids will usually eat those raw or cooked, most days they prefer them uncooked.

Also, my mom brought over a can of carrots, I never buy canned veggies but she brought some and they all love the canned carrots, so I keep some on hand for the days when they refuse all other things.

Other tips...cut them different, like julianne strips of carrot or zucchini, shred them rather than slice, cut the carrots like a flower, make it a game between he and daddy "Daddy, can you see if you can eat your veggies before Connor does?" That one works with getting them to drink their milk at our house!

What about offering them at different times of the day, rather than meals? Maybe they have become a power struggle at meal time that might go unnoticed if presented at snack time or in a different location than the table: carrots while reading a book on the floor?

Oh, another thing that worked this summer with my daycare boy, make up weird names for them. Instead of baby carrots, they became ostrich toes, broccoli became oak trees. Use whatever he is into: dinosaurs etc.

I read someplace too that you can give them toothpicks and let them build with the veggies, like make a robot (3 years old should be ok with supervision to use the toothpicks) then they "get to" eat whatever they built. Mix in some veggies, like use some grapes, some cherry tomatoes, slightly softened carrots(microwave in a bit of water, the toothpicks go in easier) etc.

So, try to make it not about eating veggies, but about finding a way to make it fun so he doesn't realize he is eating veggies. You can also shred/dice/puree them and sneak them in if all else fails. I used to do that to get veggies in the kids I was a nanny for. I would put finely shredded carrots etc into meatloaf, pureed onion, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini into spagetti sauce.

Good luck! This too shall pass!

M.

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instead of veggies with dinner we eat ours as appetizers. i am busy getting dinner ready and the kids are at a restaurant eating their appetizer. both of my children eat their vegetables without complaint, but they love the frozen veggies out of the freezer. my daughter calls them her candy. they also love to dip anything. i make a vegetable dip with green beans, peas, corn, carrots, and sometimes tomatoes in the food processor and let them dip pretzel sticks in it. they think it is fabulous. (I think it needs salt!) i also mash up those same vegetables and make meatballs. i tried it once and was amazed at the response. they ate the meatballs plain and in spaghetti and just out of the fridge and they couldn't get enough. my children love salad, but they didn't always. we went to sweet tomatoes one day for lunch and were so happy that they could pick out their own food that they have been asking for salad ever since. try squash or peppers cut up. try them cut and then frozen, it takes some of the taste out and makes it fun like a popsicle. probably the biggest secret to my success is that i make the kids think that the veggies are a treat. my son will ask for a "junky snack" and i ask him what he wants. he picks carrots with lowfat ranch dip. i tell him that he can only have a few, because he shouldn't eat a lot of junk. it keeps him begging for more. good luck.

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wll not sure but my trick is a little side dish and sometimes its all my son will eat it cooked rice any vegi usually cooked and a can of cream of mushroom, chicken or any soup really and he loves it ....

I have heard that it takes introducing a new food up to 5 times to a toddler before they can really decide if they like it or not.
I have the exact opposite issue my son will eat veggies but he is not so keen on meat. so I offer him what he likes and ask him to try the new stuff even if its just one or two bites. something is better then nothing right? :0)

If all else fails and you are worried that your little one isnt eating enough veggies try mixing them in with other things. like finely chopped carrots into pasta sauce or mash peas and potatoes together and tell your little one its alien mashed potatoes or even mixed veggies into a meatloaf.

Good Luck

My 2 year old loves a little something we call "green drinks." I put vegetables (raw kale, steamed broccoli or carrots, etc.) into the blender. On top I add frozen or fresh fruit, some chocolate flavored soy protein powder from Shaklee, and soy milk and/or juice. I blend it up and call it a milk shake. I let her drink it through a straw. She LOVES it. You can also put in other nutritional supplements besides protein powder. For example, powdered infant vitamin mix, flax seed, sometimes I add yogurt. They're a lot of fun, and quite tastey - even for Mom.

Dr. William Sears, pediatrician, in San Clemente, CA, has written many books, is the contributor to Parents, magazine, you've seen him on Oprah, Dr. Phil, etc. has a DVD called "Nine Simple Steps" it is wonderful and full of great ideas. I would be glad to drop it in the mail to you! Educating families to eat healthy is my full time passion!
S. 866-508-2910

My 4 yr old daughter helps me grow veggies in our small yard. We made container gardens in big rubbermaid tubs with holes drilled in the bottom. I think the sense of pride in being a gardener really helps her appreciate her hard earned veggies. We have the most success with cherry tomatoes, sweet peas and swiss chard. She loves to eat them raw and won't share with me.

Hi C.,
You may want to try barely steaming the veggies and melt some cheese over them if need be. Just a little drozzle over them can help. Or, better yet, put some melted cheese in a little container and let him "dip it in the dip". It makes it fun for kids. They really love that at that age. Hope it helps!

V.

Buy tempura batter mix in your asian food isle at the store. It is easy--just add water, dip your veggies and then fry. My son loves it.

I have a few recipes from Parenting magazine for "kid-friendly" veggies that I collected for my husband, who doesn't like veggies either (men can be big children themselves sometimes)!
Sweet potato french fries: coat strips in vegetable oil and bake for 10-12 min at 400 degrees. Toss with parmesan cheese.
Mushrooms: marinate for 10-15 minutes in raspberry vinaigrette and serve raw.
Carrots: toss in olive oil, cinnamon, and small amount of sugar, roast for 12-15 min at 400 degrees.
Onions: slowly cook sliced onions in skillet with a bit of sugar and balsamic vinegar.

I have one more recipe for Crispy Veggies if you're interested--it's a bit longer so I'll only send if you want it.

Hi C.,
I have 3 kids who loves veggies (not all, but most.) One thing I notice is that they really like the ones in soups or a crockpot meal. Just about any veggie taste good to them when it comes from a crockpot. Try doing a beef stew with corn, green beans, cabbage, peas, carrots, etc. and mix it with a past a or rice. Another trick is Asian style cooking. Brocoli with beef taste so much better than plain steamed borcoli. Or a big pot of minnestrone with bread. Hope this helps.

Hi C.~
Both of my children love vegetables! I'm curious though, did you give your three year old veggies when he was little? It seems sometimes they are an acquired taste. Also, do you know why he doesn't like raw? Are they too hard? Would he maybe eat just barely steamed, then cold? I did that for mine with veggies like carrots and broccoli so they were easier to chew. By the way, both of mine prefer the raw "snacky" vegetable over cooked. Maybe a tiny bit of salt/pepper on them.
Sorry, you're having trouble. I know I asked more questions than gave answers, but hopefully they'll give you an idea for something you haven't tried yet. Let us know how things go and GOOD LUCK!
S.

P.S. Meghan posted the same time I did. I'm not big on making eating time "play time" I'm sort of a stickler for manners, but I do agree, sometimes we have to concede and do what it takes to get them to learn to like healthy food. ;o)

Cut them into fun shapes, make little pictures on the plate using them, make them a readily available snack your 3 year old can get himself. Sometimes being a big boy who can help himself is more important than what they get to help themselves to. Make it an adventure & let your child pick something NEW to try from the fruit & veggies section every time you go to the grocery store, as he gets a little older you can talk about the exotic places they come from or originated & the people there.
~Abuelita Ramos

I found melted Velveeta cheese (mixed with a little milk) on my 3 year old's veggies helps. He's gotten very picky though. He used to eat everything! I keep offering to him though. I was surprised the other day at a Japanese restaurant that he ate raw snow peas! He hate salads, although likes Humus (from Trader Joes) - will dip celery or carrots in that and eat a little. He loves peas and corn & avacados - so we do feed him those a lot. Give him his multi-vitamin and lots of fruit too!

PS - my son has always had veggies, but slowly has gotten more selective in what he will eat. He used to eat everything until about 2 years old - then has gotten more and more picky!