How Do I Get My Daughter to Eat Vegetables?

In our house we have a rule that every food put on your plate must at least be tried. Our rule is 1 "no thank you" bite for every year of age. So my 8 year old has to have 8 bites. This helps them to REALLY try the food and also discover ways to camouflage the taste with something else on the plate if they're not to keen to eat it. I have found that although gardening is fun, if you don't like the taste of something, growing your own doesn't make it taste any better. You have a lot of history with your child of allowing her to not eat a lot of things so you might have to explain to her why you're changing and how things will work from now on. If you're wishy washy about it you'll never get through to her (or at least that's been my experience.

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I was like your daughter growing up. The only vegetable I liked was potatoes, french fries preferably and I would not eat any fruit. I remember doing battle with my mom over my picky eating and it was horrible. Despite it all, I grew up healthy. Once I was on my own, I began experimenting with vegetables and cooking and now I eat almost all of them. So, there is hope.

When I had my own daughters, I swore I wouldn't put them through the agony I experienced. We developed the "3 Bite Rule". They had to eat 3 bites of everything I cooked, period. If they didn't like it, 3 bites wasn't a lot to choke down and they could stop, no further discussion. Slowly they discovered they liked some vegetables cooked certain ways. Sauces or dips always help hide flavors as does garlic. To this day, they will eat any vegetable if they can put some balsamic vinegar on it- not sure how we discovered that one but they love it and it works.

Jessica Seinfeld (Mrs. Jerry Seinfeld) developed a cookbook for moms of picky eaters. You might look at it. Her recipe for pumpkin oatmeal is amazing- tastes like pumpkin pie.

Give your daughter a good multi vitamin and blame the new dietary changes on the doctor. Tell her the change is because she's becoming a big girl and praise her for trying the 3 bites without fussing, you might see some slow improvement,

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Buy the mixed veggies and have her eat two colors or kinds. THat way she is in charge of which two she eats.
Or make a salad and give her one half of one leaf and put cheese on it and Ranch dressing. I use Romaine, I dont' even think I started with one half, just a little bit.
Serve fresh veggies one day and see if she will eat them with dip.
Make lasagna with spinach instead of meat.
Sweet potatoes with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter
Make Blintzes Bettty Crockers Cookbook page 307
1 1/2 C flour
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 C milk
2 eggs
2 TBSP melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix. Batter will be slightly lumpy, heat skillet with a TBS or so of oil.
POur scant 1/2 C-2/3 C into skillet and cook pancake. After both sides are cooked in middle put baby spinach, tomatos,onion, shredded cheese (cheddar, monterrey jack), ham, etc. whatever you like in the middle and fold up edges. FLip and cook until insides are hot, minute or so. .
I have one who doesn't like spinach but will eat two blintzes.

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The only thing I haven't seen mentioned by anyone else is have you tried gardening to raise some veggies? If you don't have a lot of space, maybe do a few container pots of veggies. Let her help you choose the seeds to plant, and make it her garden. Sometimes having the fresh vegetables that they've grown themselves help children to be at least willing to give them a try... and the taste of freshly grown veggies is usually much better than what you can get in the store. Also be on the lookout for different kinds of things that you don't normally buy. Get a small amount and have the whole family try them out. This will put everyone in the same situation as your daughter, trying something new that you don't know if you like them or not.

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Hi M.,

Whether your child is overweight or not, I must agree with your doctor. How do you get a child to eat properly is by example and instruction. I don’t believe in forcing anyone to eat something they “really” don’t like. However, unless something is tasted/tried, how does one know they won’t like it?

Setting regular meal times help a child learn good eating habits. For a picky eater, I suggest minimal or NO in between meal snacks, and NO coming back to the table once they ask (yes they should “ask”) to be excused.

Serve small (child) portions of meat/fish/fowl etc., with veggies and a starch. Do NOT serve bread/butter, milk or juice with meals. (Kids use these as “fillers) Instead serve a small glass of water. Serve the milk or juice with dessert. If your child does not finish her meal and will not at least try new veggies (within reason), NO dessert.

I see many parents that run their homes like a 24 hour diner in an effort to get kids to eat. That creates the problem.

Blessings……

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Back off on serving foods she likes or make less of it. Make more items with vegetables and fruits. Only have fruit or vegetables for snacks in the house. If you only cater to your daughters likes, then you are enabling her. Get her involved in making the menu, doing the shopping and the cooking. At 8 yrs old, she is old enough to be very involved in the process.

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Here is my little trick that my daughter taught me. When she was young, she would come into the kitchen while I was cooking dinner and "sneak" the fresh veggies I was chopping up on the counter (she was hungry and couldn't wait until dinner).

At one point I caught myself saying, "Stop eating those vegetables or they will ruin your dinner". I then realized that this was a great opportunity. Since then, while I'm cooking and the great smells of food are covering the house and my daughter's stomach is rumbling because she's starving for her dinner, I bring her a "salad". This "salad" is essentially the veggie that she'd get with dinner, but she eats it first, while she's hungry. She knows that dinner is still 20-30 minutes off, so she's happy to see this coming.

Here are some suggestions for a kid-friendly salad:
1) carrots with ranch
2) peanut butter and celery
3) romaine leaves with radishes and cherry tomatoes
4) ceasar salad (have her try it, I have been amazed at some of the pickiest veggie eaters that happen to love this type of salad)
5) fresh steamed broccoli, with a little ranch to dip it in
6) Edamame (this is another favorite amongst a few kids I know that don't typically like veggies. It's essentially steamed soy beans with some salt. very tasty and easy to prepare, or you can purchase ready to eat from Trader Joes).

And for the fruits...it's no sweat either.
For dessert, we have fresh sliced strawberries with swirls of chocolate syrup. Or a pinapple and strawberry parfait with light whipped cream.Or you can make your own smoothie, try freezing whole strawberries and then placing 3-4 of them in the blender with 5 ice cubes, a splash of milk and half a banana. mmm.

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I learned on here a while back, and have used this rule quite well - the "3 bite rule"

First bite is to see what it is,
2nd bite is to taste it
and 3rd bite is to decide if they like it or not.

Then if they really truly don't like it, fine, those 3 (I tell my son 4) bites are enough.

I tell my son he can be picky about a FEW things, ie, he does not like tomatoes and so we respect that and dont make him eat raw fresh tomatoes (although he gets plenty in ketchup and sauces, etc and I do cook with canned tomatoes - just not raw) just like I can't stand olives, and he likes it.
But he cannot be picky about 3/4 of the veggies and fruits out there, only 1-2 he truly does not like but everything else he can like.

Do YOU eat your veggies? If you don't, that doesnt surprise me your child doesn't either. Sorry to be blunt, but what you do/dont do truly does affect your child. My cousins did not like ANY veggies and one summer they came to stay with us for 2 weeks, and much to their surprise, they found that they did indeed love fresh peas and broccoli and blueberries and I dont remember what else. They never got to eat it at home!! (their momma was a big round lady then)

Also, it takes at least 3 exposures of a new food for them to get used to before they'll like it. So if they dont like blueberries or broccoli or whatever the first time you serve it, keep serving it and one day, they'll like it.
Dont make a big fuss that it makes them remember they dont like it. Just serve it often enough (spread out over time) that they'll look at it and subconsciously think "oh yeah I've seen this before" and eat it.

Also, dipping sauce is a great way to get kids to eat. Ranch dressing with celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower... peanut butter, yogurt, etc are all good dipping/spreading sauces as well.

And yes, you don't FORCE. You make several options the only options they have, and they'll choose one when they get hungry enough. Wouldnt YOU choose icecream over toast & jam or cheetos over carrot sticks anyday?? Instead of those choices, make it between toast and fresh strawberry jam or carrot sticks with dip. No cheetos, no icecream until they've eaten plenty of veggies/fruits.

8 year old is certainly old enough to track her eating - get a sheet of squares and post it, and in each box for each day, she has to fill in 2 boxes of fruits and 3 of veggies and one of a whole grain of some sort. When all of those boxes (and a bonus one?) have been filled in, then she can get a treat at the end of the day, ie, a handful of corn chips or a scoop of icecream, whatever her tasty pleasure is. (although using food as a reward is not the greatest idea..) Teaching the concept of getting proper foods for feeding her body is important. I'm still struggling each day with my 7 1/2 yo boy too, but the more consistent you are, the easier it becomes. (it's not automatic yet, but I am the parent, whoever said parenting was easy is not a parent!)

Hope that helps! Just keep trying! Yes, kids are picky but not about ALL veggies. They may not like cooked veggies but will munch on a cup of frozen peas happily. (My mom used to do that all the time when we were "starving, about to die" right before dinner, she'd give us a measuring cup scoop of the frozen veggies we were having for dinner. Yum! Maybe not if you're used to M&M's but eventually, it'll be tasty too!)

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Deceptivly Delicious. It's a great cookbook and a great way to get them the nutrients she needs. Good luck.

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Hi M. E.,
The answer is you don't force her. I am sorry you have that type of doctor. I stressed myself out when my baby girl was only 3 and actually did try to force her to eat veggies. I have asked myself "What were you thinking?" over and over again. Her Pediatrician told me "She is eating what she wants and she is very healthy. This will be a war of wills and she will win". Guess what happened - My KK is now 15 1/2 years old, beautiful (Homecoming dresses cost a bit so start saving!), she is a High Honors Student in her sophmore year, played softball since 4th grade including AllStars and National Competitive leagues, and earned her Varsity Letter as a Freshman at her High School. So, my KK is fine and thriving. Sounds like your 8 year old is fine. Your problem is with the doctor. Guess what, when I stopped trying to make my kid eat new foods, she decided to try some on her own. Not veggies, but I am still happy. This beautiful young lady will leave me for college in a few years and she is the picture of health and strength. Hope this helps, M.!

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I have kids who won't eat vegetables.........at least not anymore.

I think this is why they invented OTHER sources that contain the same added nutrients.......like Ensure, or our new favorite is the V8 Fusion in 'fruity" colors.

We all have a glass of the V8 for breakfast AND THE KIDS KNOW it's in place of their daily vegetables, so they drink it over eating the vegetables.

I also make about 2 milkshakes per week with Ensure (as they won't drink it alone yet).........

Having my boys drink these different drinks regularly has helped ME feel like they are getting more nutrients in their very active bodies..............

They are perfectly healthy and happy, and very active boys and having been drinking their nutrients along with a daily vitamin for 3 yrs now :o)

You'll feel better as a mom if you provide this in your home :O) No, we cannot force-feed them vegetables.........but we can be try to provide a replacement for their bodies.....

~N. :O)

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M.,
There is no need to force anything just because a doctor, super nanny, sleep consultant, nutrition expert, or a well meaning friend or neighbor who claims to raise great kids said so. Such pressures make us desperate. You must feel so frustrated. I can related to that. We got to learn to ignore all that and team up with our children to come up with a plan what works for them. We as parents can only point out the choices and pros and cons of each choice and let our children use their own judgement. Of course there are exceptions to it when we have to decide for them when there is an immediate safety and danger issue.

I have been learning to be careful not to give (or allow others) my child any negative labels and replacing them with positives, which are more truly describe them and are likely to bring positive results such as 'selective' instead of picky, 'cautious' instead of 'shy' or 'clumsy' or 'sissy', energetic, feisty, spirited, perceptive instead of handful or other such negative labels.

If we already say to our children you are picky, we expect them to behave that way and they of course comply and we should not complain :) Instead, if we say you are very selective in what you eat. That is like a praise and they feel acknowledged and understood and more likely to try new things.

I have observed that our well intended advice on health such as you should eat fruits and vegetables, these are good for you. Your doctor says you should......., when are you going to learn to eat healthy....., if you don't eat such and such you going to get such and such medical problem, learn from your friend or sibling, why can't you learn to eat like them, and so on. Such lectures are belittling and not likely to motivate a child.

As for my selective eater, I try to give factual and objective information that in order for our bodies to function, our bodies need cettain nutrients and we get them from such and such fruits and vegetables. X and Y make us brain sharp and smart, A and B make us strong, C and D is good for our skin, etc. I tell him that you can try different things and see which ones you like better. We need to acquire taste and it may take several tries before we like something. Let us find different ways to cook and see which one tastes better. Do you want to help me find recipes? Would you like to go to store with me and pick what you like. What color you want today, etc.

As long as your child is physically and emotinally healthy and happy, it does not matter. Kids put on timer to eat may comply but may not be happy internally. In time, we all figure out in our own way. Did we do everything perfectly when we were children? There are many things we take seriously after 20s, 30s, and after 40s and 50s.

Love to you and your precious selective child.
-R.

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Some ideas to bring veggies into her diet gently and deliciously :)
1. can you put sweet potato or pumpkin into pancake mix
2. zucchini into bread mix
3. avocado into tuna
4. cucumber slices on the go
5. spinach and cheese quiche

Good Luck.

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Could you take her with you to the grocery store and have her pick out a veggie that she wants to try? Maybe is she gets to pick it out herself she will eat it.

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Hi Michelle,

Tastes change as a body becomes healthier. My 14 year old daughter actually didn't finish her ice cream at church last Sunday because she said it was too rich....My suggestion is put your daughter on an absorbable multivitamin and watch her eating habits change. Most vitamins on the market do more harm than good and only a few absorb. Most only slightly. Health is what you are trying to achieve anyway so what would be the harm.

Let me know if you'd like my recommendation.

M.

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Ask your daughter to help find the solution. Tell her that she has to start eating some vegetables, and you'd like her to help figure out how. Kids are amazingly creative. If you involve her in the process you might be surprised at what she'll come up with. And if her first suggestion is lettuce with whipped cream on it, let her have it. Anything to get a foot in the door and get her excited about experimenting!

Good luck!

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Kids tastes can and will change over time - so don't give up. Do you make and serve veggies?? It starts with you - do you eat them, do you serve them? I had a friend who didn't like anything green - so she never offered any green veggies to her kids - she finally realized that she had to change her eating habits first... she now loves salad and she is getting her kids to try things as well.

I have ALWAYS made at least 1-2 veggies each meal and a green salad. I expect my kids to TRY everything every time I make it. I know that my kids don't like all veggies - but they do have to try them each time I make them. I have never been a mom who makes separate food for my kids and I am not into "disguising" veggies by putting them in brownies etc. My kids have to eat their veggies at a meal before they can have seconds of something else that they like better (the entree - a roll etc. - their choice) I don't FORCE them to do anything and my kids like veggies, so I don't feel like this is unreasonable - they only have to eat one of the choices not all... but knowing that they have to try has gotten them to realize they like a lot of things!!!

I would try not to take the doctor so personally - this is the information they have to give. In an age where childhood obesity is an epidemic - they have a responsibilty to guide parents to make healthy choices for/with their kids.

Good luck - and know that she might never LOVE veggies - but make trying new things an expectation for the whole family.

Try letting her pick some things out to try - try raw with dips/hummus, try different ways of cooking them. Roasting veggies makes them carmelize and brings out their natural sweetness. Try fruits with dips as well - apples in caramel or peanut butter - grapes - try them frozen. Berries with yogurt in a parfait. Bananas frozen on stick dipped in chocolate! (yes I know that there is sugar involved here - but it is a start!!)

Good luck.

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I really don't get this. As scientists we do years and years of studies on fruits and vegetables and their essential nature to the human diet and publish them upteem times until I think we are actually wasting public money and there are still people out there who think that their children (or themselves) don't need vegetables.

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Dear M.,
I know this can be frustrating, but I think the LAST thing you should do is lie to the doctor or withhold information when asked, especially in front of your 8 year old daughter regarding what she does and does not eat. That would be setting a horrible example. There's no need to lie....the truth is the truth. She doesn't really eat vegetables and fruit.
I started my kids on both from the time they were itty bitty and there's not a fruit or vegetable they won't eat. It might be a little tougher with an older child since her list of don'ts is pretty established. But what I did was, when we went to the grocery store, we hit the produce section first. My kids were allowed to pick anything they wanted, even if it was a $12 pineapple. But, they had to promise to taste it once we got it home and prepared it. One vegetable and one fruit they'd never tried before. That was in addition to anything I had planned to normally serve anyway. At certain seasons you're more limited to choices than others but once they find some things they like, just let them choose those. The deal was they had to try it, and if they didn't choose anything at all, they didn't get ANY choices at the store. They found out pretty quickly they'd rather experiment with a mango or an eggplant than not get to choose which type of yogurt or cereal or bread they were going to end up with.
I know grown adults who don't like brussel sprouts so if you truly don't like something, you don't like it. BUT, how do you know you don't like it if you don't try it? (One of my friends said she has never even seen a cooked brussel sprout, let along taste it.) I never let my kids say they weren't going to taste something. I never made them eat 11 spears of asparagus or anything, but I made them try it. And not one tiny smidgeon of a nibble that was too small to know what something tasted like, either. They had to have actual real bites so they could taste it.
Some kids just don't know what they're missing. Eggplant parmesan, stuffed cabbage, tomato and mozzerella salad, fried zuchini, fresh peas right out of the garden. Make fruit kabobs. Pineapple, strawberries, apples and oranges. Sprinkle a little brown sugar for fun. Blueberries and yogurt with some granola. There are a million options and just saying no isn't okay. It's not a matter of forcing anything. It's a matter of expanding horizons much like taking a child to museums or teaching them about different cultures.
I have a friend whose kid basically won't eat anything but fast food and mom buys it for him because she is afraid he won't eat otherwise and she doesn't want him to be hungry. He is 14. My son went over and showed him how to make chicken enchiladas to serve for the family and he ate it like crazy, even though there were onions in it. I think getting kids involved in food prep helps them be more interested in trying it. There are so many fruits and vegetables that are really great, not to mention healthy, so having a policy of experimenting and truly trying other things is a wonderful way for them to find out their actual likes and dislikes. Steamed carrots with brown sugar tastes much like yams with brown sugar. Perhaps have your daughter make a sweet potato pie. A pineapple all the way from Hawaii...how cool is that? Drizzle a little melted carmel like you use for ice cream, sprinkle some nuts and a little bit of low fat whipped cream. It's awesome for dessert if they've had their veggies first. Another big hit with my kids was banana slices in orange juice. They actually used to serve it on the lunch menu many years ago when I was little and in school. It's pretty yummy. My 67 year old mom still has that some mornings for breakfast.
Like I said, I started young, but I have had people stop me in the store because they couldn't believe my kids were begging for eggplant or brussel sprouts. They have literally tried every single thing from the produce section and never found anything they actually hated. To this day.
Veggies and fruits are necessary to our dietary health and they're not as horrible as some kids think they are.
The other thing I did with my kids was to promise them I would never make them eat anything I was unwilling to eat. For instance, I never cooked liver in their lives. If I couldn't stomach it, I wouldn't make them. So, they were pretty certain they never had to worry about me making them eat anything truly "gross". My son loves chicken livers and eats them at his dad's, but mommy doesn't cook them. And I've certainly never told him he can't eat them. My approach to introducing foods has ended up with him liking things that even I don't. And that's okay.
Don't be mad at the doctor. I have so many friends whose children don't eat healthy that he probably just wanted you, and your daughter, to realize the importance of a well rounded diet. Try making stir fry with rice, peas, carrots, pineapple, chicken and onions with a teriyaki glaze. She might really like it!
Whatever you do, don't cave to fast food, don't offer her anything different from what the rest of the family is eating. Don't offer snacks in between meals unless she'd like to munch on a carrot or apple or plum and stick to the "You don't get to say you don't like it or won't eat it until you've actually tried it" routine. If she's not hungry enough to try other things, she's not that hungry. And, you will make a mistake by giving her what she will eat without making her try other things. I could see it if you were trying to make her eat lobster brains or something, but fruits and vegetables are not nearly that gross and she doesn't need to act like they are.
If you have a farmer's market nearby, take her there. Let her see all the varieties and how many other people love getting their produce. Some may even let her sample things. You can change her mindset as opposed to being mad at the doctor. She may find a million things she loves that she never even realized she would. How can you ride a bike if you don't try?
How can she know what she likes or doesn't if she doesn't try?
Don't let her fold her arms and refuse because if she does, then other choices get taken away. I know some will say leave her alone and she'll figure it out. But if she realizes at 20 that she loves broccoli, she probably could have realized that at 8 as well. And that's 12 years of her never eating something good for her that she ended up liking anyway.
There are so many nutrients that come from fruits and vegetables that it just doesn't make sense to me for children to decide they don't need any of that. They need it most when their bodies are growing. Help your daughter make banana, zuchini and cranberry bread or muffins. I have a recipe for spinach pie that no kid has ever turned down. The pickiest of my friends kids will try anything I make and decide they like it.
Just use a different approach. Eggplant parmesan tastes just like lasagne. Spinach lasagne tastes as good as beef, if not better. Spinach manicotti.
These things taste so good that if your child balks because of the spinach, don't tell her it has spinach. It will smell so good and taste so good she won't have time to have a fuss before she realizes she likes it.
Sorry this got long. I wish you the best. But seriously. You cannot let your 8 year old tell you what she will and won't eat. She has to at least try.
And, again, don't lie to the doctor. Don't give your daughter an "out" or think it's okay to lie about what she eats. If she were a diabetic and sneaking bad things, lying to the doctor wouldn't help her in the slightest either. Lying about food can set you up for a host of other problems which you do not want to have to deal with.
Introduce her to a new thing one week at a time and follow through with it.
It will be the best for her in the long run.

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I know you've gotten a lot of responses, but I just wanted to touch on the puree thing. I know what you mean about the puree's looking like you aren't getting much in the way of veggie when you add a puree, but there are two things to think about. One, consider how much of a certain veggie you have to puree in order to get just half a cup of a puree. I puree'd some broccoli yesterday for my recipe's and I used almost a hole bag of precut broccoli from Costco for about 2 cups of puree! That is actually a pretty significant amount of veggies your adding to the recipe. Second, isn't it better to get something than nothing at all? Just continue offering the different foods, and maybe she will eventually eat it and maybe she won't. But don't make it a battle. But also, don't let her eat chips and junk like that. If she is hungry she should eventually eat what you are telling her she needs to eat. I would buy the book Deceptivly Delicious, it has some really great recipes in it and a lot of great advice as well! Good luck!!

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Hi,
There are actually green and fruit powders that can be added to a great shake! Check out www.cindyflesher.isagenix.com.
Kids love them ;)

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Unfortunately, there is no great way to make someone like veggies. You should keep offering them and even try new things at the table so your daughter has exposure to them. One of these days she might end up liking them. I was a picky eater growing up (and still have some picky tendencies) so I was in my 20's before I liked broccoli, spinach and even tomato sauce on pasta.

Here are a few things you could try:
- make yogurt smoothies and add different fruits/veggies. I used to know someone who put an entire can of green beans in a smoothie and her child loved it. (This didn't work for my daughter, but is always worth a try.)
- I second the V-8 Splash juice. My daughter drinks that sometimes. I know you have to be careful of calories, but I think my daughter's overall calorie intake is fine.
- You could give small servings of all foods and not offer seconds of the things she likes (e.g. pasta) until she at least tries a bite of veggies/fruit.

Good luck!

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I have a 7yr old autistic son who only eats 8 foods so this is a huge problem for us. I'm currently reading a book called Just Take a Bite. I haven't finished the book but think understanding possible sensory issues that may cause some of the picky eating is helpful. I'll probably have better advice when I finish the book.

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Don't start hating the doctor scene, instead use them as a resource. Ask them for reading material, have him/her talk to your daughter (in your presence of course), etc..My daughter has been a good eater from the start and recently turned away from vegetables, she started having difficulty with her bm, I explained to her (in her moment of pain) that it was probably because she needs to drink more water and eat more vegetables. My daughter likes corn and carrots the best, if she eats broccoli she likes to dip it into sauce. She also learned to like salad because her teacher made a big tadoo about how good vegetables are for us. So use every person your daughter looks up to, and have them help your daughter by telling her how good vegetables are for us. Also try cooking them in different ways and see which she likes best. Good luck.

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I was a picky eater (and still am) and my son is also somewhat picky. I would say, go ahead and try to hide the vegetables if you can, because little nutritional value is better than none at all. Also, you might try to find recipes that make the vegetables and fruits in a new way so they aren't just plain. I would say keep offering them to her, but I know that when I was little, I would just not eat supper if I had to eat something I didn't like. My son is also very strong willed, so I just supplement with vitamins or Pediasure. I'm not going to have a battle every night at supper, so I compromise.

I also think that the doctor could have given you the same information in a much more positive and helpful manner, but maybe they were just having a bad day. Also, I wouldn't lie to the doctor because some crazy medical condition may come up and they would need to know that information. Just don't volunteer the info and see if they ask about it. Good luck with your daughter!

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I would just stop volunteering the information. You can't really "make" her eat them. you can put them there, you can say nothing else until these are gone, etc., but all that does is cause a huge commotion and makes eating a real stressor. i would try to give her as many healthy foods as you can and perhaps supplement with one of those drinks you see advertised on TV and call it a day. Definitely the veggies should still be offered and maybe a compromise of just one bite but don't make it a huge deal to the point that everyone fears mealtime!

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First, spaghetti sauce in itself has tomatoes, which i guess are 'fruits' but I would consider that a serving of veggies if she eats that. So, if you are giving her pasta with spaghetti sauce, she is getting more than you think.

Second, if you add a few veggies (pureed) to pasta sauce, you can serve it without feeling bad about her not getting veggies a few times a week (or every day if you prefer).

Third, have you tried giving her V8Fusion to drink? One cup has a full serving of fruits and veggies in it. See if she likes it - most kids who have tried it do like it that I know!

Take her to the grocery store and tell her she gets to pick out what ever veggies she likes. If she says she doesn't like any of them, tell her that you'd like her to pick out one for you to make for yourself. Include her in the cooking process. Then give her 1 piece of it and tell her she has to at least try it becuase all cooks 'try' their food.

My daughter did not like most veggies from 12 month - 24 months. She's just now getting into eating them...here is what I found she likes...

Broccoli with butter / american cheese

Broccoli / cauliflower mixed with cream of mushroom soup/american cheese and topped with friend onions.

What about veggie soup? Does she not like veggies and dip? Has she tried salads? Maybe if she finds a dressing she likes, she'd be more apt to eat veggies if she can dip into that dressing?

Does she eat fruits? If you've tried all possibilites and she still doesn't eat fruits, I'd suggest the 'sneaking in' idea - in pastas and maybe even juices. If that doesn't work, give her more fruits.

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I would try giving her that yummy fruity v8. Just as a start. Also, try making your own salsa variations. Veggie pizza goes a long way. Is it possible to get her interested in helping with cooking? She might enjoy helping to make a veggie dish. I know that if I just let my little boys help cut things with a butter knife they are way more likely to eat it.
I agree with you on the "force" issue. Have you looked at what you and your husband eat? Are you showing a positive side of veggies? Or does your husband (like mine) need to be pushed into eating them?

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Does she eat any vegetables at all? If there's only one of two she likes then give those to her as much as you can. A lot of kids like peeled cucumbers sliced up especially english cucumbers. My mom used to tell us that we had to try our vegetables before we got anything else to eat. Sometimes I would go to bed hungry but eventually I learned to just try them and I found that I liked them. Different sauces like salad dressing or mayonaise mixed with mustard has worked for me in the past. V-8 V-fusion is pretty good too. Good luck. Remember that you are the Mom and you are in charge of teaching her to try new things. Peoples taste buds change every 7 years so it's important to keep trying things even if you didn't like them in the past.

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M.-
What is the reason she doesn't eat veggies/fruits? Taste? Texture? Personally, I don't eat very many cooked veggies, because I can't stand the way most people overcook them and they're muuuushy. I am a fan of hiding the veggies. If your daughter eats pasta, put all kinds of veggies in the sauce. I use diced zucchini, onions, extra tomatoes, etc. You can add shredded carrots to meatloaf, make muffins with zucchini. You can add apple sauce to any muffin recipe in lieu of part of the oil. I think there is a cookbook by Jerry Seinfelds wife, Jessica called Deceptively Delicious. I would invest some $ in that. Maybe you can put a little garden together so she grows her own veggies and include her in the food preparation. My son loves my veggie lasagna. You'd never guess how many veggies are in it. And I use whole wheat pasta and even my picky mother can't tell how good it is for her. Message me if you want a "recipe". I use kind my kitchen soup sauce so I'd have to fake it for you.

I used to get irritated at my kid's ped too when she got all preachy, but I almost always realized that she was right. Granted, I hated the tone, but the message was correct. Ohhhh, you gotta watch out for the lying to the doctor, because your child will go ahead and tell the truth. I got totally busted once. :-)
Good luck on this, S.

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My daughter loves fruit. Its always been hard to get her to eat her veggies. We did a contest in our house, who could try the most new food in a month, there was a small prize which really got the kids excited.
I have blended peppers, carrots, onions and spinach into pasta sauce and chilli, I'm sure every little helps.
maybe your daughter could help prepare the veggies of use ranch or peanut butter as a dip for raw veggies. I never ate veggies as a kid and I turned out OK.
good luck

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My first child loved veggies from day one. My second turned his nose up from day one. I did a ton of research on whole food products and found Juice Plus to have the 15 published peer reviewed medical studies that it work in the body. It is fruit and veggies soft chews for kids and capsules for adults. It's hard for anyone to get the 9-13 servings in their diet each day. My kids MD is on board and we have been taking it for almost seven years now and I am so thankful I found it.
Check out www.StudiesOnJuicePlus.com for yourself. Watch the 10 minute video on my homepage. I am happy to answer any questions you might have.
I have such a passion for kid's health and that is why I now share JP+ with all the people I know and care about.
Good Luck!

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My son is 9 and picky picky picky with not just taste but smell and texture of foods also. It was hard to get my son to eat any cooked green veggies; all he would eat was corn and carrots. It struck me that my son would eat carrots raw but not cooked so I put raw cauliflower, zucchini, and broccli on the table. He wouldnt even touch them. I told him the zucchini especially didnt really have a strong taste when raw. He still would not touch them. Then I bribed him and told him I would give him $5 if he tasted all 3 for himself uncooked and tell me if agreed they didnt have a strong taste when raw. It worked!! I am happy to report he will now eat all 3 of them as long as they are not cooked which of course is fine with me.

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I use some whole food nutrients that I add to my granddaughters food or juice to make sure she gets what is required in her diet. She is getting better now.

If you want more info I can share with you.

N. Marie

How do you force a child to do anything? You need to read the book "Have a New Kid by Friday". Sounds like you've lost all authority and respect in your household and you need to regain it back, quick before your 8 yr old turns a corner into teenhood and then you'll really have a challenge on your hands. I have a 7 & 8 yr old and neither one are thrilled with veggies and would prefer not to eat them. I ask them at the beginning of the week before I shop, what two veggies and fruits would they like. They know they can't get up from the dinner table unless they've eaten at least 3/4 their veggies about 1/2 the size of their palm. I do buy fresh veggies because the frozen veggies aren't appealing and lack flavor (except for the peas). When they get home from school they must eat one fruit before they can have any other type of snack. Some moms may tell you that you shouldn't get into power struggles over food or it will cause long term problems with eating. Give me a break. Most of us were forced to eat vegetables by our parents and we don't have eating disorders...it's a load of cr*p, don't buy into that. Hold your ground and soon enough your child will get used to the fact that it isn't an option..no matter how much they whine about it. Good luck!