My daughter is done with eating purreed veggies but won't eat whole veggies. (she is 22 months old)
What veggies does your toddler eat? (she will literally only eat edamame--the rest just sits on the plate no matter how many days in a row we offer it). HELP! This makes dinner time SO frustrating!
I like mixing vegies in pasta or anything that I can. like when I make my son mac and cheese I will add chopped steamed broccoli and he has no way of eating around it. No problems with him eating it.
My son will also eat almost anything if there is something to dip in. Like humus, spinach dip or ranch dressing he will dip carrot sticks and celery. but he is pretty picky when it comes to most vegies too...
she is so young.... and their taste buds are still developing.
Sure offer things, but don't make it a chore. She has her whole life, to try different foods. That's the way I look at it. I don't expect my kids, to eat/try/like everything. Some adults won't even eat Edamame.
Just be sure to cook it soft... otherwise a child can choke or aspirate it.
And mince it up small.
Kids (and adults) go through food likes and dislikes and phases. It will NOT be consistent nor finite. My daughter used to eat cherry tomatoes like it was peanuts. Then she didn't like it. Then she liked it. Then she didn't like it. Then she did. Then she didn't. Then she did. And now, she doesn't. No biggie. Now she is into artichokes. My son, is SUPER picky. He will only eat Lettuce. Just PLAIN lettuce. Or Japanese or Korean style marinated vegetables. No biggie.
all the best,
Susan
My daughter will eat peas. I have the same problem. We started having her take a bite or two. I also started rhyming works about "she tried something new" it's on it's way to be a song, but still working on it :O) But when she tries something new, much like potty training, we sing about it, talk about it and make a big deal about how exciting it is to try something new. I figure one bite is better then none. I've also found that she will eat ANYTHING my dad (her papa) will eat and will follow her dads lead on what he will eat. I've also found putting a big bowl of whatever we are eating in the middle of the table and eating out of it helps. Not really sanitary but she sees me and her dad digging in and she goes for it too.
For the longest time we made smoothies every morning. 8 oz plain organic yogurt, 1/2 cut fruit with some flaxseed oil and a little bit of veggies in it (a cauliflower floret thing or a few pieces of broccoli). It made me feel better knowing she was getting most of her dairy and all of her fruits in for the day first thing in the morning. There was less stress at the table.
Lastly, I remember reading somewhere to keep you eyes off your kids plate. You wouldn't want someone else telling you what to you so just give them what you'd like them to eat and step back. I'm getting better at this, but I'm still not a 100% at it...maybe 50% on a good day.
Best of luck and you are not alone,
C.
Mine all ate steamed veggies. Baby carrots, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, sweet potato...all in bite sizes. If taste is an issue, you can steam them and then dip them in & out of broth or bouillon. All 3 of my kids loved strips of cucumber with a little ranch, too, at that age. I gave them whatever we were eating, I just steamed theirs longer or cut/prepared it slightly differently from ours. They are now 8, 4, and 4, and when they're hungry they will eat. I serve raw or steamed veggies & ranch as an "appetizer" all the time while I'm cooking & they're complaining that they're hungry.
Have you tried giving the veggies first? Sometimes it works w my kids to give the veggies while the "main dish" is cooling off or we're cutting it up or whatever. They've gotten pretty used to the routine--"You have to eat your veggies and then you can have..." I know that doesn't work with all kids but it does with mine.
They only eat the main-stays: corn, carrots, peas, and green beans. They won't touch potatoes. They also won't eat fresh or frozen veggies--only canned. It must be the texture or something. Canned veggies are usually mushier than fresh or frozen... easier to chew? Who knows.
It could also just be a thing she's doing now, and maybe she'll get over it. I do find that the more I show that I want them to do something, the more they seem to resist. HA! Little boogers...
Google search the "Sneaky Chef." She has some great ideas on getting your children to eat more veggies.
When my 8 year old was a toddler, I would give her Gerber Graduate veggies. I would also heat them with a little butter to add some flavor and she loved them. And because it was finger size, that just made it fun for her too.
Hi J. - For your peace of mind, you've got to give Juice Plus soft chews a try. It's not a replacement for eating whole fruits and vegetables but it truly is the next best thing and will make your life so much easier and her health better protected. You will never find another children's whole food supplement that will have such positive affects on her immune system and overall health. Check out the research for yourself and compare it with research from other options. Two key things that make it different from everything else is that it is real, concentrated fruits and vegetables (has a nutrition label not a supplement label), and it's got more independent research proving it gets in the blood and improves health than any other nutritional supplement in the world. The evidence from the Children's Health Study (childrenshealthstudy.com) is really a wonderful testiment to it's value to your child's health. Just reply and I can provide you with the info on how to get it. I'd be happy to give you some free samples. I'm in Laguna Niguel.
keep offering the veggies and keep reminding yourself "it's a NORMAL developmental phase" (Ellyn Satter's book "Child of Mine, Feeding with Love and Good Sense" tells about how it's so typical for toddlers to be stubborn about refusing to try a particular food until THEY'RE ready - which could easily be the 10th, 20th, or 30th time you've tried offering it to them).
Also, keep modeling healthy eating habits - kids go through developmental phases quickly and chances are good your daughter will go through another "I want to try what mommy's eating" phase. Also if you have friends whose older children have healthy eating habits, that's another big motivational factor when children get to be around preschool age - I'm grateful to my friend whose kids are a couple years older than mine because when my girls were toddlers/preschoolers, it was a lot easier to get them to sit on the potty or try a few new foods when I reminded them that their friend "Big Girl Sarah" did that.
