I feel so overwhelmed right now regarding my two toddlers' veggie intake. My daughter is 1 and seems to be doing alright (but not as good as my son at that age) and my son who is now 2-1/2 won't touch the veggies on his plate (well, maybe if I bribe him a bit). As of now, I have tried canned (yuck!), frozen (with sauce, cheese, etc.), fresh with dip. However, my 1 year old is limited because of her teeth; little luck. Any suggestions out there to get my kids to eat better?
Get a quality juicer and juice the veggies. I'm 54 and it's about the only way I'll get the nutrients of beets or carrots in me.
Cannot eat these raw! So I drink my way to better health. Add some fruits too. Apples, berries, lemon. You'll get all the sweetness you need in it too, so you don't have to add sugar.
You're right about canned, tho. Bad bad bad.
That's been a battle for all moms I am sure. We have our son "drink" his vitamins. It's an isotonic blend that is 95% absorbed in 5-10 minutes because it can bypass digestion. It's wonderful to know he has what his body needs!
Let me know if you want to know more.
S.
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We have no problems with my son who is 3. But I buy the frozen steamfresh by birds eye brand of veggies & he loves them. Easy to nuke & tastes just like they were bought fresh and cooked rather than froozen. Good luck!
Hi T.---Try not to get too worried. Kids are naturally just trying to learn how to assert themselves. But that is the trick because mealtime is not the time for testing. Their nutrition is vitally important.
I am a soon-to-be wellness educator and I have a BUNCH of materials for you to use in getting your kids to eat their veggies. I have childrens books, DVD's, games, etc. It's all about educating the kids and 2 1/2 is not too soon. I also have shopping lists and a chart with the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables for kids of all ages and activity levels. Yes, a very active youngster, one who is in sports, requires more fruits and veggies than the average child.
A resource I can share right now is www.askdrsears.com. The DVD I have was recorded by him. AND, most conveniently, I also offer a whole food supplement, fruits and veggies, in capsule, chewable and gummie forms. The body recognizes this as food and actually does a thing called metabolic programming, where the body recognizes the nutrients and causes us to want more. It's called Juice Plus+ and research shows that it works!
I look forward to helping you. In health, D.
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check out the cookbook Deceptively Delicious. Great way to get veggies into kids.
Hi T.,
Fortunately, I have 2 very hungry boys that will eat virtually anything I put in front of them. However, this hasn't always been the case!
What I have learned, is it is all in the presentation! Perhaps take them shopping with you to pick out a new set of their own silverware - mine chose Thomas the Train and Spiderman. I also let them pick out their own little plates. Believe it or not, it really doesn't matter what I put on their plate...as long as they get to pick their plate and utinsels for that meal!
I know you have already tried dips and such, but I always give my boys a choice. 'Would you like to dip your broccoli in ranch, or sour cream?' So that way then automatically knew they had to eat their vegetables, but they were able to pick what they ate them with.
Also, it helped using other names for the veggies. We pretend we are dinosaurs eating trees when eating broccoli. We are giants eating little heads of lettuce when eating brussel sprouts, etc. Sounds goofy, but they are 2 and 4...and still buy in to it!
I know this isn't much...but they are things that worked for us!
Good luck!
S.
Hi T.
so many kids don't like veggies when they're small but it often improves as they get older. Does he like cooked fresh veggies. If you cook cauliflower, broccoli or green beans - things my kids will eat anyway - put some butter and salt on them. Even if you get him to eat just a few small mouthfuls it's better than nothing - and you'll find some days are better than others. My five-year-old went through a phase a couple of years ago when he decided he hated cooked veggies. It was just a phase - I'm not saying he's a huge fan but he will definitely eat some vegetables at lunch and dinner.Also, tho' not a veggie, I found that my babies adored avocado which is super healthy. Chopped pieces would be great for your toddler but when you are giving your new baby solids, mashed avocado, with or without cottage cheese, is a very easy and nutritious meal. good luck - Alison
I know I'm a later responder, but my sister-in-law was always creative. Veggies got chopped up to the tiniest of size and incorporated into many dishes without the kids realizing it. I would have to guess not having the texture of the bite sized pieces and having them as part of an egg dish, or in a hamburger, or whatever other creative dish may have been the key. They all do fine with veggies to this day. Also, keeping the junk food at bay helps. If you're interested in recipe specifics, don't hesitate to ask. ____@____.com
Hi T., I would start by looking at the snacks and making sure that there is a definite snack schedule and not just munching whenever. Make sure that there is NO food for the 2 hours before lunch/dinner, including juices, etc, just water. These things fill the little bellies right up. Then at meal time, put the veggies on the plate first and they don't get anything else until it's gone, and make sure that the portions are right for their little bellies, I found myself giving mine way way too much.
I second the book deceptively delicious :) I have it and love it :)
