Will My Kids Ever Eat Veggies?

Ok, this may sound a little silly and it might not work, but it is worth a try. My five year old will eat almost anything if it has a toothpick in it. (I discovered this at Costco...fish, cheese, asparagus, etc). So I thought it was worth a try at home. So I got a jar of colored toothpicks and the rest is history. It is also good for her fine motor skills to pierce the food.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I actually have to mix veggies in with mashed potatoes or as one of my dear friends suggested put veggies in a food processor or blender just to soften a little but still have texture and then mix them in with whatever else you are serving them.

My 16 month old son loves mashed potatoes so I will put green beans (not blended) on the same spoon. He loves the Beech Nut corn so I will heat some of that and feed him meatloaf, etc. He is still picky but from what I have read and learned, it's normal at his age and even up to two years.

Beech Nut and Gerber have some great ideas maybe you can check their website. Babies and toddlers taste buds are very sensitive and they really don't care for bland food. By mixing things up, just like adults put several things on their forks at one time, is sometimes the best way to get them to eat new things. Hope this helps

Hi S.,
I know you already had a ton of responses, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents. I am lucky in the that my girls (3 and 1) are great eaters. But some days my 3 year old would rather eat other things than her vegetables. So here are a few tricks I've come up with: As many have already said, cover the veg- my daughter will eat just about anything with ketchup or mustard. She loves to sprinkle Kraft grated parmesan on things, so I let her put as much of that on her veg as she wants. When we go to the store I let her help pick things out. I do this with my 1 year old too in a way. I talk with her about what I'm picking out and say, "Should we get broccoli today?" She thinks she's helping. I always have my daughter take at least 3 bites of her veg before she can leave the table. If she absolutely doesn't like it, I have a backup (it may be a can of peas that I just open, but it's a backup) of something I know she will eat. And bribery works. If there is something else my daughter really likes on the table, I give her less of that (or none) to start with and once she eats a veg, she can have some of what she likes. To get more of what she likes, she has to eat a veg. And I have read in numerous parenting magazine articles that it can take kids something like 10-20 times of trying some food before they like it, so hang in there and keep trying even when your kids say they don't like something. Try Edamame. You can get it in the freezer section. It comes like peas in the pod or already shelled (get the already shelled kind). It's soybeans. It's great for them. Cook it, toss with a little salt. I know many kids that love it, even ones that don't like most veg.

try chopping the veggies up and putting them into things they do eat - like spagetti sauce. They won't even know they are eating it and when they grow out of the 'no no' phase then try again with the whole veggie. Hope this helps.

L.

I wouldn't really worry about it. My eight year old eats tomatoes, an occaisonal baby carrot or 2 and once a while green beans. We do introduce new veggies but put it on a separate plate and she tries some when she is ready. My brother has 2 boys and one only eats carrots and one only eats brocolli. We have both been told by our pediatricians not to worry about it. My nephew would only eat spinach until he was 18...now he eats every veggie under the sun! Be patient, introduce new foods but don't make a big deal about it. If they are eating a variety of fruit, that will help too. If your kids eat spaghetti sauce on their spaghetti, you can puree any veggie into the sauce and they will never know!!

Good luck!

I found a great recipe (by british chef Jamie Oliver) for a tomato-based sauce that has veggies in it, too. I make a big batch and freeze some. I used it in lasagna, pizzas, and just with pasta sauce. At least I know it has some nutritional value other than just tomatoes.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/2005/03/09/tomato_base...

It takes awhile to make, but it makes a big batch and it freezes great.

:) K.

I like to make soups with things like squash and parsnips and celery, broccoli and carrots. Chicken broth based. If she still fights me on the "chunks" I found a way to trick her. SHe loves miso soup. So I pureed my soup, added a little miso and tofu chunks, and she was none the wiser to the veggies. At five you have to be a little more of a tough guy. None of this or that until you eat your veggies.
Dips like ranch work for some kids. Or a fondue pot makes it fun if they like cheese. You can puree things in Spaghetti sauce too. It is advised not to sneak everything. They have to learn to accept the veg in it's natural texture and appearance too. But it is just extra bonus vitamins if you can sneak them in too.

I know how you feel I have two sons, 10 and 12. The 10 year old loves vegetables and will eat almost any type there is. But he will eat very little meat. Chicken nuggets and fish sticks are his main choice of meat. Whereas my oldest I have to just about feed him the vegetables myself if I want him to get some vegetables in his system. He thinks frenchfries are potatoes so that is a vegetable for him. And whats even crazier is when he was little he loved vegetables and fruit. I would just keep trying different types or maybe try different spices. I know when I was young I hated eating baked beans. So my mom started putting a little bit of maple syrup (pancake syrup)in them while she was cooking them and then I loved them. And that is the only way my youngest likes them. Just like my oldest will not eat baked potatoes but he loves mashed potatoes wwith cheese and bacon bits sprinkled on top. Your girls are still young too so they might grow out of it. But I would recommend having them at least try what you make even if they say they have tried it once before. Or bribe them with a reward. Thats half the problem is they have made up in their minds they dont like what they are getting ready to taste that even if they would like it they wouldnt know because they are already trying to swallow it whole without tasting it or trying to gag and spit it out. Good luck, I am sure it will all work out.

Hi S.,
I have the same problem with my 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter. We always have at least one vegetable on the table at dinner, sometimes more, and they don't seem to like anything besides baked potatoes! What I do is try to sneak vegetables in when I can. I'll make spaghetti sauce and add mushrooms and use soy protien (the kind they sell that resembles ground beef) instead of meat so at least they get a few veggies in. I make vegetable beef soup sometimes and they at least get the vitamins in the broth. But the experts say keep serving vegetables and one day they will try them and like them. I hope they're right!

Do you and your husband eat and pretend at least to enjoy a regular diet of veggies. Try cooking veggies in a casserole or something that they might not know they are eating it. I got my son hooked on mashed potatoes with green peas, or steamed broccoli covered in cheese. My son is 7 and what cant I get him to eat other then mayo.

Hi S., my son is 19 months and I have a hard time as well with veggies. It was suggested to me to give him the same veggie for 7 days straight and have it be the first thing you give them at dinner before the rest of the meal. I tried cooked carrots with brown sugar/honey and butter to make them sweet. Dipping is always fun. I got my son to eat cucumbers by giving him some hummus or rance dressing to dip it into. Veggies burgers is also a way to go. I had a friend make a veggie lasagna and mix baby food with tomatoes sauce so her kids wouldn't know they were eating veggies. I don't know how much time you have but homemade soup seems to be the only way my guy will eat his veggies every time. Let me know what you come up with.
D.

There are a few things I tried with mine and it eventually worked. First, try all of the Natural fruit dips to see if they like it that way. If they don't find it fun, add food coloring to the dips. Second, make animals or objects out of veggies and fruit, ex. a carrot snake; cucumber eyes; tomato lips. Last but not least make smoothies. Good luck!

try putting peanut butter on it and peanut butter is good for them that is how I got mine to eat them and now they are older and love to eat veggie wiht out it

S., On the Oprah show, Jerry Sienfields wife was on and has a cookbook called deceptively delicious. She purees all kinds of stuff. She blends and freezes all at once so it's ready when she needs it. You can add cauliflower puree to macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes, carrots in spagetti sauce etc...tons of options with this method. She uses the purees in breads, cookies...everything!

Good luck, T.
Workathomeunited.com/T.

try putting cheese on them. most kids will eat anything as long as cheese is part of it.

NOT SURE IF IT WILL WORK FOR YOU BUT IT WORKED FOR MY YOUNGEST..SHE IS 2 1/2. I PUT FRESH VEGGIES IN A CONTAINER..THEY LOOKED REALLLY PRETTY. I TOLD HER IT WAS LIKE CANDY AND LATER IN THE DAY WE WOULD HAVE A SPECIAL TREAT TOGETHER. EVERY SO OFTEN, WE WOULD SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND ENJOY OUR VEGGIES. MY OLDER KIDS 7 AND 8 ATE THE VEGGIES TO BC THEY GOT TO BE A PART OF "TRICKING" THEIR BABY SISTER. I ALSO NOW HAVE A SMALL GARDEN IN MY BACK YARD AND THE KIDS ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGEST SEEM TO LIKE TO EAT THINGS THEY HELP GROW. OFTEN TIMES, MY HUSBAND AND I TRY TO "REWARD" THE KIDS WITH THEIR FAVORITE VEGGIE. FOR EXAMPLE, MY 7 YEAR OLD SON LOVES TO EAT BROCCOLI...BC THEY LOOK LIKE TREES. MY 8 YEAR OLD LOVES CELERY N A LITTLE BIT OF PEANUTBUTTER....AND MY 2 YEAR OLD LOVES CUCUMBERS....THIS ALL WORKED FOR MY 3 CHILDREN AND IT EVEN GOT MY HUSBAND TO EAT A VEGGIE OR 2. IF YOU TRY THIS, I HOPE IT WORKS FOR YOU. GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING.

I have learned the hard way with my two oldest kids- start feeding them your food as early as possible. I used to keep baby food going and not give them our food, but now both of them are sooo picky and only like bland flavors. The two youngest started getting our food immediately- we just chopped it small or blended it. They will eat anything! At first I thought they couldn't handle the spices and things, but then I read a parenting magazine article that talked about what foods babies around the world ate. There were some spicy things in there! I realized that if a baby in India could eat curry or something, my baby could handle spaghetti! :)

SO- for the two older ones we have to sneak things in:
Shredded zucchini in spaghetti (looks just like noodles if you add it in the last few minutes of noodle boiling). Shredded or diced or even pureed veges in lasagna (if we puree we put it in with the sauce).
Black beans chopped up and shredded lettuce into the taco meat right after adding the sauce mix- it all turns the same brown color and if the lettuce is small enough, they don't know any better.
soups are great for hiding pureed veges in- even I don't taste it most times.

I guess the overall message is- start young with variety, and if it is too late- learn to hide the veges!

Good luck- T.

Hsve you tried frozen mixed veges? I gave them to my kids when they were teething, and it caught on really well. They will now eat them as a snack, instead of other things. They are 2 and 5. It's worth a try. Good luck.

Hi S.,

I have a 2 year old daughter who went from loving all vegetables (yes, even brissels sprouts) to refusing everything but mushy cooked carrots and even that sometimes. So I'm pretty desperate to find some solutions too. A couple of things that have worked recently for me - soft cooked veggies seem to work better than crunchy ones (may be your kids have strong preferences one way or the other!), small pieces of cooked broccoli with a little velveeta melted over them - she loved that and actually asked for it again the next day! and veggies mixed in with chicken and rice casserole or veggies cut up and mixed in with noodles seem to work as well.

Please post any ideas that you find work for you.

Cheers
M.

Let them pick out what to eat. If a child is included in meal preparation, then they'll eat their own creations. It works with my kids!

I have tried Broccoli bites and Spinach bites in the produce section. They seem to work pretty good. They look like chicken nuggets. They also have sweet corn bites which are pretty good too. You can heat them in the microwave. I figure if I can get my son to just eat one, then he's better off than none.

A friend of mine also told me to heat the carrot sticks in the microwave for 30-45 seconds to get them soft. This hasn't worked for me yet but it's worth a shot.

Well for potatoes you can try coating with hidden valley ranch dry mix and bake. Have you tried green bean casserole? Or mixing peas into a dish, like tuna noodle casserole? I never had a problem with veggies for my kids,(course I have one to go who is due in Nov). Just try to be creative.

Well veggies are like almost anything new, if it is different there might be some resistance. I have an 18 year old and 9 year old. As with most parents I wanted them to eat veggies, so I put veggies on the table every night, when there is nothing else to eat, they eat. Our rule is one bite to be polite, that way it got them to try everything. I always say they don't have to eat it all, but they can't judge until they try. The way my kids like green beans, or spinach is done in the skillet with garlic and kosher salt. That way it gives it a great flavor and sometimes I even let my 9 year old help stir. Also when I have fresh vegetables, I always allow her to help peel, cut, or wash, whatever is age appropriate. I think when they are involved it makes them at least want to try the items. Also my kids always loved veggie lasagna I don't even think they knew it was veggie!!
Goodluck, they will eat what they are ready for, just don't force them to, then you will create a hatred or strong dislike that might not have other wise been there!!!

One trick I have used is Spaghetti squash covered in spaghetti sauce. Steam the squash in the microwasve by slicing it in half(removing the seeds) and placing in a shallow pan with about a 1/2 in. of water and cook on high for 10-20 minutes based on the size of the squash.
Then use a fork and scrape out and mound on a plate and cover with your favorite spagetti sauce. It is a little more crunchy than spaghetti, but seems to be well tolerated by my 8 year old picky eater.

Our peditrician said if we don't get the kids to eat veggies between 12-18 months they never will!!! I don't know about that but melted cheese and Ranch Dip for raw veggies seem to work in getting them to try them :D

Try the Jessica Seinfeld book and another one called The Sneaky Chef by Missy Lapine (my preference of the 2). Great recipes and the Lapine book gives great ideas for hiding veggies in other foods, but also ways to continue to get kids to eat veggies the regular way. My daughter (19 months) loves her veggies and I think it's because I always treated green beans in the same way as I'd treat a potato chip. I try not to make a big deal out of eating or not eating one paticular thing, so that it will all be considered "just food," if that makes sense. My parents used to force me to eat things I didn't want to and I still feel like I'm being punished if I have to eat a vegetable--I was determined to take a different approach with my kids--so far so good. Try to make stuff fun, ie: ants on a log, banana popsicles, filling up an ice cube tray with veggies and dips etc. Good luck!

Hi S.,
MY SUGGESTION MAYBE WOULD BE. IF THEY ARE DIPPERS LIKE MY BOYS PUT DIFFERNT STUFF ON THEM AND THEN THEY WILL START LIKING THEM WITHOUT IT. TRY LIKE CHEESE. RANCH, HONEY MUSTARD, BBQ SAUCES. MY BOYS EAT VEEGIES WITHOUT ALL THAT STUFF NOW. BUT IT IS WORTH THE TRY. AT LEAST THEY ARE EATING THEM.RIGHT!!! GOOD LUCK!!!! T.

My kids love it when i make up a veggie tray with some dip. They will eat it all up! A good recipe you could try for dinner that has a variety of veggies in it is Hobo-pie!

1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1 can peas
(drain the veggies)
Mashed Potatoes (I use instant potatoes)
6 slices of cheese

Cook the ground beef, drain, add the soup and veggies let that simmer while you prep your potatoes. You can play with this and adjust it however it works for you, you can even used cooked frozen veggies if you want a different variety! Take the ground beef mixture and put in a casserole dish, add the potatoes to the top, spread it like you would frost a cake, then add cheese slices or shredded cheese whatever you prefer. Put in the oven @ 350 for about 15 minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese. My kids eat this like crazy, so hopefully your kids will as well! Good Luck!

Keep offering the veggies. Try different veggies. My 1 year old loves broccoli, oddly enough. Don't make a big deal about the veggies, meaning don't turn it into a power struggle or offer rewards. Being healthy IS the reward, not candy or dessert. Model good habits, meaning that you need to eat YOUR veggies as well. Try sprinkling parmesan cheese on them. Offer the veggies first, before anything they might like better. What I do with my 3 3/4 year old is ask her to at least eat 3 big girl bites of anything I give her, and she usually will. And if she doesn't, it's her loss.
As long as you keep offering the veggies and eat them yourself, eventually your kids will eat them too. I hated green pepper in my Mom's spaghetti sauce as a kid but now I love green peppers.

After reading some of the other responses I have to add something: putting butter on your kids veggies is a bad idea. Why start so young clogging their arteries? They get enough junk in other places. Salt is also not good for people. They might eat more of the veggies but ultimately you're teaching them that food only tastes good when you add fattening dressings like mayo, sour cream, etc. and since we are in the middle an epidemic of obesity/diabetes in this country I think we would all do well to cut that stuff OUT of our diets for good.

Hi S., I am a daycare provider and understand how hard it is to get the kids to eat their veggies. Make it fun for them. Give them green beans (put some ketchup with it), give them broccoli (throw some shredded cheese on it and melt it), carrots (butter and a tad bit of salt) corn (butter and salt), salad for your oldest (give them a choice of salad dressing), try mixed veggies (buttery and salt). Make it fun! Show them that they can enjoy their veggies as well as tator tots. Give them some fruit along with the veggies to balance it out. Try this and let me know how it goes.

A.
"Precious Moments Daycare"

Make special things with them... for instance, carrot rounds as flower petals, dip in the middle, celery stick for a stem and spinach leaves for the leaves. Have a variety of veggies in a bowl and be creative. Just think of silly, fun shapes and things they can make with them. Then EAT them!!!

I agree, add CHEESE!!! I am a vegetarian and I LOVE cheese with my veggies. Try Italian dressing, etc. Things to help flavor them some.

The struggle of all struggles!! We have 5 children and each one at least hates one veggie that another child loves! Sweet potatoes are great baked in the oven then mashed with a little butter and brown sugar. Peas can be smushed and mix well with regular mashed potatoes (read green eggs and ham before dinner that night with your girls). Any raw veggie is good with some dips, give the girls a variety of dips to choose from, along with different veggies. I put out peanut butter, ranch, bar-b-q (my 7 yr old loves crazy stuff), sometimes chocolate syrup or marshmellow fluff (in small amounts). Gets them to try different things and they have fun trying all the dips. Good Luck!!!

I think most kids go through a stage where they don't want to eat veggies and depending on how we are parents respond will determine if they eat veggies or not. I don't believe making them sit at the table until they eat their veggies to be a good practice, but offering incentives like, no dessert until you have eaten your veggies. I am fortunate that my daughter who is also 5 eats almost any veggie, but there are some that she doesn't care for like asparagus, our agreement is that she needs to eat what I give her. I don't give her a large serving at all. Maybe 2 -3 bites maximum, but it is enough for her to get a taste and hopefully she will develop a like for these as she gets older. Basically, what we do is if there is a dessert that she wants then we tell her she has to eat say 4 bites of her veggie, or whatever you feel is appropriate and then she can have the dessert. Or we just say you need to eat so many bites of what is on her plate and it works for us. I don't know if it will work for your little ones, but it is worth trying. Sometimes too if there is something else on the table that she really likes we will say before you get anymore of that other you need to eat some veggies and that usually works. You could always try to put cheese on broccoli, and maybe some butter on greenbeans, it might help and then as they start to eat it diminish how much so that they are not getting unhealthy trying to eat the healthy food.

Good luck.

Not the best as far as calorie intake, but when my kids and my nieces and nephews would balk at veggies my sister and I would offer whatever dressing with them that they like (italian, ranch) and we call it dip. After they get used to eating them without issues, then we either wean the amount of "dip" or expand how it's presented (try it steamed etc). Now veggies are no longer an issue.

Best of luck.

K

Hi S.
If you have not heard of the "Super Baby Food" I suggest that you look into it. I have a 10 month old and she eats everything from kale to five grain oatmeal. Her favorite is avocado. It has some really good recipes for toddlers as well. The web sight is www.superbabyfood.com. Try making sweet potato french fries. Put a med size pot. in the microwave for about 5-7 min. or until you are able to easily cut into it. Peel the pot. and cut it into french fry pieces. Bake at 350 until done. Give them to your kids with a side of ketchup and they will love it.
The book also had great arts and craft ideas. I hope that this is of some help to you.

Hi S.. I've read through some of the great suggestions you already have... I didn't want to tell you something you've already heard 10 times. But I do want to tell you what has been successful for me. I do not force my daughter to eat something that she truly does not like. I don't like spinach and I won't eat it, and it's not fair of me to expect her to eat something she doesn't like either. But I do require her to try everything before she decides. If I offer her something new, she usually says "I don't like that." I tell her that she cannot get down from the table until she has tried it. She eventually does, and usually she likes it and finishes it. If not, I may have a "backup" veggie that I know she likes. Also, if she claims she's too full or doesn't like it (even when I know she does) just to avoid eating, I tell her that's fine, but she will get nothing else to eat until the next meal. She usually comes to me complaining that she is hungry, but I say "I'm sorry, but you decided not to eat your lunch, and so you have to wait until dinner." This way, she learns that meal times are for eating, and that she has the power to make decisions, but there are consequences to her decisions. This approach has been very successful for me, and I hope it helps you, too.

Hi, S.. I wish I had some advice for you, but I don't. I have 7, 5, and 3 year old boys and they aren't really veggie eaters either. Although, I have to say as the 7 year old gets older, he is willing to try more things. I mostly just wanted to encourage you and let you know - you are not alone. I have heard some folks say that their kids like raw vegetables with ranch dressing but it didn't work for mine. Maybe it will for your girls. Good Luck!

T.
3 sons and a husband of 10 years.

Okay so this is old now and you have alot of responses but I just thought I would add another. With my kids I put a small amount of everything on thier plates starting from the begining. Both of my girls eventually started eating all kinds of differant veggies. The key is to always put a small portion on thier plates but don't make it a battle if they eat it they eat it if not maybe they will next time. It takes several tries usually to get them to eat something. With the older one you can try a 1 bite rule she has to take one full bite( not a nibble) of everything on her plate but don't push her past that. I wouldn't try that with the younger one till she is 4-5 or it will just be a bigger battle.

I have spoiled mine I guess because I add things on the veggies for him to eat them.
Green beans-cut and no salt add kind-steak seasoning (the sprinkle on kind) or BBQ sauce..even wing sauce on them.
Black beans--hot sauce (not picante but actual hot sauce, one or two drops)
Carrots--ranch
Broccoli-call those trees which is how I got him to TRY them and we put ranch on them.
Potatoes, you cook and mash them. Add cheese and what not as well.
French fries you cut up real potatoes and pop in oven with seasoned salt and pepper.
Corn-add steak seasoning (sprinkle on kind), bbq sauce or a ton of butter
Cucumbers--no skin and dipped in ranch
Bush beans need nothing else because they are good that way.

It also helps to eat it WITH the kids and NEVER EVER let them know you dont like whatever it is. And if there is one parent the child copys more have that parent eat the veggies with the child! Hubby does this and our son will eat and eat veggies until hubby is done but if I eat veggies that hubby doesnt eat then our son wont eat it either.

I agree with continuing to offer various veggies fixed different ways. Also, you can try greensmoothiegirl.com this is an awesome whole food site. Robyn will walk you step by step through a "green" smoothie that has both greens & fruits & comes out alot like a cheat snack for both kids and adults. You can alter the ingredients to suit you and your families needs & tastes. One of the other things I remember her suggesting is the idea of keeping cut up fruit & veggies to put out in a divided container...maybe even as simple as an ice tray -- a different thing in each cube area -- with a couple of different kinds of dip (peanut butter, hummus etc).

I hear Costco has these but I don't have a membership --- pre-cut sweet potatoes or you can buy & cut them in strips similar to "stick" fries for easy fun muching.

What a great Mom, I wish I had figured out earlier on that french fries & tator nots (pun intended) are NOT veggies! ~~Blessings, K.