Need Help Getting 2 1/2 Yr Old to Eat Veggies

My 1 1/2 year old son is not into eating veggies as well, enough my husband and I do eat them all the time. We try to get him to taste them but it is always a no go. I bought a cookbook called the "Sneaky Chef"......it is wonderful. You take everyday food and sneak in all kinds of fruits and veggies. IT WORKS!!!! Good luck!

I have that kid at my house! He has never eaten broccoli, So I buy the V-8 juices that are fruit juices with servings of veges,i think they have a special name about 247 a bottle i let him pick the flavors and he drinks them right up. Best kept secret at my house.

First & foremost.......LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Then, TRY new things and INCLUDE her in the process. I taught pre-school and encouraged parents to go thru the produce section and pick out one thing you've never tried before. "Research" together on how to prepare, etc. You HAVE to make it fun, a learning experience and help them realize THESE ARE DECISIONS YOU MAKE EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! THEREFORE........it's an EDUCATION.

When you're eating carrots, talk about the values and WHY your body needs them. In ADDITION, you MUST talk about the effects of white flour, processed sugar, too much saturated fat, etc. You cannot change what you don't acknowledge and NEED to educate yourself as well. If you don't know....FIND OUT!!! Again......LEAD BY EXAMPLE!

EXERCISE!! Your body was MADE TO MOVE!!! Chronic pain and dysfunctional issues are LARGELY related to lack of movement and improper movement. If you sit all day, you create tight muscles in the hip flexors and over time, lose the lumber curve in your spine. THEN.......your hips won't got into flexion and you wonder why your back hurts. NOT rocket science.

Have family meetings and talk about what you're GOING to change as a family. RE-EMPHASIZE the importance of WHY you are doing this. This is about QUALITY OF LIFE!!!

There are TONS of ways to do this. Experience veggies raw, steamed, cooked, baked, in salads, etc. TRY TRY TRY new things and ALWAYS talk about how much FUN it is to try new things. REMIND them that they do NOT have to always like it but they won't know until they try.

My rules........three bites before you make a decision. DO NOT make a big deal out of not liking something. Move on to something new.

Make dips w/ cottage cheese - process in blender or food processor w/ taco seasoning, dry hidden valley ranch, salsa, etc. as dips for veggies. Adds PROTEIN - essential for breaking down fats & carbs and helps stabilize blood sugar - and helps TREMENDOUSLY from craving sweets. There HAS to be BALANCE!

DO NOT keep junk and sweets aroung the house. If she gets hungry enough, she'll eat WHAT IS AVAILABLE. Use spices and seasonings. They add NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND taste great. Try different seasonings on the same vegetable. There are charts and I have recommendations if you need them.

PLAN and let her make choices in the planning. This is NOT to say that you do without a cookie ONCE IN A WHILE, but the "rules are" you get your priorities out of the way FIRST - what your body NEEDS - and THEN, if you still want something sweet or whatever, THEN and ONLY then is it okay.

If you put soda in your car instead of gas, it would run about the way your body does if you don't put in the "fuel" that it needs!

If you are local and want a family consult, I do those. OR..if you want to do a group with other moms and/or families, I can do that, too.

Just remember 2 things.... kids won't starve themselves and they take their eating cues from you. Stop buying the junk food, the 'white' pastas/breads/rice and processed stuff. Start buying lean meats and fresh fruit and veggies - and eating them! She can only eat what YOU buy and bring into the house. All you need to do is offer a wide variety of healthy foods. Shey may or may not eat. It's not your job to make sure she eats - you can't actually force a child to eat. Your job is to prepare the healthy food and serve it. She may go hungry for a few days because she's refusing to eat and trying to 'wait you out' for the 'good stuff' but eventually she'll eat what you put in front of her. All kids go through 'food jags' where they refuse to eat certain things, but they usually end within a few days once they realize it's either eat or go hungry.

And don't stress about food. My now-4-year-old went an entire YEAR without a single bite of vegetables (except a few random ones that were 'hidden' and she didn't know about). She's totally healthy. She ate alot of fruit and other healthy food during that time. Kids naturally don't like vegetables and it's an instinct they need to overcome (kids have more sensitive taste buds for bitter than adults and many 'greens' taste bitter... to discourage our ancestor's kids from eating poisonous plants which are also very bitter).

Just keep offering and eventually she'll start eating veggies no matter how you prepare them.

Put them in a smoothie. I can mix spinach, wheat grass powder, or avocado into a smoothie without my kids noticing. This is my favorite recipe:

champange mango
4-5 strawberries
1/2 avocado
tsp of wheat grass powder (I use Pure Planet Green Kamut)
1/2 cup orange juice
a little honey or agave nectar
ice

I've also heard alot recently about Juice Plus tablets.

Maybe it is just me...I have been lucky to have two kids who are not picky at all, but we lead by example in this house. They eat what we eat, I don't buy junk, therefore they don't eat it. I wouldn't force her to eat the vegetables, but realize if she is hungry she will eat them, do not give her other options. I don't personally agree with hiding vegetables becuase kids do not learn to eat them or enjoy them, so it does not help promote good eating habits. Just give her what you made for the meal or snakc and that is it, if she is hungry she eats, if not she can eat at the next scheduled meal or snack. I am not trying to be mean, I just think as a generation we have gone a little soft.

Could you use the spray butter? I know that's fairly low in calories. Personally, I need a little butter on my veg! The spray stuff tastes really good, I can't tell the difference.

Hi,

You can add veggies to things like spaghetti, chili, casseroles etc. Be creative with fruites like star fruit, kiwi, freezing bananas for banana pops etc. Also, being a role model and setting the example. Don't have a lot of sugary drinks and snacks around. If you set the environment and are an example she will begin to come around.

I have 2 boys that have an aversion to veggies. Try letting her pick out the vegetables at the grocery and for the meal. Also, let her watch you prepare them (as she gets older involve her in dinner). Also, we sometimes compete on who can clean their plate - it does foster competition and quick eating, but it is effective. Hope this helps.

check out beechnut.com because they have receipes that you can use to sneak some babyfood veggies without them noticing. This way she gets the nutrition of the veggies without even noticing. At that age everything is a battle of willpower. Simply refuse to give her the unhealthy stuff she wants to eat. Make healthy meals and that is her only option of what to eat. If you make something and she doesn't want to eat it and you make her something else, then she learns she can have whatever she wants to eat. Make sure that the rest of the family follows along. My son is 13 months old and eating regular food. I gave up on the baby food because he wants what's on my plate regardless of what I'm trying to give him. It's actually a good thing because now I'm more conciously making sure that we all eat healthier meals. This way I don't have to worry that what he's eating isn't giving him the nutrition that he needs. I just make sure that what I do give him is good for him. Sometimes he likes things and sometimes he doesn't. But he eats it anyways because I just keep giving it to him. It's a battle of wills sometimes but in the end I win. It's important for him that I do. Must be working. He's very happy and very healthy. Good luck!

We implement something called the "no thank you bite". If my daughter refuses to eat something, we remind her of the "no thank you bite". That way it gives her the opportunity to try it. Several times it has prompted her to eat more because she realizes she actually likes it. We don't force her to eat more of it if she does not like it.
We also give small portions so it does not seem overwhelming.
AND we do NOT fix extra meals for her. She eats what we eat.
Good Luck.

Try getting a copy of Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. It's a cookbook that shows you how to hide "good for kids" foods in recipes kids like.

Cut back on portions of meat and carbs. Put veggies in blender and blenderize so she wont see them in her mashed potatoes, or spaghetti sauce, etc.

Is it possible to grow your own food or to visit a farm where you can pick your own produce? If so, this would provide exercise as well as a chance to learn about produce and where it comes from. Most kids will like to eat things they have had a hand in helping to prepare. Fruit kabobs where they thread the fruit pieces on toothpicks to eat are fun and easy.

Perhaps try putting light salad dressing on fresh cut veggies. I have bought light ranch, peppercorn ranch, blue cheese, thousand island, vinegrette. I have also made my own dressings out of Kraft Miracle Whip Free. This mayo - salad dressing does not have any calories! You can add another flavored dressing to it or other seasonings. I make my own dressings and seasoning mixes for salads from Dill Weed, thyme, garlic. There are also pre-mixed seasonings you can buy for chicken or beef that help flavor dressings.

I have also added melted cheese to cooked veggies. You can buy light cheese and heat it for a few seconds in the microwave. It's fairly easy to steam veggies in the microwave. Cut up veggies and put in a bowl. Add water to the top of veggies and cover with plastic wrap. Nook for about 2-3 minutes.

You can add just a pinch of salt, sprinkle on seasoning and butter for flavor. There are multiple healthier butter options. There are yogurt butters that have less sodium and fat. There are vegetable oil based butters that are completely vegan, have less sodium and fat and taste just like butter or have a richer flavor.

I agree strongly with the lead-by-example advice. They want to do what they see you doing. The Biggest Loser just had a father/son team where the father and two sons each weighed almost 400lbs. It is the Father's fault and the kids carried a lot of anger around inside for years, as well as missed out on normal childhoods due to weight problems.

If you do it (eat a big bowl of vegetables) you don't have to push them into it. They will emulate you. That includes the amount of exercise they get. Go on a walk with them, bike ride, play a sport together. Kids need both, starting now! Good luck!