Getting a picky eater to eat vegies.

Rebecca - posted on 12/23/2010

I echo the hide the veg mentality. We hated veg when we were kids and my mom would full out grind the veg and hide it in sauces, meatloaf, soups, casseroles..etc. Looking back though, I think we hated veg because my mom really didn't know how to cook it. She would boil them usually and never add any flavouring. It wasn't until I was in my twenties and dating an Italian guy that I learned how to love some veg that I thought I hated, because it was cooked properly and with flavour. Roasted, as the other poster said, is an excellent easy way to add taste (even if you grind them up later), Make sure to liberally mix salt, a healthy oil and some dry herbs before roasting. Another, for cooked greens, is lemon...it's amazing how much a bit of walnut oil and lemon can make greens taste completely different.



The beans. Do your kids like slobby joes? There is an excellent vegan version of slobby joes called snobby joes that uses lentils (I use mung beans sometimes instead) instead of meat. You wouldn't know it by looking at them that they aren't meat. Let me know if that interests you..I'll post it.

Louise - posted on 12/14/2010

Grate carrots and courgetes into spaghetti bolognese or make a shepherds pie using carrot and swede mash. Roasted sweet potato is also a favourite as it is very sweet and tasty and once they try it they are convinced to eat it. Hide vegetables in pasta sauces and try blending veggies for creamy soups with crusty bread. Also make food fun by making pizzas with fresh chopped veg. Let them make there own as they are more inclined to eat it if they have made it themselves.

Jonna - posted on 11/14/2010

None of my kids have had any dislike of veggies, so I don't really know what you are going through, however I may have some ideas for you. We use only frozen or fresh veggies, not canned. We steam broccoli, peas, beans, yellow squash, zucchini, mixed veg, carrots... with butter or olive oil, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Also melting some cheese on broccoli and mixing in a can of cream of mushroom soup makes a great broccoli casserole. For carrots, you can try a little butter and honey (honey actually works great an many veggies). Also, roasting the veggies like carrots, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, etc... makes them sweeter and more tender. More than anything though, I think you just need to stick with it. It's probably a phase they'll grow out of if you just keep requiring them to eat their veggies (i wouldn't give seconds on the more delicious parts of dinner till they've eaten their veggies). Good Luck to both of you, I hope you can use some of these ideas!

Karra Marie - posted on 11/12/2010

We are in the same boat!! My 15 month old used to LOVE veggies but now she tries a bite and throws them on the ground. We have tried mixing them in with other foods and masking them with sauce but she still won't eat them : ( I have started giving her the gerber pureed veggies from the jar again but it feels like a step backwards... Not like it's any easier to get her to eat that either! She is not keen on the texture since she has been eating all solids for quite some time now. I will keep checking back to this post to see what other moms suggest. Thanks for asking the question : )