Veggies

Teresa - posted on 07/09/2011

Corn and broccli? thta's two veggie. For someone on this eart not too long that's pretty good. My son loves beans, any kind of bean. He likes raw carrotts and broccoli, and corn ON the cob IF you race him. Kids are so simplistic in their diet. Keep trying new veggies but don't force him. I'm 41 and after 37 years I STILL don't like beets, though Mom wouldn't let em leave the table till I ate them. There are other foods and more that I now eat that I wouldn't as a child. DOn't worry, your child will expand their diet.

Christina - posted on 07/09/2011

I have the same problem, my daughter just turned 2, and I always put the veggies on her plate, but they always end up in the trash cause she doesn't eat them. I have tried putting cheese on it, or a suace, trying to mask it, doesn't seem to work for me either...I guess all we can do is keep trying..

Susan - posted on 01/14/2010

I was recently told about a cookbook called something like "the sneaky chef". My friend said the author hides loads of vegetables in all kinds of kid friendly recipes. I listened to her descriptions and then applied it to my own cooking. Here is what I do:

I take any and all vegetables I see, I boil them in little water (making sure they don't boil dry) and then I mash them up WITH their water as all the nutrients are in the water and freeze them into smaller sizes. I do this with cauliflower, daikon, beets, sweet potato, celeri root, among others. Then I add them to anything that they can blend into. Be careful with the beets though because they have such a strong color.

I enjoy making pasta sauce. I do this by using a white sauce, I add chicken or fish and spices and then serve it over pasta. But when I hide vegetables in it, I put some pureed vegetables in before the milk, and then add enough milk to make it the right consistency. Just make sure to use white vegetables if you are doing a white sauce.

For a meat sauce, for spaghetti, I brown my meat, add onion, grated carrot, any and all pureed vegetables (not more than 2 ice cubes of red beets) and then adding enough canned tomatoes and spices to make it look and taste normal (pureed spinach looks a lot like parsley in meat sauce). My meat sauce went from being 90% meat to maybe only 30% as I have so many other vegetables hidden in it, and my kids have never noticed the difference.

Also, I once complained to a medical friend that my son refused vegetables. He said it wasn't a problem as children learn to eat vegetables with time and that it was okay if he didn't eat them now as long as my attitude was a positive one. You can't make him eat them, especially by forcing it. And remember, you need to be a good example by happily eating lots of vegetables too!

Good luck! And be creative. You certainly have gotten a lot of good advice on your question!

Cher - posted on 01/14/2010

and of course heide as you can see i have totally replied to the wrong person as yours is about veggies not been eaten and not meat lol.. i will totally cut and paste and send it to the right one lol..

Cher - posted on 01/14/2010

hello heidi, i myself and my family are meat eaters but our 10 year old decided she didnt want to eat meat no more.. she hasnt eaten meat from the age of 8.. its been totally her own descion and i beieve that kids need the space to make decions for themselves as long as they no what they are talking about.. my daughter looked certain things up on the internet relating to meat eating and hasnt been able to eat meat since.. maybe you should ask your son why he doesnt want to eat meat and then try him with the soya meats that in all fairness are very yummy and have the protein in them that you get from real meat.. there is lots out there to offer kids who dont eat meat when they are young.. vegitarian socioty is a good place to look and see you can google it.. i hope that this has helped to decide what to do and please let me no..

take care..

cher xx

Monique - posted on 01/14/2010

try making fritters n add ur veg to it my kids wony eat veg at all so now i get them to help make fritters n they love them,try it n c how u go

Teresa - posted on 01/14/2010

i put parmesan cheese & a little garlic powder on veggies such as green beans, broccoli, & corn & my 11 yr. old son likes them. i think addings seasoning or other flavor really helps. he also eats cooked carrots that i add apricot preserves to.

Andrea - posted on 01/14/2010

Hello! I work with Dr. Brian Wansink, a food psychologist and eating behavior expert. Here is a link to a study he did with children and veggies http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Dec0...

Leannda - posted on 01/14/2010

hi i am new to this! i have 2 kids josh who is 7 and jenna who is 4. i have the same problem. it can take over an hour for josh to eat his veg. he will only eat carrots and brocolli on their own and things like onion, tomatoes in things. i have tried everything from leaving him to it, sending him to bed, nothing works he always leaves then till last then complains that they are cold!! they were'nt cold when i gave them to him!! where as jenna is compleatly different, she eats her veg first and it can be a struggle to get her to eat the rest of her tea!. any advice welcome. x

Jennifer - posted on 01/14/2010

Actually, that's pretty good, mine won't eat any veggies these days. How about stir frys?

Diana - posted on 01/13/2010

hi Heidi, my 5yr old son have the same problem, he hates all veggiies he can spot it from miles away even if he cannot see it on his dinner plate, he hates potatoes(mash,baked,steam,fried you name it), i tried the blend veggies but no luck i even tried if you dont eat yr veggies you dont get yr fav ice cream, he eats his fruits with no problem at all so i dont know why he does not like veggies, my husband tried as wellsince hes a chef but my son knows, i dont know if is the taste or the smell of the veggies,

Sari - posted on 01/12/2010

In general my kids are pretty good with veggies (Broccoli's a favorite, they're little TREES!!! How cool is that?? & Carrots make you see in the dark & other veggies make your muscles grow HUGE! I'll tell them almost anything that will get them excited to eat them)
But I find that the best thing is teaching by example. My kids will try anything if it's on my plate and is "Mommy's Favorite!". Most of the time I can follow up a taste with "Doesn't that taste great? I LOVE it!" & my kids will agree. then I just have to remind them that they like it when dinner-time comes around.
We don't have a garden, but they get excited if they get to help prepare dinner & tend to eat more of it.
One note of caution... If your son doesn't like a food (ie potatoes) make sure he's not allergic to it. Often children cant tell you & don't know they have an allergy, they just don't like it. My youngest hated bananas as a baby and we later found out she is very allergic to them. I'm very glad I never tried to force her to eat them. There are lots of other healthy choices out there, try something else & (as long as he's NOT allergic) try it again in a few months!

Karen - posted on 01/10/2010

My DD has always liked veggies but goes through preference phases. The rule around here is no dessert until you eat what is served. Dessert has been known to be carrot juice, it's just what is a treat at that time. These days it's one small piece of chocolate and one jelly bean. You might also want to grow some in the summer. When DD was around 2 her bedtime snack was peas from the vine, maybe a cherry tomato (or several) and a strawberry from the garden. SIL picked raw chives last summer and she loved them. If you son loves corn and broccoli I'd go with that for now - take advantage of what he loves and have him try other things and maybe he'll try those some time later. Just go with his current preferences and let him have as much of that as he wants. A little dip or velveeta cheese sauce never hurt anyone, although to this day none of my siblings or I will eat lima beans. You also might want to try different veggies - grilled parsnips are sweet and a little milder than grilled carrots (a little olive oil, salt and pepper on the vegs sliced lengthways and put under the broiler), my sister swears by fresh, young brussels sprouts. Maybe your son prefers raw veggies?

Jennifer - posted on 01/09/2010

I have one child that is not crazy about eating his veggies. He likes corn a lot but I make him eat all of them. What I have read here a lot is parents that negotiatiate with their children to eat. I simply tell him he has to eat the veg that I put on his plate, bottom line. I never put a large portion and it is certainly not enough for him to meet his vitamin requirements but he knows he must eat them. If it is the nutrition that your are aorried about, this is what I do. I give my children a daily multi-vit and not worry. Avoid the gummies, they rot their teeth.But also, remember that fruit gives them essentials as well and they are a lot easier to get in to them. Also, try raw veg I have a much smaller fight on my hands when I make him eat them raw.

Shekelia - posted on 01/08/2010

i know people that mix baby food with their kids meals, say u make a meatloaf add a jar of geber carrots, peas or any other veggies, trust me he wont taste them

Heidi - posted on 01/08/2010

That is cool, I bought my son that V8 splash and he loves it but it is still only 10% juice..

Vandna - posted on 01/06/2010

I agree, children are a little fussy in the beginning...but if we keep eating the veggies with them and also keep telling their benefits, they will definitely start liking them...when I make plate of salad, we start checking the colours missing from the salad plate...The bet is to have all the colous in yr plate of salad like carrot(orange), bell peppers (red & yellow), purple cabbage, cucumber green and red tomatoes...this way we have a lot of fun..

Katie - posted on 01/06/2010

I give my daughter her veggies first, before the rest of her food. Also, and this sounds gross, but it works for me- my daughter will eat ANYTHING with "magic spinkles" (those colored sprinkles you put on ice cream), especially if she gets to do it herself. But she's still little. And of course, there's the stand by cheese sauce or ranch dressing! I also heat up frozen mixed veggies or steam some broccoli and mix it with mac & cheese or just with tortellini & a little grated parm.

Heidi - posted on 01/06/2010

He actually does not like any potatoe products, he may eat french fries but only if they are baked and that is once in a great while.

Janelle - posted on 01/06/2010

Have him pick out somthing new at the store and let him help make it at home, serve food and (let him sample while cooking if he's intrested)......make a big deal out of "his" hard work!!! And of course add to them any "toppings" that he likes - cheese, butter, etc... good luck, it may take a few tries.

Beck - posted on 01/06/2010

Oh and I got my son to eat his fresh carrots by calling them money carrots lol.. (sliced like coins)

Beck - posted on 01/06/2010

Funny when they are so bias against the things that are best for them, I wonder if your son likes potato chips, or french fries? It is good that he likes broccilli and corn because broccilli is very good and contains many vitimins, would your son like spinach? Or Cauliflower? Is it in the mind or is it the flavour? If he ate his dinner with his eyes closed, would he be correct in picking these things out of his meal (where they were visably hidden? Have you explained to him that carrots help you see better and help you against going blind?

For the veggies he does like I have heaps of reciepies so if u would like any let me know :D Other wise dont give up on trying them, and he may not like them straight away so try them in something before giving them seperately.

Heidi - posted on 01/06/2010

I have tried a few of those things, my son can spot a veggy a mile away...lol....he did try green beans last night did not like them of course and I also treid the sweet potato suggestion and he did not like them either....although he does not like potatoes at all so that was a long shot. Thanks for all the suggestions I am going to keep trying.

Beck - posted on 01/06/2010

Try Cheese sauce over veggies to add flavour and incourage him to eat the disliked veggies.

make mashed potato and add sweet potato and carrots

Add peas, corn and carrot to spag bol

Make Vegetable and Chicken stew...
Ingredients
carrot, cellery, peas, corn, broccilli, cabbage, potato, chicken, chicken stock, optional-small amount of garlic.

Rough cut the veggies that need it and slice the chicken
Place chicken in sauce pan with small amount of olive oil and garlic, cook off till slightly golden
Add chicken stock and larger veggies (carrot, broccilli, potato)
Let these cook till soft but not mash
Add rest of the ingredients(cabbage, peas, corn cellery)
Let all the ingredients come to boil, then simmer with lid on pan.
Once the chicken is throughly cooked, cabage is tender and it has taken on a thicker apperance it is ready to serve.
Serve with bread and butter.
This was one of the first things I fed my children as toddlers and both of them loved it, so since have had no problems with veggies.

Another option is home made pizza, using any ingredients you have (mushrooms, cheese, onion (sliced very small), pineapple, diced small capsicum, tomatoes, ham, sausage, on a pre made pizza base or bought bases.Let your son sprinkle them over for fun and remind him how yummy it will be and how good he is a helping you make it.

Gravy is another option and use the water from the boiled veggies, esp with a roast and roasted veggies,
Honey carrots (small amount of margerine, and table spoon of honey) poured over boiled carrots

Home made Salads like
Pasta salad with mayonase, pasta (of any shape) and grated carrot, peas, corn, sliced capiscum, mushrooms, and bacon.
Potato salad, cubes of potato-boiled till soft but firm enough to not mash, mayonaise, onion flakes, parsley, and mix. (optional boiled sliced egg, bacon)

In your lasangne add one layer of carrot, peas, corn, zucinni, egg plant, broccilli. Let this be the layer under the cheese sauce.

Kate - posted on 01/06/2010

I have two girls now love Veggi's! I started when they were little with a small garden and they picked out what we planted. They watched and took care of the garden weeding/watering whatever, they used to eat almost everything that they grew bc they were so proud! Another thing that i do is let them pick a new veggi/ fruit that they haven't tried before every time we went shopping. it was a game to see if we could find something different. My oldest also liked veggi juice. hope these help.

Jakki - posted on 01/06/2010

Hi Heidi - when I said dessert, i dont mean anything fancy. It might be just some fruit cut up, a bowl of custard (don't know if you have that in America), a sweet biscuit, dried fruit, or possibly something like ice cream.



I like what Jaime said - encourage the kids to eat veggies while they are really hungry. I think is a really good point - make sure you are not feeding you daughter too much food during the afternoon, so by the time it gets to dinner, she is really keen for whatever is put in front of her!



We are finding this is important in our house at the moment because we are at home together for summer holidays. The kids were snacking so much between meals that when in came to lunch or dinner they weren't hungry (and we were spending all our time producing food). So now I make a big fuss at 9am and announce: "the kitchen is closing now, there won't be anything else to eat until lunch at 12". It's making a big difference to our lives, and they're eating healthier food.

Amber - posted on 01/04/2010

When my daughter was doing this, I found these sites that teach you how to make food and sneak the veggies in.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/index.ph...
http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site...

I know a lot of parents think that it's lying to the kid and all, but I wanted to make sure that she was healthy, so I went for the lesser of two evils. After a while, I explained to her that there were fruits and veggies in everything that she ate and I promised her that I would always make them in ways that she found tasty. After that, she totally embraced the veggie idea. She'll even eat a salad!

Jaime - posted on 01/04/2010

Every night as I am getting supper ready a veggie tray goes out on the table and the kids snack on it. Mostly cucumbers and carrots are completely gone before supper hits the table. They have to at least eat 3 bites of whatever veggie is on there plate as well before they are excused (along with the rest of there meal). For a bed snack it is always fruit being served otherwise there is no snack. I have a couple picky eaters but we have found a few veggies they like and rotate through them, with the must of at least trying 1 bite of a new veggie.

Coleen - posted on 01/04/2010

My sons love peppers-red, green, yellow. I usually cut them up and put them out while I'm making dinner, so if they complain they are hungry, they have something. I cut a pepper in quarters and they like to use the pepper as a scoop/spoon for rice etc. We have a garden in the summer and they are proud to eat veggies we grew!

Heidi - posted on 01/04/2010

Thanks I will try that.....I try not to make a big deal of it at the dinner table, and I do buy the V8 drink, I just feel as though I am not going enough. He is very small for his age (as been since birth) and he is a picky eater at most all the food groups.



For those who do not allow dessert until they eat their veggies, do you have dessert every night?

Jakki - posted on 01/04/2010

I hide veggies with the meat eg in a bolognaise sauce you can put a milions tomatoes, red pepper, mushrooms, onions, sweet potato etc etc and then just blend it all up.

Also I make soup with many different veggies (and chicken pieces and stock cubes) then blend the whole thing up.

I won't let them have dessert until they eat all their veggies. It isn't what nutrionalists recommend, but it really works for us! My kids will eat a lot of things they don't like if there is the lure of ice cream afterwards.

Marisa - posted on 01/03/2010

I do the same and put them on the plate without making a big deal of them. I also make them eat some of the in order to get desert.I have given them ketchup as a dip or ranch. Kids like to dip...I have just recently bought green bean french fries from Swan that are really good and they eat them at times. But the one thing that makes me feel better about throwing the veggies in the trash are giving them a cup of V8 Fusion. That has a serving of fruit and veggies in every cup. Its not cheap but they do love it. But veggies aren't cheep either and at least it isn't been thrown away. Good luck:)

Lindsay - posted on 01/03/2010

The key is to just keep putting them on his plate. I don't make a big deal about my kids having to eat them but they are always there. And if they want more of something else, they have to eat the veggies first. My kids also like to dip their veggies in A1 and I don't have a problem with that. Whatever gets them to eat their veggies, right?! =)