How do you get your 3 year old to eat his vegs????

Amy - posted on 06/09/2010

Have you tired the V8 splash drinks you can get them in alot of diffrent flavors I have the same problem with my lil one when I spoke with her Dr about it she said vitamins make sure he's taking those maybe even try the Pedi-sure they have diffrent flavors as well I also went on this web-site FamilyFun.com and they have diffrent ideas on how to feed picky eaters.Good Luck

Liz - posted on 06/09/2010

Lie. Lie Lie Lie like a rug.

"That's not broccoli!!! They're baby trees! And they're so delicious!!" "This here isn't spinach souffle, it's green pudding!" "This is SO YUMMY! I want more!"

Worked for my son. We conquered broccoli, peas, and corn in one week.

Crystel - posted on 06/09/2010

My sister-in-law found these great Veggie Straws at Sam's and Cosco's that are really good and they are spinach, tomato and potato flavor. They are like chips and they don't really taste like the veggies at all. I think Toys'r'us sell them also. I also put zucc. in my meatloaf and my kids love it. It's actually meatloaf muffins. Good luck!!

Meghan - posted on 06/09/2010

love this book...its called The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals...so good and my veggie hating daughter loves most of these meals! Here is a link to the book!

http://www.amazon.com/Sneaky-Chef-Strate...

Kelsey - posted on 06/09/2010

I made a sticker chart for my little princess who's also three. It sorta looks like a chore chart but I do different things each week. Like this week for example I have "pick up my toys" and "try something new" So every time she picks up her toys, or tries something new, she gets a sticker. When she gets 5 stickers she can get a surprise. The surprises I usually find from the dollar section at Target. Little things but she loves them! So you may want to try something like that. Hope it helps!

Danielle - posted on 06/09/2010

Try a cheese sauce.
Sometimes I'll make broccoli, or asparagus and drizzle a little homemade cheese sauce on it. It always goes down in one gulp. :)
You could also try a cheese broccoli soup/ or any soups, a veggie chili, lasagna, shepherds pie, or just mashed potatoes with steamed peas, and little chunks of carrots in it. Try going to www.allrecipes.com. They have tons of recipes you could use as a starting point.

Jessi - posted on 06/09/2010

my ma makes lasagna using zucini instead of noodles. if done correctly there is no taste difference, only nutritianal value. does he like mac & cheese? you could always try chopping up broccoli & adding it to his mac.

for zucini you want to dry the slices out with salt. make sure to rince the salt off before making lasagna.

Mylene - posted on 06/09/2010

I make lasagna with spinach in it... I use cottage cheese and spinach that I puree in the blender. I put a few layers of the mixture and my family just gobbles it up without even realizing...

Meat loaf with lots of vegetables in it work great for us as well... I put carrots and celery in the blender before adding it to my meat.

our kids love veggies and dip too!

Bonnie - posted on 06/09/2010

thanks guys and I will try the recipes

Itsa - posted on 06/09/2010

My husband would go without veg if I let him. And I LOVE creamy pasta. So one day, I was planning out the menu for the week for hubby, 10 mo old baby and myself and I though up a GREAT idea! I would make a creamy pasta but the veg would be the sauce... recipe below

You'll need:
pasta (enough for your fam or just for your little one)
cauliflower (for us 3 I use 1 whole cauliflower, sometimes I throw in some broccoli too)
grated cheddar (about 1 1/2 cups for 3)
crumbled bacon or small cubed ham
milk butter

Boil pasta according to directions. Steam veg on top or boil in own pot. Cook bacon however is easiest for you (microwave, oven, fry, etc) or get the ready to use bacon/ham. Once veg is soft, puree in food processor, blender or use hand held immersian blender. return to pot and add milk, enough for it to be your desired consistancy (eg; more for runny, less for thick). Add small knob (like a teaspoon size) of butter and when that comes to a gentle boil add 1 cup of cheese, saving the 1/2 cup. If your son doesn't like bacon or ham then just stir the sauce onto the pasta and serve as is. For my baby, thats how I do it and I just puree that up for him. For hubby and myself, I heat the oven to 200 C, mix pasta, sauce and bacon/ham in a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly.

It tastes as sinful as it looks but without the cream! And your kids will never know there's veg in there!

Another tip, make tuna casserole. Use the same cauliflower sauce as above and add grated courgette (zucchini for you N. Americans) and tuna, top with cheese and bake.

You could also try Orange Mash. Sweet potatoes boiled and mashed, carrots steamed/boiled and pureed then mixed in with sweet taters and add grated cheddar. Also try regular potatoes mashed with steamed/boiled and mashed cauliflower mixed in topped with bacon bits and sour cream. This works with baked potatoes too... scopp out the inside of the tater and mix with the mashed cauliflower then top with the baked tater fixins.

Another way is spaghetti! Kids love it and you can sneak in all sorts of things! Saute and puree up some mushrooms, onions, celery, courgette, etc, anything you put in spag. Mix in with the plain sauce and the meatballs or ground beef and serve on pasta. They'll never know!

I'm a firm supporter of cheese for kids because it gives them the energy and fats and protein they need. Also for little active kiddies full fat milk and sour creams are good too. As they get older and or less active obviously switch to lower fat items.

If you want to try just sraight up veggies... let them play with their food! Build veggie log cabins with cut up veg and toothpics. have a removeable roof and place a dish with dip inside and let them devour the cabin! Try to make food fun (if you haven't already!) And just remember, budding babes have their own tastebuds. If giving him the veg straight up doesn't work for now then hide it! At least he'll get what he needs!

And finally: Kids only know what they want, not what they need!

Charlene - posted on 06/09/2010

make soup, and blend it til smooth. I would say that a great way to start. some children dont like the texture of certain foods.

it normally takes 10 attempts of eating something, before a child decides its ok. frustrating i know. also learn for yourself exactly why that veg is important and tell him why...doesn't always work the first time, but its always a good idea to keep at it.

lead by good example, and...this is important...don't get emotional when he refuses. this is easier said than done, but that's what worked for me the most. and its also very important to not give in and replace the veg with some other food that he loves just to ensure he eats. you loose a fighting battle that way.

my little dude is a bit older, so he is now into eating his fruit and veg to healthy, learn well and play better sport :)

I have put an ebook together for moms about what we should all know about foods, if you keen to download it, is free on my blog www.charlene-proctor.com

its called food for learning and behavior.



good luck



Charlene