Hi. I have a 2 year old picky eater who needs more veggies in her diet. She suffers from a dairy allergy so I can't play Hide The Veggies Under Cheese Sauce and she seems to have inherited her father's aversion to Italian food so slipping carrots into red sauce doesn't work for us either. She eats broccoli and that's about it. She's surrounded by vegetarians at day care but it doesn't seem to be rubbing off! I'm in desperate need of some ideas, especially for her lunchbox. Thanks for your suggestions,
Susan

Best of luck to you Susan! My kids don't like cheesy veggies in general, so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get them to eat veggies. I have since realized that other than the starchy veggies, they really would much rather have them raw. We have salad at almost every meal. My daughter takes veggies and dip for lunch at school now. My kids really can't stand casseroles and mixed up foods. They like everything separate (no soups, no casseroles, etc.) they are certainly an odd pair, but they do eat a ton of raw vegetables- even some you wouldn't think of, like turnips and zucchini.

My advice would be to find a method that she prefers any veggie prepared, and see if that works for other veggies. If she likes broccoli slightly steamed, try some broccoflower or cauliflower next time. I also try really hard to not make a big deal about the food on my kids plates. With my son, I just put a few pieces on his plate and pay attention to see if he eats them. If he does, that's a winner and a repeat. DD is older, so she has to try at least two bites of everything on her plate. Good luck! I hope some of this is helpful to you.

While it's not for everyone, this has worked for us...garlic red wine vinegar. It's not really wine, so it's safe for kids. We use a small amout of olive oil & vinegar on broccoli, green beans, spinach and asparagus, then sprinkle on a low sodium garlic seasoning (just a small amount..garlic salt or pepper works too..but not too much). They love to dip the veggies in the vinegar. My son loves sliced red pepper with the olive oil/vinegar mixture, so I put it in a container for his lunchbox, too. Like I said, it's not for everyone...but if your family is used to eating vinegar on salads, then it just might be worth a try.

I have very much the same problem which is strange to me since they both (3 & 4.5 year olds) 1. ate everything as babies and 2. see me eat every veggie on the planet.

The first suggestion is what I do for my oldest. She only eats raw veggies. She likes green beans, grape tomatoes, orange (yes, only orange??) peppers, broccoli, and peas. She'll also eat just about any legume (canned and rinsed) as long as it's not cooked or mixed into anything.

For my other daughter who proclaims everything "yucky" I shred any vegetable I can and hide it in things. Carrots in mac & cheese, zucchini & eggplant in red sauce. Those don't seem to be an option for you, but how about sneaking some into what she considers her favorite food? I know I had good luck with anything in a tortilla for a while. Also, a biggie for us are veggie burgers. They don't know the difference! They're tastes seem to change fast and what they will eat today, they won't tomorrow and vice versa, so GOOD LUCK!

Hi! I have the same problem with my DD (2-1/2). I do shredd zuchinni and carrots into meatloaf and have found as other moms have said that raw veggies with dip work best! She does love celery especially with peanut butter and raisins (ants on a log). I also let her pick out what veggie we have for dinner or lunch and most of the time that seems to help her get interested in eating them - I also let her sprinkle salt, pepper, butter and whatever other spices we are using on them. So far my DS (1) seems to like his veggies more than meat!! Good luck!

I saw this neat veggie trick on the Food Network- Healthy Appetite with Ellie Kreiger. She made mac and cheese with a crumb topping that was baked in the oven. When she heated the milk and before she added the cheeses, she stirred in a package of pureed frozen winter squash. The pasta was whole wheat. It was very good and the squash added a nice golden color to the finished dish. Will make it again. Pretty sneaky!

I would rec this book

"Coping with a Picky Eater" by William G. Wilkoff, MD. I found it in my library and he alleviated a lot of my worries, confirmed some ideas I had, and gave some great suggestions.

quote:

Originally posted by cherylopal:
I would rec this book

"Coping with a Picky Eater" by William G. Wilkoff, MD. I found it in my library and he alleviated a lot of my worries, confirmed some ideas I had, and gave some great suggestions.

Put veggies in other casseroles like lasagna, pasta with meat sauce and cheese, etc.

Make smoothies for breakfast and snacks, freeze grapes, banana, and pineapple. These are all great ways of getting more veggies and fruits into kids. Also, by eating them yourself and keeping them visible with junky snacks out of sight, you will have better luck. If you don't buy it no matter how loud they scream, they won't ask for it as often.

Parents have to stop listening to their whiney children when they keep asking for junky snacks. Once a week or for special occasions is fine.

Suz

If it comes down to the 'crunch', then they will eat when they are hungry...and boy will they eat! I only put out veggies and dip in the afternoon...if they are hungry they will eat it. if not, they get veggies with dinner. When it no longer becomes and 'issue' then they don't see it as a battle to win against mom and dad. First...remove all the stuff you DON'T want them to eat (even if it's your fave) Second...you must eat it yourself (and like it...and let them see you eating and liking it), Third, let them pick and let them help! Go to the farmers market (or better yet...the farm itself) then let them decide how to eat them (raw, steamed, with dip etc.), Fourth...try trickery!!! I would make something just for 'daddy and mommy' and get the puppy dog eyes..."why can't I have some?"...my answer was that I made it for 'us'. My kids then began to ask me to make those things for 'them' as well...and they eat it without a fuss because all of a sudden, it's special...and not a power struggle (as in, I don't care if you eat it or not because I really made it for me not you).
I know about sensitivities (both kids have totally different needs at our house) so it makes for an interesting mealtime! Needless to say, it doesn't hurt them to go hungry...and they will eat the healthy stuff if that's all there is! We have gone for weeks without cereal or cookies until they start eating the veggies and what-not again regularly.
If all else fails...keep asking around!
Good luck.

Make pancakes, using whole grain mix, replacing equivalent amt. of liquid with jar of all-veg baby food, such as carrot, green beans, spinach. It is very tasty!

Hello all -
I am a new member, brousing the forum topics, and thought I might share some of my experiences with children long ago (they're grown now). One of the easiest ways I found to get them to eat vegetables was to just place them on the table with everything else, family style. The boys would normally ask for whatever they saw the adults having. If it was a known "problem" food, we would gently explain that it was reserved for Mommy and Daddy - it was not children's food. It only took one or two times around before they were insisting on having the adult foods served to them too.

The other and really alltime best way I found was to make soups or casseroles utilizing as many kinds of fruits, veggies, and grains as possible in various recipes. Letting the kids choose what goes into a new surprise recipe usually works well, too. And you all get the added benefit of the vitamins and minerals that would be lost without the use of the broth.

And most important of all - don't force a 2-yr-old to eat anything. They probably don't need it, don't want it, and will never like it if forced to eat it. When they are a few months older, their attitude will change anyway - it always does. Count on it.

Good luck!

Hi - I'm new to forums also and I have a 2 year old grandson who has just become picky about veggies too. I think the best idea is not to make too big of a deal about it and serve fruit and veggies to the family at dinner. My grandson likes to dip veggies like green beans into "dips" like ketchup or mild salsa.

I Growing Greener Broods – The Apology

I’m sorry.

Seems like an unusual start. But I had a couple of ideas for Susan K. That was several weeks ago. What started as jotting down a few casual words about dueling kids with veggies has blossomed into a complete introspective analysis on feeding our family. A few words exploded into sixteen hundred. For this, I apologize. After this topic works itself out of my system, I pledge to cut back on my caffeine and sugar intake when posting in the future.

To tame the text and make it seem less daunting to read, I have split it into sections, a trilogy of sorts. You are reading Book 1. Book 2, a philosophical discussion, should follow this post. Book 3 actually includes actual suggestions for feeding actual food to an actual child. It remains a work in progress.

II Growing Greener Broods – The Philosophical

Ah yes, the age old question of how to stuff green tinted nutrition down your toddler’s gullet. A tough question that has no clear solution. In attempting to solve this riddle, our family has developed a mindset that is drastically different than the “you can’t leave the table until you finish your peas” horrors of our youths.

My 2 and 6 year olds are good eaters, but inconsistent eaters. One meal, one kid will eat three helpings of everything, the other will pick over her plate, then ask to be excused. The following meal they’ll swap roles. The next night, they eat nothing, or everything. Then the process randomly continues. There seems to be no real reason for these “food swings” even though we frequently blame too many afternoon snacks, not enough physical activity, low interest in the actual meal, moon phase, and barometric pressure. The shocking result is our kids do not ingest a healthy vegetable at every dinner, yet they are happy, healthy and well nourished. Observing these phenomena has led our family to a feeding philosophy that focuses more on the long term dietary well being of our children than the specific nutritional benefit associated with every meal they consume.

It's not as important at a young age to hit all the vital food groups with each meal. Our tendency is to look at their diets more on a daily basis (sometimes even a weekly basis) than an hourly one. It’s not imperative they finish their green beans at dinner. They will get an opportunity to eat a green bean equivalent tomorrow at lunch or supper at a time, perhaps, when the barometric pressure may be more favorable.

The concept boils down to four principles, three of which focus on promoting long term healthy habits.

First, we make a habit of serving them healthy things, even if they don’t eat them. It is important to consistently place healthy, well balanced meals on the table and pleasantly encourage them to be eaten. It doesn't always work out, and Cheerio's and apple slices end up on the table while my spouse tries to choke down shredded brussel sprouts my kids refuse to eat (they were sautéed with bacon for goodness sake, everyone should have loved them). But if they constantly see good things, smell good things, move good things around on their plates with their princess spoons, maybe occasionally ease good things into their mouths, they will ultimately come to realize, either consciously or subconsciously, that good things are important and are here to stay. Brussel sprouts served today, asparagus tomorrow, broccoli the next. Younger kids thrive on repetitive routine. So we give them a nutritious one.

Second, we make it a point to serve them new healthy things. Not seeing the same vegetables repeatedly can promote interest for unexpected things, prevent boredom, and may keep them from settling on a small list of comfort foods beyond which they are unwilling to experiment. We build a sense of culinary adventure by encouraging them to try different things. Ultimately they will be more likely to sample foodstuffs that are not within their normal comfort zones. It’s unreasonable to expect everyone to like everything. Once the “try it” rule has been followed, we are not beyond getting something supplemental out of the pantry or passing around some fruit. Our kids won’t touch tomatoes or leafy greens. Yet I am certain salads topped with red goodness will ultimately be part of their diets. And there is hope they will see frisee in the grocery store or an arugula salad on the menu and say “hmmm, I wonder what that tastes like? Hey, what are those little green cabbage-ey do dads?”

Next is the tough part. Mommy and daddy have to follow the rules. Being the parents imparts the authority to watch extra TV, stay up late, and drive a car. But the parental trump card is not a valid excuse for not trying new foods or even re-trying foods we don’t like. If we expect our kids to eat healthy and sample new foods, we have to do it ourselves to set an appropriate example. This is a team effort for both Mom and Dad. It doesn’t work if Mommy eats gourmet salads when Daddy does bacon double cheese burgers, fries and gravy. Remember, it’s not reasonable for everyone to like everything, even parents. If Mommy doesn’t like the frisee in her mixed greens, once she has made a point to try eating the frisee, she hands them over to Daddy. Dad can stuff a couple stems between his lips and do his curly tusked walrus imitation before chewing them up. Since Mom doesn’t like frisee, there is a good chance some of our kids won’t like frisee. But if is an appropriate role model, those youngsters should ultimately give frisee an honest try. Conversely, if Mom and Dad both make a big deal out of not liking frisee, I see little hope for our kids bucking genetics and going on a frisee binge. So, its brussel sprouts once a year, like it or not.

Last, it is important that our progeny eat something nutritious. We make it a point over the course of a week to serve them the fruits and vegetables they like. We don’t do it all at one meal. If all their favorites get served during one of those moon phases that correspond with fasting, we’ve wasted our efforts. And we don’t do them everyday. We’ve won the battle by getting them to eat something good for them. We don’t ruin it by over doing it. We can’t be cheap. Since they like the $3.99 per pound yellow bell peppers, we don’t insist on the cheap green (or cheap red) ones. Tropical fruits out of season are in play, as are $5 per bunch asparagus spears.

Beyond the core concept there are a couple of good habits we’ve settled into. We expect the order of preference at the table to begin with starch, step down to protein, then wane to vegetables. First platings address this by reversing the balance. We under serve the starch, slightly under server the protein, and generously serve vegetables. This means a good helping of good health is present during the entire meal optimizing opportunity for them to be eaten. We also tend to leave serving bowls on the kitchen counter, so when asked for more starch, we can reply “I’ll get you some as soon as I finish my salad. Can you work on your broccoli while you wait?” More opportunity, except without the distraction of yummy carbohydrates.

Another good habit is beginning the process at the grocery store. Our kids are very aware of what comes out of grocery bags and what goes into the pantry. We show them lots of fresh produce and very little junk. Setting a good example is part of this benefit. More significantly they seem to think that the junk they do see there should be classified as a major food group. Fish sticks in the freezer and microwave mac-n-chz in the pantry are for emergency meals. Our girls don’t understand why those items can’t be offered with every meal. Snacks are pushed into the back of the pantry’s top shelf (especially those pink and white iced, trans fat laden animal crackers I can’t stay away from) and fresh fruit proudly adorns the open countertops.

Meanwhile, mealtime is an important part of our lives. It’s a family time in which everyone is involved in some small way, from measuring recipe ingredients, deciding which vegetable to steam as a side dish, setting the table, pushing a button on a microwave, to conversing about the daily events in our lives. Everyone recognizes eating benefits more than just our bodies; it also benefits our minds and souls. Mealtime is an equally important aspect of healthy family dynamics that is too important to risk by misplacing focus on less important events. Forget about the brussel sprouts. Move on to “how was your day?” Taking this into account, there are definitely a couple of things that don’t fit within our methodology.

I see more of my own questionable traits in my kids than I care to admit. I see the one that responds to “Thou shalt eat thy green beans” with “hell no”. I also see the extremely determined, stubborn trait that would prevent said green beans from passing their lips not just for now, but for years to come. Forcing feeding them green beans is not the way.

And hiding morsels of vegetables in robust dishes is not a permanent solution. That might work one or twice. But young eaters are more perceptive that many adults think. If deception does happen to work, they will catch on eventually and start looking for shredded squash in everything they eat. They may even accuse us of hiding it places it is not. It’s already common to explain those small green bits they see frequently as chopped herbs, not spinach. There’s no good reason to jeopardize the aspiration of long term, self monitoring nutrition for a short term victory with minor benefits.

The results look promising. Our six year old understands the difference between starches, proteins, veggies, and junk food. It’s not uncommon for her to ask “may I have more rice, or should I eat more broccoli first?” She willingly tastes more things so long as they don’t involve leafy greens or tomatoes. Most importantly, she is healthy. And maybe, probably when I'm too old to realize it, I am convinced the foundation for healthy eating will cement itself in place, and she too will try, if not enjoy, a brussel sprout.

III Growing Greener Broods – Battle Vegetable

Mealtime is a little like Iron Chef America. The secret ingredient that both chefs must use in all dishes is vegetable. Primary points are awarded by the judges for each dish based on a scale of not eaten, tasted, and “may I have thirds”. Bonus points are given by the auxiliary judges based on how creative and thorough the use of the secret ingredient. I am contestant #1, the defending Iron Chef. The opponent is some dude dressed like a yellow and white clad, red headed clown, yellow arches on his lapel that some call “Ronald”.

The opponent uses a spinach leaf as the crowning garnish to bright orange mac and cheese, a few lima beans to liven a bed of french fries, and some shredded carrots to highlight the pink hue of a fresh hot dog. Holy cow! Is that pizza he’s plating with a wisp of green bell pepper?? “Ron” should get extraordinarily low bonus scores for his lack of use of said secret ingredient.

I, iron chef extraordinaire, take the challenge head on and make excellent use of the secret ingredient in an attempt to garner the highest bonus scores possible. Orange Glazed Shredded Carrots, Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onion, and Cauliflower with Gruyere Sauce make it to the judges table. Looks like I should have this one won hands down.

So let’s meet the primary judges, my children, and look at the results.

Miss six year old protein monger dove headfirst into the hot dog which she chased with mac and cheese. The limas scared her off, so she moved on to pizza, a small pile of peppers accumulating on the edge of her plate. She rolled a cauliflower floret around her plate before settling on a bitsy taste of glazed carrots. Miss almost three year old starch queen has so much mac and cheese in her mouth that her cheeks are bulging as she holds a piece of pizza in one hand and a fistful of fries in the other, both waiting their turn to be rammed into place. There’s no future for my dishes with this one. I’ll get no help from Miss Three Month Old. She’s very upset. She has to wait for Mommy to finish gagging down Brussels sprouts before she can return to Hooter Heaven for her next meal. Looks like the services of the auxiliary judges, aka “the parents”, are irrelevant. The bonus points aren’t enough to change the winner. This battle is already over.

And that’s just Monday night.

Happily, the realistic daily struggle to encourage healthy eating in our children does not involve competing with fast food characters. We as parents have just enough control to prevent junk food from gracing our dinner tables. But that’s about where our control ends. We can barrage our offspring with healthy meals. There is no guarantee they will consume a single mouthful. And if they do eat, they tend to concentrate on the foods containing the fewest nutrients. Very frustrating indeed.

There are definitely more magical forces affecting our offspring’s eating tendencies than taste, smell, and wind direction. Who knows what they are. But I think the impact of texture and appearance are more significant than most adults believe. For example, I think both factors influence their affinity for raw vegetables. The clean, crisp snap of a baby carrot does not have a culinary equal. It makes them unique, interesting, and quite possibly reminiscent of a potato chip. Plus there are no surprise ingredients in raw vegetables. You can’t hide shredded squash, tofu, or creamed peas in a pile of baby carrots. What you see is what you get. The simplicity itself may be the appeal.

Try lots of raw veggies, even ones you don’t think they will like, and ones you don’t like. Anything left over you can toss in a salad or stir fry. Baby carrots, yellow and orange bell peppers, and sugar snap peas top our list.

Try varied cooking methods. Most of us have one or two ways we cook green beans. Branch out. Just because Junior dislikes steamed green beans doesn’t preclude him from ingesting them boiled, sautéed, stir fried, pan roasted, oven roasted or grilled. Or steamed in beef, chicken or vegetable stock instead of water. Then there’s always the fresh, frozen, or canned (gasp) options. Grilled bell peppers (not green or cheap red) and steamed broccoli with a pad of butter are acceptable at our place. So are green beans tossed with a little olive oil, roasted at excessively high heat until blackened, and finished with a sprinkling of kosher salt.

Dipping sauces rock!! Salad dressings, vinegars, hummus, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, salsa, peanut butter, apple butter, chutney, ketchup, mustard, and honey are a few possibilities. For those without dairy issues, cream cheese and sour cream are in play. Put a dollop in a Barbie bowl and see what they’ll dip in it. We have one who dips sour cream, some dressings, and really expensive balsamic, because the cheap stuff just doesn’t appeal to a six year old palate.

What kid doesn’t love Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes? They’re not just food. They’re fun. Try arranging their plates so they provide entertainment value. Animal shapes and body parts are popular. Geometric shapes, random patterns, or anything that climbs vertically upward away from the plate also have potential.

Sometimes it helps to give them choices. Consumption can sometimes be induced either through granting them control or by allowing them to pick the veggie that best accompanies today’s barometric pressure. If we have green beans, asparagus, and broccoli in the fridge, we’ll let the kids pick which they prefer as the meal’s side dish. Or if it’s asparagus night, and the grill is on, the choice of preparation can be negotiated as grilled, steamed, or roasted. It gives them say in the outcome, even though the outcome is partially predetermined.

Get out a food processor, blender, measuring spoon, or brown sugar in our kitchen and our girls are ready to rock and roll. They like to help. Find ways to let them. Let them tail green beans, string snow peas, or scrub carrots. Let them measure and blend ingredients for sauces or dressings. The “I helped make that” perspective can lead to eating. Measuring, playing with water, “tasting” honey, and using any device involving both an electrical cord and a button are good times for us.

None of these individual tasks involve complex implementation. It’s the constant, seemingly never ending, always changing trial and error process that feels exhausting. But there is joy in the process to ease the burden of perseverance. You have to pay close attention to find it sometimes, but it’s there to be found. I find it amusing my girls eat asparagus, but only the tips. And there is broccoli, but only the bushy ends of the florets. The stems get tossed on Daddy’s plate. They love plain, canned chickpeas, but they peel off the husk I never realized existed. And for the longest time, they separated sugar snap peas to extract the actual peas. I’ll never understand these phenomena. But I find them entertaining. So I keep trying, I keep watching, and I keep learning. Procreation has added another facet to my cooking that provides both intrigue and enjoyment. With some creativity, determination, and a boat load of patience, I think you too can turn the tides in Battle Vegetable, and maybe find a few smiles in the process.