how to get fruits/veggies in a picky eater?

[MommyDOK]

My dd is extremely picky. It must be genetic bc she has been this way since we first introduced solids.

She used to eat a smoothie every day. In it I would hide carrots, blueberries, bananas, apples and whatever fruit was in season. She was set and never constipated if she drank that smoothie.

She won't eat it anymore. Says she doesn't like it.

The only fruits she'll eat are plums, bananas, apples, tangerines and strawberries. Not year round fruits. She won't eat any vegetables except occassionally some sweet potato, but I have to bribe her.

She doesn't eat junk food, soda, mcdonalds or anything like that. THe rest of the food she eats is pretty good--lots of beans, brown rice, whole wheat bread, salmon etc.

[~savah~]

I make "popsicles" out of smoothies and DD can't get enough of them.

[jimblejamble]

What about hiding blended carrot in muffins?

[umsami]

I would focus on including the fruits she does like for now. You can actually get apples, bananas, and tangerines most of the year.

You should also pick up a copy of the Sneaky Chef... or at least look for her free recipes on her website. It's pretty easy to blend in carrots or sweetpotatoes into anything tomato-based.... or into mac-n-cheese. You can try hiding veggies on pizza by placing them directly on the tomato sauce, chopped fine (or in the tomato sauce)...and then putting the cheese on top.

Is she hold enough to "help" in the kitchen? My kids always want to eat what they help make.

[ticklemegreen]

I second the sneaky chef. My DH is a picky eater and I was so sick of our meals lacking the nutrition from veggies. (he dislikes most veggies) He thought for sure he'd be able to tell me what was in the food, he couldn't

The only thing with the sneaky chef and a young child is the fact that you are hiding it in her food. So, she doesn't know what she's eating and that can affect her long-term ability to pick healthy foods. So definitely continue to make veggies a common side on top of using the sneaky cheff and hopefully over time she'll grow to love them. hth

[Alyantavid]

I'd let her eat what she wants, encourage her to try new things and hide pureed veggies in other foods she'll eat.

My boys love zucchini muffins and I've been making a ton since we're loaded with zucchini right now. I can put anything in those and they never notice.