getting toddler to eat veggies

[MrsBone]

I'm sure this question has been asked many times, but here goes. My 13 month old has definite tastes now when it comes to food, and I can't get him to eat green veggies. I continually give him thawed frozen peas, because it's easy, but he continues to throw them on the floor. I know it takes time for a kid to like a certain food, but I thought at this point, after trying over and over he would like them. I don't want to get to the point where the only way he gets veggies is by hiding them in casseroles, sauces, etc. I'd like to get him to eat veggies because he likes them. Any suggestions? He does eat sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, tomatoes..you know all the sweet veggies and mushrooms and onions, but I want him to like green stuff too. Oh, he loves avocado too. So I give him avocado every day because it's a nice nutritious green vegetable. Should I be this concerned at this stage for his dislike of anything green?

[Carhootel]

I wouldn't worry too much - I would continue to offer green veggies - different kinds and in a variety of different ways - in addition to the veggies he does like. Maybe you will both find something new he likes.

Don't they say insanity is trying the same thing over and over again expecting different results

[slgt]

Ditto - don't worry about it too much. Our pediatrician said at that age, if they get a balanced diet over the course of a week, great. Keep offering, but don't force the issue. Your kiddo will go through so many food phases in the next few years - eating everything, eating only pizza, eating only toast with peanut butter, eating no veggies, eating every veggie...

Our DD at younger ages was fond of veggies that she had to "work" for - she loved shelling peas and eating the peas, it would keep her entertained for hours. She also liked gnawing on broccoli "trees", but didn't like small/cut-up pieces of broccoli.

[hotharmony]

I put spinach in almost everything I make. Eggs with some frozen chopped spinach and cheese is one of my LO favorite meals. I also agree with offering a great variety. Also my LO likes to eat green beans still frozen and peas still frozen. Or try dip, my 13 month old just got the idea of what dip is and now he is really into it.

[welsh]

Originally Posted by slgt

She also liked gnawing on broccoli "trees", but didn't like small/cut-up pieces of broccoli.

Same here. Bigger pieces worked better. Steamed broccoli 'trees' and wide carrot sticks big enough to be easy to pick up...nothing too overcooked and mushy.
Also making food look appealing e.g I'll put a ramekin of hummus in the centre of the plate with red pepper sticks sticking out of it or in a circle around it.

DS is a great eater generally but will have a week where he adores, say, carrots and then they're poison for a week I try not to stress....he eats better than his Father!

[LCBMAX]

Around 15 months he started to like using the blender - I steam veggies, let them cool, and then he helps me make combinations of veggie mush, tasting plenty along the way. We make small amounts since he often won't eat the finished, non-mechanical, product, but he eats so many of the ingredients, it's no problem. It's like an edible science/ machinery project. Adding spices is a plus for me to bother eating the leftovers. Think carrot-pea-kale pesto.

[puffingirl]

Best advice I got from my MIL: offer veggies as an appetizer while you prepare dinner. They are usually hungry by then and will chomp on something. DD will eat 1-2 servings of veggies then. A different veg will show up with dinner. If she eats it, fine. If not, fine.

[redvlagrl]

Try different prep techniques. DD doesn't much like spinach by itself but will gobble it up if I make creamed spinach - she will eat more of it than I can. I use the joy of Cooking recipe which is super quick and easy (you mush it up in the food processor raw - spinach, milk flour etc then cook it. Take minutes.

DD also prefers her veggies to be fairly soft when cooked. I make some orzo salad last night and I didn't cook the broccoli enough (it was still a bit crunchy) and she didn't like it.

I second the dip suggestion. I say "dip, dip, dip" and she will dip just about anything! We use hummus, ketchup (not so keen on the sugar content here, but she doesn't have much), sour cream, yoghurt, soup, baked beans etc etc. It's all about the novelty of dipping, thoug hshe is learning to just suck the dip off

[MadiMamacita]

i give my LO his veggies first, when he is the hungriest. then I offer other foods.
that works for us because right now, if there is a whole plate of food in front of him it goes onto the floor, but if i give him things a few at a time, he will eat them.
if i give him a bowl of peas he will throw them. if i give him a few pea he eats them.

[QuestionGal]

Originally Posted by puffingirl

Best advice I got from my MIL: offer veggies as an appetizer while you prepare dinner. They are usually hungry by then and will chomp on something. DD will eat 1-2 servings of veggies then. A different veg will show up with dinner. If she eats it, fine. If not, fine.

yup, we've found this works *really* well. Also finding out which way he likes it prepared (steamed broccoli & peas, cold cooked carrots, and green beans from the can (preferably cold). Those are staples in our house with other veggies making appearances. We also have a rule that he has to try everything.

[nerdymom]

Like others have said, don't stress. I know that my DS loves green veggies most days, but sometimes he loathes them and does nothing but chuck 'em across the room. I find he likes most veg with good quality butter and a tiny bit of salt or on picky days a little sour cream, hummus, or homemade ketchup on top.

[tangledblue]

Have you tried pesto? My DD loves it.

[kdtmom2be]

Originally Posted by redvlagrl

DD also prefers her veggies to be fairly soft when cooked. I make some orzo salad last night and I didn't cook the broccoli enough (it was still a bit crunchy) and she didn't like it.

My DD is the opposite. She will not eat anyting with a mushy texture. So things like mashed potatoes, applesauce and overly0cooked veggies are out for us. BUT, she will eat just about anything if I call it "fries". One of her favorite foods is "pepper fries", red peppers cut in long thin strips. She'll also eat salad, though it took us about 6 months of salad eating before she would eat the lettuce. She likes it because she gets to pick what colour "sauce" she wants on it.

Green veggies come with time. Think of it this way, most green veggies are leafy greens right? Leafy greens are eaten using our molars. Does your LO have her first set of molars yet? She most certainly doesn't have her 2yr molars. It gets EASIER for them to eat leafy greens as they get older because they are physically more capable of eating them. I wouldn't worry about it. Keep trying with the peas and green peppers and cucumber slices, other than that, give it a rest for 6 months.

[Trinitty]

I would throw the peas too! :P

Peas are kind of gross at the best of times, eating thawed frozen peas makes me gag. Can you tell that I was forced to eat peas!? LOL.

I would try trees of broccolli and fresh baby spinach. They taste good.

Have you tried taboleh?

Trin.

[physmom]

DD doesn't like green either (well, except for broccoli with terrryaki sauce on it) and would consistantly throw all the peas on the floor for what felt like forever. Our trick was to mix them up with corn (her absolute favorite) and we kept doing that and eventually she stopped picking them out and now will eat them just fine. We also put them in a lot of dishes (like casserols and mac and cheese) to get her more used to the flavor.

[nerdymom]

I don't like plain peas either, but I love them mixed in with applesauce.

[Pen_esque]

I second the pesto! We can sneak all kinds of things in there. Maybe a green smoothie? My 16 month old loves steamed green beans, but most other green veg must be disguised.

[hakeber]

I'm not sure how communicative your ds is, but I got mine to eat veggies by...lying to him.

at about two he started refusing veggies so I told him edamame were crocodile eggs and peas were turtle eggs, and broccoli were minature magical trees that would make him big and strong. And I make soup and meatballs and crouquets and pizza sauce and I puree all sorts of veggies into them and tell him there aren't any vegetables in the recipe. I also once did not correct him when he had it in his head that if he ate enough raw carrots he might one day turn into a bunny rabbit. He ate them for two weeks every day after pre-school and then would go check his ears for fur and growth.

I hope he doesn't hold it against me when he grows up and has figured out my devious ways.

That being said at 13 months, if he's still nursing, it's not disasterous if he won't eat veggies. Just keep offering them if you have them. Interestingly for me at that age ds had no problem with food, he'd eat literally anything I offered, but the more successful items were really seasoned well, the spicier the better. His favorite was broccoli in garlic sauce from the Chinese take-out (low-sodium, no msg version), and he loved Kung Po Chicken, a sort chicken cashew and veggie stir-fry in a sweet chili sauce.

[tmwmommy]

My dd (17 months) will eat green beans and no other veggies. But she will eat yogurt with sweet potatoes or squash and fruit because the fruit takes away the taste of the veggies. I'm also going to try mixing carrots into a smoothie. She is also still nursing a lot so I figure she gets a lot of nutrients from that.