Vegan toddler help, please!

[nicolian]

My two boys and I are both vegan. I'm a little concerned about my 20 month old, who won't eat veggies! Does anyone know of any tried and true vegan recipes with some good disguised veggies?

Thank you!

Nicole

[red and lulu]

Have you tried pureeing them and hiding them in things? Like sweet potato-coconut milk ice pops or using veg purees like you would applesauce or yogurt in baking recipes? 

I find dumplings work really well... or anything wrapped in seaweed (but maybe that's just my toddler)... last night I hid peas in brown rice penne  Time consuming, but she ate it. What about nutritional yeast? My dd will eat anything with nutritional yeast on it...

Curry seems to get the veggies in, too. Maybe it's because she can't see what it is, or it's all the coconut milk, but she'll eat a lot of vegetable curry. 

Good luck!

[omamasmama]

my sister just gave me the idea to blend up broccoli and mix with with flour (i'd also through in nutritional yeast) and dip tofu in it then lightly fry it in a pan..... just got me thinking I need to be more creative with sneaking things in our dd's diet too.

[nicolian]

I haven't tried pureeing anything yet. Sometimes I can get away with hiding tiny pieces of veggies in rice. It's just tough because he won't really eat much at all! I'm also thinking some fruit smoothies with greens hidden in there will work..

[sky_and_lavender]

These are all great suggestions. Also I thought I'd mention something I heard on The Parents' Journal, which is an informational radio show/podcast. The nutritionist featured in one show said that parents often stop offering their kids various veggies when the parents perceive the kids don't like them. But research has shown that if you continue to offer them the veggie over and over again, they will eventually eat some. But parents often don't notice this because they are hoping for more than just a bite or two, or wanting their kids to eat the veggie every time it is offered.

I've found this helpful with my young toddler. I keep offering the stuff she doesn't like, and eventually she likes it for at least a while. (I never react positively or negatively about her food preferences, either.)

[askew]

The best way I get veggies into my picky eater is to make a pureed soup. Then I let him drink it out of a mug. He loves the process, and will "eat" so many veggies he would never touch otherwise. Like Fennel and Celery Root. :) 

[Momily]

I substitute shaved cauliflower from the blender for about 50% of the rice in fried rice.  Yummy!

[nicolian]

Thanks for the suggestions! I keep offering him veggies so it's good to hear that that's right way to go.

[mumbot]

Blending for a while is good, but after a few months I'd try just finely chopping the broccoli (or vegetable of choice) and mixing it in with the sauce... that way the child won't have to be fooled anymore and will become more familiar with it - eventually accepting that vegetables are not an option, but a requirement and just to enjoy them!