Why wont my son eat veggies?

Question

I cant get my 9yr old to eat veggies and I have done all I cant including trying to force him to eat it, take away the video games all I ask him to do is try at least one bite. If he dont I send himto bed with no dinner Im fed up and I express the importance of fruits and veggies. I dont know what else to do and we both are gettin stressed over this issue. By the way he did eat them as a baby and toddler. What gives? HELP!!!!!

Answer 1

I also have a 9 yr old boy who wont eat veggies...I tried everything even making him try at every meal...but he would throw them up..... My pediatrician told me to stop worrying and just make sure he takes a complete daily vitamin.

I also give him the V8 fusion juice..it is wonderful...and "hide them" where I can...puree carrots into spaghetti sauce...etc. but I no longer push him to eat them...I still offer at every meal though.

Answer 2

We have found that we start each meal with a few pieces of fruit. The good stuff comes after the fruit is done. Then we include a small vegetable with the main course. It is not critical that your child eat all the veggies or even any the veggies the first time. Pick one vegetable and include it each night with dinner. After a few days or perhaps weeks with the vegetable always on the plate, the child will begin to get comfortable with the idea. Continue stressing the importance of the vegetable (and fruits) but stop short of fighting over it. Focus on praising when they do eat the good stuff. It takes patience, I know, but it will be less stressful. Good luck.

Answer 3

Kids eat when they are hungry.

What does your pantry/refer look like? Is it full of cookies and crackers or do the only options you give your children are to starve or eat right.

I am guessing your son has plenty to eat that is not fruit/veggies and given the choice between eating healthy or eating sugar/grains most people will choose the unhealthy.

Make the only snacks available in your house fruits and veggies.
Cut out the grains/starches from dinner time
Drop the portion of protein/fat at dinner time to a healthy level for your son (most kids get bigger than adult size servings of hamburgers and other meats).
Give your family a wide variety of veggies at dinner time. Eating peas 7 days a week will make anyone vomit, but making your kids eat 3 of the 6 different veggies you have on the table, will come with a lot less resistance.

Finally don't freak about dinner time. If the only snacks you have available in the house are fruits and veggies and the kids have been snacking all day.... dinner time can be all about pizza with no worries.

Answer 4

this sounds just like my son. first off it is not your fault that your son doesn't like the veggies. many kids go through a phase e that they reject them all. frustrating as it may be. MY middle son is very anti veggie.(drives me nuts) now that he is 13 we have a thank you policy meaning he has to eat a thank-you helping(that is just a bite sized portion of whatever vegetable we serve) however up til about a year ago we did many "sneaky things to get the fruits and veggies into him.

MY son was so anti veggie that he would only eat the soup with no veggies in it(it was tomato soup...we for years never told him what the soup was). we added applesauce to meatloaf. You can add apples in mashed potatoes to without them noticing(oh my middle son is anti fruit too). I had many people tell me I was doing something wrong if he didn't like fruits and veggies but it all comes down to a persons individual likes to a degree. MY other 3 kids love fruits and veggies as do I. I serve 100 percent fruit juice and I give him a vitamin. I just don't make the veggies a battleground.
When he was seeing a nationalist she said that eventually he will come back around to tasting and eating some of the veggies and he has. he now eats, squash, corn, peas, and applesauce.

Good luck I know your frustration all too well.
MOm of 4(ages 14,13,11 and 5)
been there done that and still going through it

Answer 5

1) Never turn the dinner table into a battlefield, stay calm stay positive and don't force him.
2) Get him involved with preperation. He is old enough now, get him to chop the vegtables, prepare a salad, wash salad leaves etc etc(my 8 year old makes a smily face from the salad)
3) Maybe he genuinly doesn't like a vegtable. Respect his taste buds, experiment with new foods, try presenting food differently.
4) Feed your son the same as you eat. Eating is a family time to share . Maybe present food in serving dishes at the dining table so he can choose portion size himself.
5) Talk in general about healthy diets and food options. He will get the message.

The two food rules I use are 'Treats' or desserts are not offered if my children have not eaten dinner, and always try a new food.

Your son's food habits will not change quickly, it may take weeks or even months, but perservere. The key I think is to let him have some control back. It is scary , but remember it is worth it and GOOD LUCK!!!!

Answer 6

Just let him be.My kids was like that.At 4 and 5 they refused veggies.As much as I wanted to force them to eat them I just ignored the whole thing.Veggies went on their plate with each lunch and dinner.I knew they would not eat them but still put them on.They are 9 and 10 now.My 10 year is a veggie pig and my 9 year old is asking his brother if the veggies are nasty.My 10 year old says no they are not.Try raw veggies.Fruits my kids have never turn down.My 22 month old just stopped eating veggies a few months ago but I still put them on his plate because you never know when he will start eating them again.

Answer 7

Oh,hun never force him to eat anything.Do not punish him for not disliking something either.Sending him to bed without dinner means that he will not rest well,because he has an empty stomach.Simply,disguise it.That is what i would recommend that you do,such as take something that he enjoys,lets say tacos?Pizza? and place veggies where he cannot see them.If its pizza instead of placing toppings such as vegetables on top of the cheese,place them beneath the cheese,so that he cannot see them.If he likes tacos mix some veggies in with the "meat" portion of the taco.Make sure you cut them into pieces small enough to disguise it.I myself am a vegetarian,and i help raise my sisters children.Therefore they have taken some of my eating habits and cant get enough vegetables.This is the way i would go about it.Good luck and i know it can get frustrating but be patient!!

Answer 8

Have you ever met many children who did like veggies? Find one he does like such as corn and start from there. You could always try to sneak it into his food like putting veggie soup in meatloaf. spaghetti is also a good one to sneak veggies in plus the sauce already counts as a serving. Any veggie smothered in melted cheese is also a good one and they'll get much need calcium.

When all else fails make sure he get a multi-vitamin so that he get some of the nutrients that his growing body needs.

Answer 9

Here are a few ideas to help you and your child break the pattern of pushing vegetables to the side of the plate.

Let your child choose the vegetables. Obviously children cannot live on canned corn alone, but letting your child choose three or four vegetables may allow him to feel in control of what he eats. Even a small child knows what tastes he likes and enjoys having choices. Buy small amounts of a large variety until some favorites come to light.

Allow your child to help prepare the vegetables. Children take great pride in their accomplishments and most will at least sample their culinary creations. Most preschoolers can help wash their favorite vegetables. This is also a good time to explain the importance of cleaning vegetables properly.

Set a good example. Never expect your child to eat something that you wouldn't eat yourself. Find vegetables that others in the family enjoy to encourage your child to learn by example.

Never force your child to eat vegetables. Giving your child the option to say "no" politely, allows him to feel some control over what he eats. Many children appreciate the choice, and may even surprise you by eating some.

Make salads. Salads are always great because they not only combine a number of healthy vegetables, but allow your child to choose a dressing that suits his taste. Keep several flavors of dressings handy to increase variety.

Variety is everything. Change the form or flavor of your vegetables. Mix carrots, broccoli and corn for a colorful side dish. Try cutting yams into strips or chips and baking. Fill vegetables with peanut butter, melted cheese, or yogurt.

Keep vegetables accessible. Kids love finger foods! Keep fresh cut vegetables in the refrigerator for mid-day snacks. Keep their favorite spread or yogurt handy for easy dipping.

Mix and match. Try serving vegetable sticks with crackers, cheese, fruit, etc. They may not be eating only vegetables, but getting a picky eater to some vegetables is better than none.

Blend, boil, hide! Vegetables can sometimes be hidden in other delicious foods. Try "blending" carrots in with other juices in a food processor. Add broccoli, cauliflower and squash to soups and stews. Layer yams, beets or green beans into casseroles and lasagna. As the old saying goes, "what they don't know won't hurt 'em,"--in fact, it just may help them!

Educate your children. Explain to them why vegetables are important to the health of both adults and children. Ask your doctor or nutritionist for more information, or pick up a book at your local library

Hope that helps.

Answer 10

My son is 13 and I had the same problem. He was just being picky, because he used to eat them no problem. Don't stress about it, just blend them with his food. I often mash carrots and brocolli into potato, add peas to mince, etc. My son knows they're there but because he can't taste them, he doesn't mind! As for fruit, I bought a juicer. Now my son makes his own fruit juice and I don't even have to ask! It might sound like a step backwards, but once he is over that rebellious stage, he will eat them on their own no problem.