My 2 1/2 year old is a very picky eater!!! How did you get your toddler to be open to trying new foods?

Question

My 2 1/2 year old is not big on veggies. She eats corn, tomatoes, butter beans (sometimes), but other than that, there are not too many veggies I can get her to eat. It doesn't help that my husband won't touch a vegetable (he considers mashed potatoes and mac n cheese veggies). Is there any way I can encourage her to try new foods? Right now, I'm settling for sneaking veggies into her (cooking carrots and mashing them up in spaghetti sauce, for example). But, I want her to "openly" eat veggies. Any advice?

Answer 1

My 8 yrs old now doesn't like eatting veggies, but he knows that if he doesn't then he can't grow up to be a strong man. We play the name your veggies game. He gets blindfolded and fed by me and he tries to guess what he's tasting. I did this even with my nephew (then he was 7yrs. (now 22yrs). That's a game that's been passed down from my grandmother. Try it. It just might do the trick.

Answer 2

I have three children 8, 3, and almost 2. My kids have all been picky eaters. I started out feeding them all kinds of fruits and vegetables. My oldest finally started experimenting with more veggies again at 6. I'm lucky if I can get my 3 year to eat anything, let alone a veggie, yet he's a solid 41 lbs. I still dish them out all the time, but don't really push the issue. Just go with it and try not to get frustrated. It will pass in time. At almost three, substitute with a 1/2 Flinstone vitamin.

Answer 3

Hopefully this will come with time. My son is 2 1/2 and I still feed him baby food veggies because theyre the only ones he will eat. I always offer the others and try to think of new ways for him to eat them but right now its not working.

As far as other foods im making progress. I learned the other day at a b-day party when some parent thought it okay to give him a hard candy that he liked fireballs. So i started giving him spicier foods and he loved it. Also, I let him pick his piece of meat and help cut it with a little plastic knife or with my knife with my help and because he chose it he will eat it...or at least try it. Maybe let her spoon out her own veggies and put a little salt on them herself or something. good luck!

Answer 4

Try making homemade mac and cheese but add shredded carrots, zucchinni and broccoli to the cheese sauce... It's something they already like- just with some add in-s.. Keep trying some children will NOT eat certain things and then one day they just like them... I like to take my kids to the salad bar and just put everything on a plate for them to try... They think it's fun and they eat veggies... My kids also like any veggie with dip.. So, use ranch dressing or any of your childs favorite dressing, even ketchup... I also "hide" a lof vegatables in the food we all eat... I have lots of leftover babyfood so I dump in acouple jars into the spagetti sauce or mix it with the mashed potaotes..Also, you and your husband need to be good veggie role models and eat vegatable.. So, the kids can see you.. They will more likely try them if you eat them... I also like to hide a lot of veggies in my lasagna... I put cooked spinach with the ricotta layer.. I use mushrooms, onions, green pepper as well in the sauce... I've had "picky" adults that don't like veggies ask for seconds... Without picking things out.... Pizza is another good one.. Make a pizza at home and use veggies as toppings... Canned mushrooms, cooked peppers/onions and shredded chicken are good.. Sometimes it's a texture so if you like onions but, your tot doesn't use a cheese grater to finely grate them into soups, stews, and sauces.. You get the taste w/o the texture.. Good luck.

Answer 5

Have her dip the veggies in Ranch Dressing - kids love it!!!
My daughter-in-law had problems with her girls and finally got tired of wasting money by throwing away what they wouldn't eat. This is what she did; put food in front on them at a meal, if they didn't eat everything, remove the plate from the table, cover the plate, place the plate in the frig. Next meal, remove the plate from the frig, heat the food up and place it in front of them again. She would repeat this EVERYMEAL until they finally learned they would not be getting anything else until they ate what was put before them and, no in between meals snacks - only juice and water. They finally ate because they weren't allowed anything else and they were hungry. They are 8, twins at 10 and they eat EVERYTHING. They still are NOT allowed bread at meals unless they're eating something which requires bread - like a hamburger. They begin with veggies, meat and then starches. No liquids until they finish their entire meal.

Answer 6

Put a rainbow of veggies on her plate and tell her that she only gets dessert if she eats the rainbow. Or say that at the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold. For that, buy chocolate coins and put them in a small, round bowl, preferably black. Just don't tell her how many she gets, or she may decline (give her a half of one, just one, or two). Keep doing stuff like that and be creative (make a maze of veggies and put a treat at the end.) Also give her stuff to dip them in, like ranch dressing, blue cheese, creamy italian, stuff like that. Once you get in the groove, vary the prizes, like the first night she gets a chocolate coin, and later on, a trip to the humane society to look at doggies and such.

Answer 7

my 2 1/2 yr old and 4 yr old are the same way...very picking in what they want to eat, i have just learned not to ask them if they want it since their first answer will always be "NO". What me and my boyfriend just started to tell them both is to just "try" the food and if they don't like it they are allow to not eat that food, and we found that both our boys will now try more different foods or even the same types of foods over and over again with this choice and sometimes even they are surprised that they liked the food they tried and they just sit there and eat it. I know that this might not work with your kid(s) but you can give it a try!

Answer 8

Keep doing what you're doing and keep trying to introduce her to veggies. Try simple veggies with dip. Cukes, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli etc. If it looks fun, she'll try it...if not she'll eat them when she's ready. As for your husband...shame on him. I would sneak veggies into his spaghetti sauce too!

Answer 9

Just keep giving them to her. My daughter is 4-1/2 and doesn't eat veggies normally. Her Pediatrician said that is normal and as long as she has a vitamin everyday and eats a balanced diet otherwise, she's fine. She'll catch up later, she said. Meanwhile, I should keep offering them.

Answer 10

Try to make meals more fun. Go to your local bookstore or library and get a kids cookbook for ideas. Try buying fun but healthy chicken nuggets in shapes like dinosaurs or animals that works. Make a PB&J sandwich and take cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Usually kids will eat something reconizable. Good Luck :-)