How do you get your child to eat veggies?

Question

Any tricks? My daughter is 13 months old and no longer cares for veggies she once liked.

Answer 1

Don't try to force her. You don't need to start a power struggle with food this early. Does she eat fruits, they can be just as valuable as vegetables?

Here are some of the vegetables my 13-mth old likes:

-mashed sweet potato (I blend cooked sweet potato w/ plain yogurt, maybe add a little ginger or cinnamon)
-mashed cauliflower - they're similar to mashed potatoes, it's also an esy way to sneak in some greens
-white pizza - ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, and broccoli on pizza dough
-does she like cheese or mac and cheese? you can throw in some peas and carrots, she may not even know they're there

Answer 2

Put them in things she already likes.. broccoli in macaroni and cheese, zucchini in spaghetti sauce.. make dinner colorful and ask her to take a bite of each color. Have color themed nights and offer food that's all one color. Our big thing is the two bite rule.. It takes a while of a child being offered something to take it sometimes, so I ensure that everyone eats two bites of everything... I started that when my children were very, very young. Let her help you shell beans in the kitchen.. or help in other ways a young toddler can. Kids are more likely to eat if they helped prepare something. Obviously she's very young and can't do much, but you can pretend. Let her wash the veggies.. encourage raw veggies. A couple of my kids like more raw veggies than they do cooked and vice versa. Just keep offering and eventually she'll try them again!

Answer 3

Give her dip with her veggies. Kids love to dip stuff. Try lowfat ranch dressing or yogurt. Also, some fruit juices now have veggies in them. Don't get discouraged if she doesn't eat her veggies. Just keep trying and eventually she will.

Answer 4

Blend vegetables in a blender and add some to the food you prepare for them. Always offer vegetables on the plate as well. This way, they are getting the nutrients they eat, with the vegetable you have already included in the meal but also include vegetables on every plate to let them know they are important.
I blend vegetables for myself to put in things like spaghetti, burgers, etc. It's fun and you know you're eating your daily amount of vegetable. It's okay if you trick them a little they'll thank you later!:)

Answer 5

When my 2 y/o son doesn't want to eat his veggies I give him some of that gerber veggie-fruit juice or V8 fusion instead of regular juice since it has veggies in it.
My friend's kid will not eat any veggies whatsoever so she found this vitamin powder to mix in drinks that has all the vitamins and minerals that fruit and veggies have...and it tastes great too!
I haven't had to use it with my little guy yet, but I have a jar on hand just in case. :) Good luck!

Answer 6

its just a stage they go through:

we use V-8 fruit juice its a serving of fruit and veggies and i still offer my daughter small finger veggies with her meals...

she used to do the same not so much anymore but with the v-8 i know shes getting her nutrition.

also try small pieces of veggies we make animals like carrot sticks are the legs and broccoli usually can be the head and you can make a bug or something:)

Answer 7

I don't pressure my son into eating veggies very often so that when I do give them to him (like 2 nights a week) he eats them with no problem. The rest of the time I give him V8 fusion.

Answer 8

get the veggie packages with cartoon characters-- they're colorful & she'll like the cartoons, so she might think the veggies are just as good. hopefully she'll pass through this soon enough...

Answer 9

Chop really finely and add to dishes, add things like courgettes and capsicum, grated carrot etc to dishes like spaghetti bolognaise

Make sure you eat it and comment on how wonderful it tastes, kids often need to try things over 20 times before they like it.

When it comes to fruit, make your own smoothies, they are deceptively like deserts and most kids love them and don't realise they had had 2-3 portions of fruit in one go

Answer 10

There is allot of ideas to hide thier vegies... :) You can make fruit smoothies...adding a left over vegie in the mix.... you can put them in mac and cheez....you can give them pie.... LOL...you know....sweet potato... etc.... My kids LOVE pumpkin...they just don't know it!!! I make cookies, bread, polenta...etc. with pumpkin...