kids who don't eat their fruits and veg
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CAMP30
Posts: 17
Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get kids to eat their fruits and Veggies. I have a little one of 9 who does not eat any fruits or even veggies. Is their anything I can do to make it a good experience.
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My mom always told us broccoli were little trees. That always got us to eat them. Maybe add cooked carrots and pees to a meat loaf. They won't even know they are there.0
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My mom always told us broccoli were little trees. That always got us to eat them. Maybe add cooked carrots and pees to a meat loaf. They won't even know they are there.
Please don't hide foods your kid hates in other food. It can create trust issues and more picky eating.
I'd ask her why she doesn't like them. Find out if there are any she's willing to try/eat, or a way to serve what she will eat. I was always happy my kid ate something, even if it was dipped in peanut butter.
EDIT: keys keep moving0 -
I found a lot of fruits and vegetables to be very strong tasting as a child (and still do).
Texture played a big role so have you child try carrots raw, steamed, and roasted as separate things to try rather than just ruling out carrot (for example).
Mashed potatoes, cheese sauce, or gravy can help with some vegetables, as well as mixing them in with the meat. As a child I preferred to be able to mix the vegetables in myself rather than have them hidden.
Let children know they are allowed to have a couple of things they dislike but can still eat, and things they do not want to eat at all.0 -
Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get kids to eat their fruits and Veggies. I have a little one of 9 who does not eat any fruits or even veggies. Is their anything I can do to make it a good experience.
My oldest does not like veggies. He does like fruit. Does your child like smoothies? Maybe if you could put it in a fruit/veggie smoothie?
I do a little bit of Chocolate Whey Protein, then fruits, veggies, yogurt, and lots of veggies. I SHOW my son what I'm doing, and he still drinks it. Be careful of berries, because they have seeds and therefore the texture makes it strange.
The other thing we make is carrot mashed potatoes. My kids LOVE these orange mashed potatoes, and they get potato and carrot in them. We use whole milk so they taste rich. Good luck! The veggie/fruit war is ongoing in my house, although my kids do like most fruits.0 -
Some kids eat stuff they normally would not eat if they helped with the cooking, so you could try that.
Is your kid really not eating any fruit or vegetables in any form at all or does he eat some things containing vegetables?
Many foods are aqquired tastes. We might to try out the same thing several times till we know we like it. So, maybe make your kid take only a small bit of the veggies every time, don't fill up his plate with them. Basically "if you have a spoonfull of this then you can continue with the foods you like."
My partner is an adult picky eater (sadly) and for him textures play a big role in what he likes to eat. Anything creamy is just "slimy" to him and he won't eat it, any mix of textures will be to much for him to handle. Find out if something similar to this is a problem for your kid and if so you might be able to get him to eat fruit or vegetables that have the right consictency. Maybe he LIKES creamy food and creamy vegetable soups are the way to go, f.e.
I also found this series of articles http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2010/05/picky-eating-part-1-how-to-tell-if-your-picky-eater-needs-help/ which might be helpful to you... or not... I have not read my way fully through them yet, myself.0 -
I've been "lucky" enough to have three kids that all love fruits & veggies, and I always just kinda thought it was because it was one of those things where it was all they were offered when they were first starting foods, so they didn't really get a chance to like the not-so-healthy stuff. We skipped baby cereal (rice and oat) with all of them, and actually totally skipped traditional jarred baby food as well...I just took whatever fruits & veggies we happened to be eating and ran them through the food processor (yep, even with whatever spices they were cooked in) until they were a thin/fine enough consistency the kids could eat them. We started letting our kids try to feed themselves pretty much as soon as they started on purees and solids (around 7-8 months)...helped them as needed, but let them be involved with their food from day one. All of them have certain things they don't like, and I never have and never will push them to eat mass quantities of food they don't like--we have a "two polite bites" rule, they have to try at least two bites of EVERY food on their plate, and if they don't like it, they don't have to finish it. We don't make them clean their plate if they're full--I was forced to finish every bite as a kid and now have this weird guilt thing, particularly when I'm around my parents, where I feel like I HAVE to finish every bite regardless of how hungry or full I am, just so I'm not "wasting" food. That said....
Ideas to get them to try fruits & veggies---get them involved!! I personally am NOT a fan of hiding food within other foods to trick my kids into eating them, but it does work for some people....I just kinda feel like there's better options out there that will get the kids to actually WANT to try fruits and veggies.
* Let them pick out things at the store they would like to try. Any time my kids want to try a new fruit or veggie, we get it. We don't go overboard and buy mass amounts, but will buy one or two pieces or a small package to try, that way we don't waste a bunch if its something nobody in the family likes. I keep a little bit of extra money in the grocery budget specifically for that every week, because with kids (at least with mine), if they don't get to try something right when they WANT to try it, they likely won't want to try it again any time soon.
* Let your child help cook/prepare the fruits & veggies they pick. At 9 years old, your kiddo is plenty old enough to be helping in the kitchen if they aren't already. My 5 and 7 year old are in the kitchen at almost every meal, chopping, stirring, blending, etc. Let them hop on recipe websites and search for recipes, and let them TRY making them with your help as needed.
* If you have the space, let your kiddo plant their own fruits & veggies. Container gardens are great for small spaces, or a big garden is great if you have the room. There's just something awesome about being able to eat stuff that you grew on your own, and to be able to share it with family & friends is even better
My kids LOVE to take fruit to friend's houses and tell them that they were the ones who grew it.
* Don't push it! If your child only likes apples and bananas, then just keep apples and bananas. Of course offer other stuff and encourage them to try them, but eating an apple or banana every day is better than eating no fruits or veggies at all, know what I mean? It may seem boring and repetitive to you, but kids are weird about having the same thing every.single.day. and it doesn't phase them at all.
* If they want to dip in weird stuff or make strange combinations, let them! It may seem like the most disgusting thing ever to you, but if they like it and it's getting fruit & veggies in them, who cares? My oldest loves to dip raw broccoli & cauliflower in peanut butter, and my daughter will dip ANYTHING, including fruit and cereal, in ketchup. Totally gross to see them eat, but whatever floats their boats.0 -
The kids I took care of loved dip. If there was something to dip the veggies in, they were much more willing to try it. And they loved all kinds of dip, from olive and feta tapenade, salmon cream cheese, lemon butter, ranch dressing, ketchup, to soy sauce. Take them to the store and let them pick something to try. Fix something you love and talk about how its your favorite and you love it so much because____. Don't' push it too hard, "just try one taste and you don't have to eat the whole thing if you don't like it."0
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HI
I love adding spinach and fresh veggies to my smoothies, I add them in my moms shakes and she likes it. Hard for her to chew simple things Like lettuce or spinach. Also, I used cauliflower to make a low carb pizza. the crust was made w/cauliflower and cheese. You just have to get creative. I wouldnt make it a 'big deal' when you make these recipes, just be creative. Kids are funny eaters and will grow out of picky eating.
I suggest getting them involved in help you cook. Once I was in Calif visiting my great nephews...each night we made milkshakes for dinner. One night the youngest one (age 7) wanted to make his own...added oreos, strawberry kiwi greek yogurt, milk and other crazy combos). Even his siblings were grossed out...needless to say, because he made it...he drank it all and swore it was the best milkshake in the world! lol! so basically they will want to eat their own creative inventions!
While in Dallas two wks ago, I fixed my God babies dinner and made oven baked sweet pot fries from scratch and tossed in light cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. My sorority sister didn't think they would eat sweet potatoes, but they ripped thru them...even the two year old! I find that the fresher and raw ...the better vs. frozen or canned. Even take them w/you to pick out the fruit and appreciate the color and smells!
I've realized even as an adult, I use to always say what I DIDNT LIKE, until a chef at work began preparing foods in different ways and it opened up my eyes and taste buds. Over time your taste buds will change ...just keep an open mind. So teach your babies that life lesson for sure!
good luck, Shan0 -
I've been "lucky" enough to have three kids that all love fruits & veggies, and I always just kinda thought it was because it was one of those things where it was all they were offered when they were first starting foods, so they didn't really get a chance to like the not-so-healthy stuff. We skipped baby cereal (rice and oat) with all of them, and actually totally skipped traditional jarred baby food as well...I just took whatever fruits & veggies we happened to be eating and ran them through the food processor (yep, even with whatever spices they were cooked in) until they were a thin/fine enough consistency the kids could eat them. We started letting our kids try to feed themselves pretty much as soon as they started on purees and solids (around 7-8 months)...helped them as needed, but let them be involved with their food from day one. All of them have certain things they don't like, and I never have and never will push them to eat mass quantities of food they don't like--we have a "two polite bites" rule, they have to try at least two bites of EVERY food on their plate, and if they don't like it, they don't have to finish it. We don't make them clean their plate if they're full--I was forced to finish every bite as a kid and now have this weird guilt thing, particularly when I'm around my parents, where I feel like I HAVE to finish every bite regardless of how hungry or full I am, just so I'm not "wasting" food. That said....
Ideas to get them to try fruits & veggies---get them involved!! I personally am NOT a fan of hiding food within other foods to trick my kids into eating them, but it does work for some people....I just kinda feel like there's better options out there that will get the kids to actually WANT to try fruits and veggies.
* Let them pick out things at the store they would like to try. Any time my kids want to try a new fruit or veggie, we get it. We don't go overboard and buy mass amounts, but will buy one or two pieces or a small package to try, that way we don't waste a bunch if its something nobody in the family likes. I keep a little bit of extra money in the grocery budget specifically for that every week, because with kids (at least with mine), if they don't get to try something right when they WANT to try it, they likely won't want to try it again any time soon.
* Let your child help cook/prepare the fruits & veggies they pick. At 9 years old, your kiddo is plenty old enough to be helping in the kitchen if they aren't already. My 5 and 7 year old are in the kitchen at almost every meal, chopping, stirring, blending, etc. Let them hop on recipe websites and search for recipes, and let them TRY making them with your help as needed.
* If you have the space, let your kiddo plant their own fruits & veggies. Container gardens are great for small spaces, or a big garden is great if you have the room. There's just something awesome about being able to eat stuff that you grew on your own, and to be able to share it with family & friends is even better My kids LOVE to take fruit to friend's houses and tell them that they were the ones who grew it.
* Don't push it! If your child only likes apples and bananas, then just keep apples and bananas. Of course offer other stuff and encourage them to try them, but eating an apple or banana every day is better than eating no fruits or veggies at all, know what I mean? It may seem boring and repetitive to you, but kids are weird about having the same thing every.single.day. and it doesn't phase them at all.
* If they want to dip in weird stuff or make strange combinations, let them! It may seem like the most disgusting thing ever to you, but if they like it and it's getting fruit & veggies in them, who cares? My oldest loves to dip raw broccoli & cauliflower in peanut butter, and my daughter will dip ANYTHING, including fruit and cereal, in ketchup. Totally gross to see them eat, but whatever floats their boats.
This poster said everything I was going to say and then some. Great post!0 -
I never had a problem with fruits and veggies with my kids. However, each one has one veggie they will not eat and one they just can't seem to get enough of. My grandson, loves broccoli, but only if it is dipped in ketchup. Actually almost anything dipped in ketchup is good to him.
You might want to try frozen grapes and apple pieces to see if they like that ice cold crunch. You can also try the frozen fruit bars in place of popsicles.
Naked is also a great product if they like juice. The little one loves Green Machine, because of its name and the fact that its green.0 -
One thing that my sister did with my niece and nephews when serving a fruit/veggie that they didn't like was to serve it for 3 nights in a row. Just put a small amount on their plate and see what they do with it. The first night, they probably won't touch it. The second night, they may take a small night. The third night, they are used to seeing it and they are likely to try more of it or eat all of what they were served. The next time she makes it, then they can decide whether they like it or not. The key for her was to not make a big deal about them eating it on any of those 3 nights that she served it. Let them get used to it. If they say they don't like it or don't want to try it, tell them that's okay, just leave it on the plate and serve it again until the 3rd night is over. She would do that 2 or 3 times a month so it wasn't too overwhelming.0
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My kids like asparagus - but it wasn't easy.
We have a rule that you have to try at least one bite of everything on the plate before you say no to it. If they don't eat anything on their plate then I save it for them. And if they say they're hungry later they can eat that. But that's another story.
So I served asparagus once. Girls didn't like.
Served it a second time. Girls still didn't like it. I liked it so I wanted them to like it.
Served it a third time - girls ate two whole spears each (they are 3 and 5).
So really what I'm trying to say it just keep giving it to them. By the 3rd time you'll know if they really like it or not.0 -
Bump (for ideas for me). =p0
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thanks, my mom said the same thing 0
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My kids like asparagus - but it wasn't easy.
We have a rule that you have to try at least one bite of everything on the plate before you say no to it. If they don't eat anything on their plate then I save it for them. And if they say they're hungry later they can eat that. But that's another story.
So I served asparagus once. Girls didn't like.
Served it a second time. Girls still didn't like it. I liked it so I wanted them to like it.
Served it a third time - girls ate two whole spears each (they are 3 and 5).
So really what I'm trying to say it just keep giving it to them. By the 3rd time you'll know if they really like it or not.0 -
Thank you all for your answers, we have her try a bite of everything on her plate, but we don't have her finish it if she does not want to. It is just very frustrating and I am trying to keep it light, and a non issue. She has texture issues and in the past had been sent to bed or had to sit at the table for an extended time. Last summer we had her go to a nutritionist who said that it was relatively normal for her to be picky, She eats bananas, but that is all. We have tried a variety of fruits and veggies. Yet she does not help cook. I think it would be good for her now too. I think she knows there are veggies in things like v8 and crackers or the tri-colored pasta. she loves it. Also we will try the smoothies again. My biggest thing is not taking it personally. I posted the question for support thank you all for replying.0
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Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get kids to eat their fruits and Veggies. I have a little one of 9 who does not eat any fruits or even veggies. Is their anything I can do to make it a good experience.
My oldest does not like veggies. He does like fruit. Does your child like smoothies? Maybe if you could put it in a fruit/veggie smoothie?
I do a little bit of Chocolate Whey Protein, then fruits, veggies, yogurt, and lots of veggies. I SHOW my son what I'm doing, and he still drinks it. Be careful of berries, because they have seeds and therefore the texture makes it strange.
The other thing we make is carrot mashed potatoes. My kids LOVE these orange mashed potatoes, and they get potato and carrot in them. We use whole milk so they taste rich. Good luck! The veggie/fruit war is ongoing in my house, although my kids do like most fruits.
I will try the smoothy again.0 -
I will try that0
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The key is to give the fruits and veggies to your child when they are babies, so they grow up developing a taste for them. Too many people just give junk to young kids and they never develop a taste for healthy food.
For my kids, sodas, chicken nuggets, and other junk was not allowed in their diet until they were about 5, and then only occasionally. I am very fortunate today to have two adult girls who eat fairly healthy, but I never pushed things on them they did not like, I only asked them to try things and if they did not like them, no big deal. Today my kids will eat just about any veggie and even ones I don't like, like squash (blech) and sweet potatoes (that mess is really vile, not sure how all you from the south do that stuff.)
Foods are acquired tastes and take time to develop so don't make it a big deal but have some fun with it. Just ask kids to take a bite or two and give them affirmation for doing so. Don't push foods on kids, it causes control issues.
I remember not liking a lot of things as a kid, avocados, chili con carne are two things that I have vivid negative memories regarding but I will eat them both now because I finally found things I enjoyed them with.
I decided early on that when my kids were young I was not going to push anything they did not like. I did however entice them with dips, and games. I liked to make pretty presentations and stories...even today my kids will ask me for a plate of "snacks" because they like how mom puts it together (it's a love factor they call it)
Be sure to associate postie feelings with what ever food you are trying to get them to try, so if they don't like it at first they might try it again later. Don't react when they don't like it, just move on to something else.
Until then? Supplement with a good or nutritional shake.0 -
Kids won't eat what doesn't taste good to them if other stuff that tastes good is in the house. Kids don't eat for nutrition, they eat for taste.Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get kids to eat their fruits and Veggies. I have a little one of 9 who does not eat any fruits or even veggies. Is their anything I can do to make it a good experience.
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