How to sneak veggies into toddler meals?
January 12, 2010 5:15 PM
[Deceptively Delicious/Sneaky Chef Filter] Hey parents! I have a picky toddler. Yes, I try to get him to eat his veggies 'normally', but I'm also down with Deceptively Delicious/Sneaky Chef-type pureeing to hide the veggies. Can you please share your recipes/techniques of getting veggies into kids' dinners?
And yes, I already puree stuff and add it to marinara sauce. I have a steamer and a Magic Bullet. And for all of those that think that I should just get him to eat his veggies normally, please come over and help me. ASAP. ;)
And yes, I already puree stuff and add it to marinara sauce. I have a steamer and a Magic Bullet. And for all of those that think that I should just get him to eat his veggies normally, please come over and help me. ASAP. ;)
If making something with ground meat, try chopping up mushrooms to the same consistency (i.e. mincing); when cooked this way, the mushrooms have a meaty texture and absorb the surrounding flavors and usually go unnoticed. Also try V8 V Fusion juice (full serving of veggies w/ no added sugar/high fructose corn syrup).
posted by melissasaurus at 5:23 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by melissasaurus at 5:23 PM on January 12, 2010
I find the flavor of spinach to be easily covered. Blending a handful of cooked spinach in with an otherwise sweet fruit smoothie is a great way to get all that goodness with no spinachy taste.
posted by carlh at 5:38 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by carlh at 5:38 PM on January 12, 2010
Does he like mashed potatoes? There are many alternatives to mashed potatoes using vegetables. Parsnip puree (can combine with carrots), celery root puree or mashed cauliflower are all really, really good. He probably won't even know it isn't mashed potatoes.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:41 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:41 PM on January 12, 2010
And now that I think about it, you could probably sneak in some turnips in any of those since it's a white color.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:42 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:42 PM on January 12, 2010
I've got a picky kid, and I tried those books, and they're okay, not breaking any new ground or anything, and the only other thing I can say is make everything as nutrient-dense as you can. Keep tons of fruit on hand and let the kid have free reign, even as you're seeding his macaroni with sweet potato puree. Make sure all your breads, crackers, pastas etc are whole grain. Give a vitamin supplement, just in case.
If you don't actually have those two books, the vegetables and fruits they recommend working with are pretty power-packed: sweet potato, beets, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, blueberries, etc. Depending on what you're trying to hide them in, the flavors and colors can blend pretty nicely, although I gave up on it because it was just too big of a pain in the ass.
And just keep putting those vegetables out in their natural form or close to it. Eventually, he might eat a carrot or a serving of Caesar salad or some peas.
posted by padraigin at 5:44 PM on January 12, 2010
If you don't actually have those two books, the vegetables and fruits they recommend working with are pretty power-packed: sweet potato, beets, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, blueberries, etc. Depending on what you're trying to hide them in, the flavors and colors can blend pretty nicely, although I gave up on it because it was just too big of a pain in the ass.
And just keep putting those vegetables out in their natural form or close to it. Eventually, he might eat a carrot or a serving of Caesar salad or some peas.
posted by padraigin at 5:44 PM on January 12, 2010
This doesn't really answer the question, but does he like sweet potatoes? I knew I loved them as a kid, and still do now. You can try them mashed, or maybe just make some homestyle sweet potatoes.
posted by spiderskull at 5:47 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by spiderskull at 5:47 PM on January 12, 2010
Honey or maple syrup glazed carrots are really good. They're not quite so sneaky, but perhaps could have the same effect? (Depending of the brand of picky that your toddler is.)
In a different Good Eats episode, Alton Brown makes avocado-based ice cream.
posted by sentient at 5:47 PM on January 12, 2010
In a different Good Eats episode, Alton Brown makes avocado-based ice cream.
posted by sentient at 5:47 PM on January 12, 2010
I don't have any children that I'm aware of, but I'm a pretty picky eater (and was even worse when I was a kid). I came across the NY Times article a while back and thought that I would have eaten a whole lot more veggies if my parents had this much creativity. Here are some pictures of the creations. Good luck!
posted by arm426 at 5:48 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by arm426 at 5:48 PM on January 12, 2010
FWIW: I've heard it takes an average of 10 exposures to a new vegetable for someone to develop a taste for it. Keep trying! They'll thank you when they're older.
posted by grieserm at 5:52 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by grieserm at 5:52 PM on January 12, 2010
Have you tried giving him frozen peas? That was my main source of green stuff when I was a picky toddler. Something about them being cold and crunchy and sweet, and kind of fun to poke around a plate and practice picking things up precisely made them enjoyable. Cooked, warm peas were just disgusting, of course.
posted by Mizu at 5:53 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by Mizu at 5:53 PM on January 12, 2010
My suddenly fussy 20 month old still goes nuts over this carrot soup I make. It's versatile because you can mix it with rice or pasta too. Also freezes well in small packs.
posted by gomichild at 5:57 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by gomichild at 5:57 PM on January 12, 2010
I'm not going to try to dissuade you from the sneaky method. I will recommend you keep serving vegetables in their natural state, though, along with the sneaky stuff. Whatever you make for the rest of the family, put some on his plate. Don't make a big deal out of it. Just serve it. If he eats it, great. If not, fine. Eventually he'll start eating the stuff the rest of you are eating. And when he's old enough, you can get him cooking with you, which make him even more likely to eat what you make.
When my daughter was 18 months old, she went weeks eating nothing but pretzel sticks and grapes. I am not exaggerating! It went downhill from there, so much so that she started losing weight and was put back on formula. Ours was an extreme case, to be sure. But now, she's nearly 10. She's totally healthy and she eats like a champ. Tonight for dinner we had cheese fritatta, roasted asparagus, braised kale, and roasted potatoes. She loves celery, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, beets, leeks, peas, haricot vert, carrots, kale, swiss chard, edamame, belgian endive, red cabbage, etc. I tell you this to give you hope! It gets better, but usually only if you simply don't make this an issue.
posted by cooker girl at 6:04 PM on January 12, 2010
When my daughter was 18 months old, she went weeks eating nothing but pretzel sticks and grapes. I am not exaggerating! It went downhill from there, so much so that she started losing weight and was put back on formula. Ours was an extreme case, to be sure. But now, she's nearly 10. She's totally healthy and she eats like a champ. Tonight for dinner we had cheese fritatta, roasted asparagus, braised kale, and roasted potatoes. She loves celery, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, beets, leeks, peas, haricot vert, carrots, kale, swiss chard, edamame, belgian endive, red cabbage, etc. I tell you this to give you hope! It gets better, but usually only if you simply don't make this an issue.
posted by cooker girl at 6:04 PM on January 12, 2010
Costco now how the veggie purees in the frozen food section. They come in a pack of several different varieties - takes a lot of work out of being sneaky.
My child LOVES edamame. I think that she loves the process as much as the veggie - we get the kind still in the pod and she pops the little beans out and chows down.
If there is any way to involve your child in gardening or growing things - even just a plant in a container on the patio - that helps, too. My kiddo enjoys fresh peas from the garden, and would eat blackberries and cherry tomatoes right off the plants pretty much as soon as she could walk around and reach the plants. Kids that are involved in growing their own veggies often eat more of them, too.
posted by Ostara at 6:08 PM on January 12, 2010
My child LOVES edamame. I think that she loves the process as much as the veggie - we get the kind still in the pod and she pops the little beans out and chows down.
If there is any way to involve your child in gardening or growing things - even just a plant in a container on the patio - that helps, too. My kiddo enjoys fresh peas from the garden, and would eat blackberries and cherry tomatoes right off the plants pretty much as soon as she could walk around and reach the plants. Kids that are involved in growing their own veggies often eat more of them, too.
posted by Ostara at 6:08 PM on January 12, 2010
my mom would disguise just about any vegetable in a tomato+cream cheese sauce
posted by Neekee at 6:18 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by Neekee at 6:18 PM on January 12, 2010
My partner (an adult) is a really picky eater who to this day has food issues stemming from his parents' and grandparents' attempts to trick him into eating things. They'd constantly do things like convince him a food item was made from some ingredient he really loved, when actually it was made from something else. All it did was make him deeply mistrustful in the long term of any food that tasted/smelled/looked even slightly different than usual.
I honestly think that when a child is hungry enough, and food is appetizingly prepared, he/she will mostly eat what is served. I know your child is just a toddler, but that's the expectation you need to gradually work up to: what is served is eaten. This means figuring out when your child is genuinely hungry, as opposed to merely craving familiar treats that he knows are just out of sight somewhere. It's not always easy, sometimes you will feel like a big meanie for not just giving the kid the food he loves the most, but you are the grownup and that's what being the grownup is all about. And no, I'm not saying you should starve your child until he eats whatever you want him to eat, but you should definitely wait to serve new or tricky things when you know he's really hungry and is less likely to fuss over it.
posted by hermitosis at 6:18 PM on January 12, 2010
I honestly think that when a child is hungry enough, and food is appetizingly prepared, he/she will mostly eat what is served. I know your child is just a toddler, but that's the expectation you need to gradually work up to: what is served is eaten. This means figuring out when your child is genuinely hungry, as opposed to merely craving familiar treats that he knows are just out of sight somewhere. It's not always easy, sometimes you will feel like a big meanie for not just giving the kid the food he loves the most, but you are the grownup and that's what being the grownup is all about. And no, I'm not saying you should starve your child until he eats whatever you want him to eat, but you should definitely wait to serve new or tricky things when you know he's really hungry and is less likely to fuss over it.
posted by hermitosis at 6:18 PM on January 12, 2010
2nding the frozen peas and corn. I thought they were super fun to eat...frosty, colorful and flavorless.
I still feel pretty much the same way about them today, although I prefer them cooked.
posted by iamkimiam at 6:23 PM on January 12, 2010
I still feel pretty much the same way about them today, although I prefer them cooked.
posted by iamkimiam at 6:23 PM on January 12, 2010
My mom used to put veggies in Jello when I was a toddler, and I apparently loved it.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:26 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:26 PM on January 12, 2010
Shred eggplant into spaghetti meat sauce, after a bit of cooking it is very hard to tell the meat from the eggplant
posted by SueDenim at 6:27 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by SueDenim at 6:27 PM on January 12, 2010
1:3 canned pumpkin to batter makes delicious/nutritious pancakes.
posted by glibhamdreck at 6:29 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by glibhamdreck at 6:29 PM on January 12, 2010
I make brownies with spinach in them. You can't even tell, but it actually makes them moister. It's the only way I make them now. The recipe I found was from some parenting magazine website (I got it from Googling spinach brownies) but now I can't find it. It involves pureeing the spinach in a food processor then mixing that with the brownie mix and a little vegetable oil. There are other recipes for this online. Obviously you can't just feed your kid brownies, and I don't know how many nutrients are lost in cooking, but whenever you do make brownies, this is a great way to make them a bit more nutritious (and moist).
posted by ishotjr at 6:33 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by ishotjr at 6:33 PM on January 12, 2010
Zucchini is delicious in zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, etc. Also, as far as kid-friendly prep, this isn't as sneaky, but breaded and fried (quickly so it doesn't get too soft) it's buttery and delicious and better than any other breaded 'kid food' like chicken nuggets (or soy nuggets, and your preference may be).
Also, I always was more likely to eat strange/not my favorite food if I was involved in the prep or selection. Obviously doesn't go for sneaky stuff, though.
posted by R a c h e l at 6:40 PM on January 12, 2010
Also, I always was more likely to eat strange/not my favorite food if I was involved in the prep or selection. Obviously doesn't go for sneaky stuff, though.
posted by R a c h e l at 6:40 PM on January 12, 2010
Hey - aren't kids taste buds different than adults? Could that be the issue?
nthing cooker girl.
I belonged to the local botanical garden's children's program for years, grew my own veggies from seed! I think this helped me expand my horizons.
Still. There were some veggies (and meat) that I just hated (mostly because of the way my mom cooked it and/or she would force too much on me) and I just hated her for it.
You might try figuring out why your toddler hates a particular vegetable (mouth feel? bitter? too sweet?) and make adjustments accordingly.
To this day I hate carrots. I use them for stocks and stews when required, but I hate them and add less than I should - even when cooking professionally. Do I have some long ago buried memory of an argument with my mom over carrots? I'm sure that I do. Yep. That.
posted by jbenben at 6:40 PM on January 12, 2010
nthing cooker girl.
I belonged to the local botanical garden's children's program for years, grew my own veggies from seed! I think this helped me expand my horizons.
Still. There were some veggies (and meat) that I just hated (mostly because of the way my mom cooked it and/or she would force too much on me) and I just hated her for it.
You might try figuring out why your toddler hates a particular vegetable (mouth feel? bitter? too sweet?) and make adjustments accordingly.
To this day I hate carrots. I use them for stocks and stews when required, but I hate them and add less than I should - even when cooking professionally. Do I have some long ago buried memory of an argument with my mom over carrots? I'm sure that I do. Yep. That.
posted by jbenben at 6:40 PM on January 12, 2010
My friend has great luck with roasting vegetables (green beans, swiss chard, really anything) and presenting them as "chips", especially as snacks.
posted by carmen at 6:49 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by carmen at 6:49 PM on January 12, 2010
One flintstones vitamin a day. Not being snarky, this has been suggested to me by lots of learned folk. Getting them to eat healthy is ideal but don't let it become a power struggle. If they are going through a "not balanced" phase, supplement with a vitamin and don't fret.
posted by pearlybob at 6:54 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by pearlybob at 6:54 PM on January 12, 2010
aren't kids taste buds different than adults? Could that be the issue?
Correct. According to Alton Brown (whose word I take as gospel,) childrens' taste buds ward them off bitter flavors because bitter generally means WARNINGPOISONWARNING! Adults' taste buds get over it.
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:54 PM on January 12, 2010
Correct. According to Alton Brown (whose word I take as gospel,) childrens' taste buds ward them off bitter flavors because bitter generally means WARNINGPOISONWARNING! Adults' taste buds get over it.
posted by InsanePenguin at 6:54 PM on January 12, 2010
At the daycare my kids get peppers and hummus to dip them into. Veg seem more interesting to them when used as dip delivery devices.
At home we eat trees, and school buses full of kids, and snakes (broccoli, snap peas, and overcooked asparagus). Works quite well.
posted by Dragonness at 6:58 PM on January 12, 2010
At home we eat trees, and school buses full of kids, and snakes (broccoli, snap peas, and overcooked asparagus). Works quite well.
posted by Dragonness at 6:58 PM on January 12, 2010
I have found success in getting my children to eat a variety of vegetables through patience and repetition. Having your child simply eat one spoonful of whatever it is they don't like will help them develop a taste for it in time.
posted by axismundi at 7:21 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by axismundi at 7:21 PM on January 12, 2010
Avoid the bitter/strong veggies (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach) completely until others are accepted.
Mix fruit and veg together or other mixes. eg. Apple + carrot sauce, baby tomatoes mixed with grapes. Mix grated zucchini and TVP burgers or meatballs. Tomato and apple (or orange) juice jello. Lemon jello with suspended grape tomatoes and peas is really cool!
Make coleslaw with grated carrots, raisins marinated in OJ and thinly sliced red pepper. It's so pretty!
Carmelized cauliflower seems to be an exceptionally sweet choice. Sweet potato or squash fries. Mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes mixed in.
Make it pretty or give it an odd name to be fun. Standards include Ants on a Log (raisins on pb on celery). Grilled cheese with spots (peas)- especially effective open face.
Teach them the rhyme: I eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life, it may sound kind of funny but it keeps them on the knife. Serve Peas with Honey.
Read Green eggs and ham; serve Green eggs Sans Ham: Green eggs go Glam!
Into baked goods: pumpkin, zucchini, any squash, really. Carrots.
Get them to be the cooks and involve them with food prep, and you'll have an easier time. Don't make any assumptions about what 'goes together'. Keep it fun, pretty, adventurous and wild!
posted by kch at 7:29 PM on January 12, 2010
Mix fruit and veg together or other mixes. eg. Apple + carrot sauce, baby tomatoes mixed with grapes. Mix grated zucchini and TVP burgers or meatballs. Tomato and apple (or orange) juice jello. Lemon jello with suspended grape tomatoes and peas is really cool!
Make coleslaw with grated carrots, raisins marinated in OJ and thinly sliced red pepper. It's so pretty!
Carmelized cauliflower seems to be an exceptionally sweet choice. Sweet potato or squash fries. Mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes mixed in.
Make it pretty or give it an odd name to be fun. Standards include Ants on a Log (raisins on pb on celery). Grilled cheese with spots (peas)- especially effective open face.
Teach them the rhyme: I eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life, it may sound kind of funny but it keeps them on the knife. Serve Peas with Honey.
Read Green eggs and ham; serve Green eggs Sans Ham: Green eggs go Glam!
Into baked goods: pumpkin, zucchini, any squash, really. Carrots.
Get them to be the cooks and involve them with food prep, and you'll have an easier time. Don't make any assumptions about what 'goes together'. Keep it fun, pretty, adventurous and wild!
posted by kch at 7:29 PM on January 12, 2010
My wife, who could have written Deceptively Delicious, recommends pancakes. Kale pancakes, sweet potato pancakes, whatever. Whatever your kid won't eat, just turn it into pancakes.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:29 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:29 PM on January 12, 2010
Babaganoush made with roasted eggplant. Sweet potato fries.
posted by jeanmari at 7:30 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by jeanmari at 7:30 PM on January 12, 2010
Of course, who likes pancakes? Our family tradition was corn in pancakes. Delicious! I have one son who complains when I don't put corn in now.
posted by kch at 7:35 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by kch at 7:35 PM on January 12, 2010
Here's a previous question with lots of info on veggie-eating
posted by chrisamiller at 7:38 PM on January 12, 2010
posted by chrisamiller at 7:38 PM on January 12, 2010
Might I suggest looking into the book Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense? This book totally changed my (and my toddler's world). Her approach is basically that you as the caregiver are responsible for what, when,and where of meals and your child is responsible for how much and whether to eat it. You do not force,cajole, pressure, or insist on anything. Serve a balanced, nutritious meal (the same meal as you are eating) and let them deal with it on their own terms. Meals are eaten as a family. This division of responsibilities sets up your child for success by eliminating pressures and the resulting anxiety. I was blown away at how accurately the book described what we had been doing and how we were failing. And we embraced her philosophy that night and have never looked back. Mealtime changed dramatically and she's so much more willing to try new things now. She doesn't always try them but if we keep offering them and she sees us eating them, eventually she does. I really really recommend it.
Also, veggie pancakes are awesome! Are eggs possible - fritatta is a great way of incorporating vegetables.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:02 PM on January 12, 2010
Also, veggie pancakes are awesome! Are eggs possible - fritatta is a great way of incorporating vegetables.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:02 PM on January 12, 2010
In my family, broccoli was deemed delicious! This was done through the sneaky method of overcooking it (seems to diminish the bitterness) and adding a healthy quantity of butter and salt. Sure, overcooking probably removes some of the nutrients, but I bet it's still better than nothing.
Carrots I liked raw (although it was a crap shoot whether they were the good sweet ones or the icky bitter ones) but never cooked. Cucumbers were always good due to their general flavorlessness, but tomatos in non-sauce-form took some growing into.
Green beans are also tons tastier with a little more butter and salt. Also fresh is much better than canned (goes for pretty much all of the green vegetables). However, if your toddler already associates veggies with ICKY then you're probably facing an uphill battle.
I only ever ate spinach when it was included in my mother's lasagna, which is delicious but contains meat as an important element.
posted by that girl at 8:06 PM on January 12, 2010
Carrots I liked raw (although it was a crap shoot whether they were the good sweet ones or the icky bitter ones) but never cooked. Cucumbers were always good due to their general flavorlessness, but tomatos in non-sauce-form took some growing into.
Green beans are also tons tastier with a little more butter and salt. Also fresh is much better than canned (goes for pretty much all of the green vegetables). However, if your toddler already associates veggies with ICKY then you're probably facing an uphill battle.
I only ever ate spinach when it was included in my mother's lasagna, which is delicious but contains meat as an important element.
posted by that girl at 8:06 PM on January 12, 2010
Roasted veggies, pureed with a bit of salt, complementary spices (especially any spice the kiddo already likes) makes a pretty delicious dip. Toss in a few chickpeas or some tahini to thicken it up a bit, or try cream cheese if you want to go creamier.
Another dip I loved loved loved as a kid and still love to this day is my Mom's cottage cheese dip. I ate tons of veggie sticks just to get more dip. It's also got the added bonus of having quite a bit of lean protein in it.
There isn't an exact recipe, but it goes something like this:
a blurb of low-fat mayo
a larger blurb of cottage cheese
a larger blurb of yogurt
a pinch of garlic salt
a pinch of dill weed
Put it in a blender/food processor, and whirl until smooth. Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. It's better if it sits for at least an hour before you eat it, to let the favors meld. It's even better than that the next day.
posted by burntflowers at 10:42 PM on January 12, 2010
Another dip I loved loved loved as a kid and still love to this day is my Mom's cottage cheese dip. I ate tons of veggie sticks just to get more dip. It's also got the added bonus of having quite a bit of lean protein in it.
There isn't an exact recipe, but it goes something like this:
a blurb of low-fat mayo
a larger blurb of cottage cheese
a larger blurb of yogurt
a pinch of garlic salt
a pinch of dill weed
Put it in a blender/food processor, and whirl until smooth. Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. It's better if it sits for at least an hour before you eat it, to let the favors meld. It's even better than that the next day.
posted by burntflowers at 10:42 PM on January 12, 2010
One other thing...
When I was dating a fellow who had three raised-on-Big-Macs kids, and was attempting to get them to eat things that didn't come in packaging with Ronald McDonald's face on it, we instituted the three bite rule. It went like this:
1. If there's something on your plate that you don't think you like, you have to have three bites.
2. The bites must be real bites, not nibbles. Full fork-fulls.
3. If you don't like it, you don't have to try it again for 3 months.
4. Grown-ups are not excluded from the 3-bite rule.
Part 4 of the rule meant that I had to eat 3 fork-fulls of ketchup after I mentioned at dinner that I did not like it. I set a good example, and the boys were soon eating vegetables that they'd never tried before, often with exclamations of how delicious they were.
So, if you go this route, be prepared. They will call you on it, and you'll have to follow through.
I still hate ketchup.
posted by burntflowers at 10:52 PM on January 12, 2010
When I was dating a fellow who had three raised-on-Big-Macs kids, and was attempting to get them to eat things that didn't come in packaging with Ronald McDonald's face on it, we instituted the three bite rule. It went like this:
1. If there's something on your plate that you don't think you like, you have to have three bites.
2. The bites must be real bites, not nibbles. Full fork-fulls.
3. If you don't like it, you don't have to try it again for 3 months.
4. Grown-ups are not excluded from the 3-bite rule.
Part 4 of the rule meant that I had to eat 3 fork-fulls of ketchup after I mentioned at dinner that I did not like it. I set a good example, and the boys were soon eating vegetables that they'd never tried before, often with exclamations of how delicious they were.
So, if you go this route, be prepared. They will call you on it, and you'll have to follow through.
I still hate ketchup.
posted by burntflowers at 10:52 PM on January 12, 2010
Apple, finely grated with carrot, is juicy and delicious.
The prob with the "three bites rule" and "they'll eat when they're hungry" is that toddlers are irrational and can't plan ahead that if they don't eat their dinner that they will be hungry at night. And then who has to get up and make them toast or cereal to eat at 10pm when they come out saying "I very, very hungy"?
Bigger kids can be told that they have to try a bite or go to bed immediately, but we're not going there with our 2-year-old. She has a small tummy and likes to eat little bits all day, so we try and get the wholemeal and fruit in there as much as we can. The apple and carrot has been deemed "licious!" and is her preferred vege. (Along with ketchup of course!)
posted by slightlybewildered at 2:22 AM on January 13, 2010
The prob with the "three bites rule" and "they'll eat when they're hungry" is that toddlers are irrational and can't plan ahead that if they don't eat their dinner that they will be hungry at night. And then who has to get up and make them toast or cereal to eat at 10pm when they come out saying "I very, very hungy"?
Bigger kids can be told that they have to try a bite or go to bed immediately, but we're not going there with our 2-year-old. She has a small tummy and likes to eat little bits all day, so we try and get the wholemeal and fruit in there as much as we can. The apple and carrot has been deemed "licious!" and is her preferred vege. (Along with ketchup of course!)
posted by slightlybewildered at 2:22 AM on January 13, 2010
+1 for hummus and raw carrots, celery etc.
The one thing I've found, is that appearance makes a big deal: if it doesn't look good to me, then it really doesn't look good to our 2 year old and it's hard to get him to give it the benefit of the doubt if he's not in the right mood - he tends to like "clean"-looking food, separated into sections.
Similarly, he loves burger-shaped things, so if we want him to eat fish, then fish cakes is the way forward. Things like fritters/veggie burgers would work as well.
posted by Hartster at 3:39 AM on January 13, 2010
The one thing I've found, is that appearance makes a big deal: if it doesn't look good to me, then it really doesn't look good to our 2 year old and it's hard to get him to give it the benefit of the doubt if he's not in the right mood - he tends to like "clean"-looking food, separated into sections.
Similarly, he loves burger-shaped things, so if we want him to eat fish, then fish cakes is the way forward. Things like fritters/veggie burgers would work as well.
posted by Hartster at 3:39 AM on January 13, 2010
When I was a child, my mother took me to the doctor because I'd only eat my vegetables raw - she thought there was something wrong with me. To this day, that's still pretty much the case and I've realized that it's more a matter of her pride - she's Italian, she only knows how to cook for ten people at a time, and she boils or bakes things to death and over-salts and over-flavours everything or soaks it in a sauce; and takes people's polite compliments as the gospel (or, perhaps they really do like it, since they grew up eating such foods in the same way as she did). I cannot look at her food without feeling bilious. I still remember (it was only last week!) going to take a bite of what looked like nice, innocuous iceberg lettuce and finding it saturated with white vinegar and low-end olive oil and it had so much salt on it that it glittered like a Martha Stewart craft; and it was served with some gorgeous-looking breaded and fried eggplant that turned out to be a mushy, greasy mess in my mouth. So, I'm saying it humorously - maybe your cooking, in his opinion, sucks.
It wasn't until, as a toddler, my daughter was given salt to flavour her own soft-boiled egg one day and tasted it on its own that she even knew what "too salty" was - and that was how she learned to complain about Grandma's food too (and some of mine). I'd just never thought to do that - and it made a huge difference. She now likes to put her own dressing on salads, or her own maple syrup on her (plain) yogurt. Give him a few herbs (parsley, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar or something) and let him have control over his own flavourings - but really, give him the words to describe what he's hoping for. And dips, I'll second. A little garlic mayo makes the lightly steamed asparagus go down! Hummus makes everything go down (and it's fun to turn the blender off and on to make it)! (And chick peas are one of her favourite things to just have a bowl of for snacks.)
But also - sometimes, if there's too much food in front of me, I can't bear to look at it (Mom issue). It's overwhelming. It turns off my appetite. So, maybe serve less of everything, and as I remind myself when it comes to our daughter - her stomach is only so big! Serve less and your son can always ask for more.
And, as it's been said - it's about mouth-feel sometimes. But more, depending on what little kids have been eating and when foods have been introduced, they may or may not have developed the muscles and ability to swallow certain things due to a physical or psychological or development issue. Your toddler may not be picky, he might just be physicallly or mentally uncomfortable eating certain things. A friend had this issue with her child - she breastfed exclusively for the first year, ignored the cues that her kid was ready for solids in doing so, and the kid missed some developmental stages and needed to learn how to eat and go through physical therapy to do so (part of the fun of parenting is sharing "but there for the grace..." stories, isn't it?) - but it is surprising to me that that should make such a difference. But, do check with your doctor - another friend in school was tongue-tied, and had problems with mushy foods for this reason too.
I also agree with repeated introductions - it's like they have to go through the seven stages of grief to eat new or NOT MY FAVOURITE foods. Shock and Denial (OMG - RED PEPPER. She does NOT expect me to eat THAT); Pain and Guilt (EW! It's Different! Why are you making me eat THIS UNUSUAL THING?); Anger and Bargaining (WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME EAT SOMETHING I HATE - I'll love you forever if you don't make me eat it, and you'll be the best Mommy EVER again!); Depression, Reflection, Loneliness (I hate my life, other moms don't make their kids eat red peppers like this - why does mine, and I'll just sit here and stare at it because nobody understands me); Upward turn (Maybe I'll eat it fast and just get it over with); Reconstruction and working through (Okay, I'll eat it then I can go play and if I only touch it with my teeth and not my tongue and chase it with lots of my drink...); and then, Acceptance and Hope (Okay, it didn't kill me and maybe she'll never make me eat a red pepper again ever and my love for her is only slightly changed to accommodate this new pepper-eating thing she's got going on.)
Lastly, it's often a control issue, as you've probably guessed. It's like they can SMELL your desperation to just have them eat like a normal person. Our daughter hangs in the kitchen when I cook, sometimes helping me. We have a game where when I'm cutting up veg, something might get "hijacked" when I turn my back or it might just fly off the cutting board and land in front of her; or some of the (yes) frozen peas might fall into a bowl in front of her. I'm not so concerned with her eating a lot at meals - little kids want to move around too much (especially toddlers). So, sometimes while she's playing, I'll just set down a bowl of cut-up stuff and walk away, and it disappears almost magically.
As she gets plenty of good stuff throughout the day, I'm okay with not eating so much at meals. Because I've also realized that she's not hungry first thing in the morning, she's very hungry for lunch and then wants a big snack around four-thirty - and that dinner at six when my husband comes home is a little late for her. So we balance her meals accordingly, and her four-thirty snack is more often dinner-like. So, also consider that your timing for vegetable/dinner offerings might not match his energy, concentration or hunger levels, and his picky eating isn't saying "I don't like this", but "I don't like this now."
posted by peagood at 7:08 AM on January 13, 2010
It wasn't until, as a toddler, my daughter was given salt to flavour her own soft-boiled egg one day and tasted it on its own that she even knew what "too salty" was - and that was how she learned to complain about Grandma's food too (and some of mine). I'd just never thought to do that - and it made a huge difference. She now likes to put her own dressing on salads, or her own maple syrup on her (plain) yogurt. Give him a few herbs (parsley, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar or something) and let him have control over his own flavourings - but really, give him the words to describe what he's hoping for. And dips, I'll second. A little garlic mayo makes the lightly steamed asparagus go down! Hummus makes everything go down (and it's fun to turn the blender off and on to make it)! (And chick peas are one of her favourite things to just have a bowl of for snacks.)
But also - sometimes, if there's too much food in front of me, I can't bear to look at it (Mom issue). It's overwhelming. It turns off my appetite. So, maybe serve less of everything, and as I remind myself when it comes to our daughter - her stomach is only so big! Serve less and your son can always ask for more.
And, as it's been said - it's about mouth-feel sometimes. But more, depending on what little kids have been eating and when foods have been introduced, they may or may not have developed the muscles and ability to swallow certain things due to a physical or psychological or development issue. Your toddler may not be picky, he might just be physicallly or mentally uncomfortable eating certain things. A friend had this issue with her child - she breastfed exclusively for the first year, ignored the cues that her kid was ready for solids in doing so, and the kid missed some developmental stages and needed to learn how to eat and go through physical therapy to do so (part of the fun of parenting is sharing "but there for the grace..." stories, isn't it?) - but it is surprising to me that that should make such a difference. But, do check with your doctor - another friend in school was tongue-tied, and had problems with mushy foods for this reason too.
I also agree with repeated introductions - it's like they have to go through the seven stages of grief to eat new or NOT MY FAVOURITE foods. Shock and Denial (OMG - RED PEPPER. She does NOT expect me to eat THAT); Pain and Guilt (EW! It's Different! Why are you making me eat THIS UNUSUAL THING?); Anger and Bargaining (WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME EAT SOMETHING I HATE - I'll love you forever if you don't make me eat it, and you'll be the best Mommy EVER again!); Depression, Reflection, Loneliness (I hate my life, other moms don't make their kids eat red peppers like this - why does mine, and I'll just sit here and stare at it because nobody understands me); Upward turn (Maybe I'll eat it fast and just get it over with); Reconstruction and working through (Okay, I'll eat it then I can go play and if I only touch it with my teeth and not my tongue and chase it with lots of my drink...); and then, Acceptance and Hope (Okay, it didn't kill me and maybe she'll never make me eat a red pepper again ever and my love for her is only slightly changed to accommodate this new pepper-eating thing she's got going on.)
Lastly, it's often a control issue, as you've probably guessed. It's like they can SMELL your desperation to just have them eat like a normal person. Our daughter hangs in the kitchen when I cook, sometimes helping me. We have a game where when I'm cutting up veg, something might get "hijacked" when I turn my back or it might just fly off the cutting board and land in front of her; or some of the (yes) frozen peas might fall into a bowl in front of her. I'm not so concerned with her eating a lot at meals - little kids want to move around too much (especially toddlers). So, sometimes while she's playing, I'll just set down a bowl of cut-up stuff and walk away, and it disappears almost magically.
As she gets plenty of good stuff throughout the day, I'm okay with not eating so much at meals. Because I've also realized that she's not hungry first thing in the morning, she's very hungry for lunch and then wants a big snack around four-thirty - and that dinner at six when my husband comes home is a little late for her. So we balance her meals accordingly, and her four-thirty snack is more often dinner-like. So, also consider that your timing for vegetable/dinner offerings might not match his energy, concentration or hunger levels, and his picky eating isn't saying "I don't like this", but "I don't like this now."
posted by peagood at 7:08 AM on January 13, 2010
We've found that our 18-month old daughters like dipping vegetables, particularly green beans, in ketchup. It has more salt that we'd like, but we just give them a tiny amount, and we don't add salt to anything anyway. But they go to town on those green beans with ketchup.
Also nthing hummus. We put little dabs on whole wheat pita, and it's a crowd favorite.
And oddly, they'll usually eat lima beans if nothing else.
posted by uberfunk at 7:37 AM on January 13, 2010
Also nthing hummus. We put little dabs on whole wheat pita, and it's a crowd favorite.
And oddly, they'll usually eat lima beans if nothing else.
posted by uberfunk at 7:37 AM on January 13, 2010
My picky preschooler and her picky older brother drink one of these smoothies every day. Microwave frozen fruit for two minutes, add it to a blender that already has plain yoghurt and a very ripe banana, cram in as much baby spinach as you can (no need to cook it first), add orange juice, it will blend. I give the preschooler hers in a tinted plastic cup with a lid and a straw. Usually they gulp them down, but if they need encouragement I sit and read to them or hand them their smoothies while they watch TV. (The smoothies are delicious but not pretty after the first few minutes, thus the tinted cup and distraction.) A blenderful makes enough for the three of us. It doesn't keep well at all -- serve immediately.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:52 AM on January 13, 2010
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:52 AM on January 13, 2010
Just echoing the suggestions of serving vegetables with dipping sauces (can be ketchup, ranch dressing, mustard, etc) - works well with my 3 and a half year old. Also, variety can be key. I never thought I'd have a child requesting endamame, but there you have it.
posted by Twicketface at 12:39 PM on January 13, 2010
posted by Twicketface at 12:39 PM on January 13, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by halogen at 5:19 PM on January 12, 2010