VEGGIES!!!! How do you get them to eat?

[jojo2324]

UGH! How does he know already that he "isn't" supposed to like vegetables? It is so frustrating. This is what I've tried:

ginger glazed carrots
cheese covered broccoli
frozen veg medley (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)
tomatoes, chopped and made with scrambled eggs

The only one he has even come remotely close to liking was the ginger carrots, and that died pretty quicky. Just when you think you've got the right to say, "Eureka!"

Any suggestions? He eats fruit, like grapes and berries and bananas, but he needs more green in his diet. TIA!

[KimberleyDawn]

I KNOW this sounds gross but try using pureed veg baby food as a "dip". It really doesn't matter what flavour you use and to thicken it up you could use yogurt or sour cream and let him have fun dipping away.
Kim
Edited to add:
If it works you could puree any veggie into a dip.

[mama2be]

Does he like Sweet Potatoes...T loves them...but then again the way they serve them here they are more of a dessert :)...butter, marshmellows, sugar :)...

[22tango]

Karenna recently loved a fritatta I made with asparagus & zucchini in it. Perhaps he'd like them "IN" something?? Shredded in spaghetti sauce? Zucchini bread, carrot muffins? What about fried -- like vegetable pakoras?? blended into soups?? shredded & mixed into meatballs? etc...

[luvbeinmama]

A friend makes "spinach" pancakes and swears her family (esp the kids!!!) love them.

Also, I make apple/cinnamon carrots (boil 1 lb baby carrots in 1/3 c apple juice concentrate & cinnamon, simmer covered until tender, uncover and simmer until liquid is reduced).

DS likes raw broccoli over cooked any day (go figure!)

[wendmatt]

Emily loves green beans as she can get a good grasp on them to eat herself. I read somewhere that you can grate zucchini (or cauliflower or any veg) into mashed potato, worth a try if he likes mashed pots. Haven't tried it as Ems can't do it herself so won't eat it!

[newbelly2002]

what about asparagus where he can hold it himself? Or have you tried mixing some of the more "colorful" (green or orange) veggies in with mashed potatoes, if he'll eat those?

Also, it's a long shot, but here's my experience. Dante hates all veggies--*except* spinach. He'll eat it plain, with butter, wih cheese, off the spoon, from his hands, in and out of things. THey also do a lot over here of mixing frozen veggies with a bit of mozerella cheese. That was how we started with spinach and it's been a love affair ever since. I wouldn't have suggested it, except that I didn't see spinach on your list.

Good luck! They are tricky little men, aren't they?

Paula, Mama to Dante\r\nhttp://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32384e84594 -6/25 update

[himom]

Have you tried spaghetti squash? I've read that if you bake it then "shred" it with a fork, it bears a strong resemblance to spaghetti. Pour some tomato sauce on, and he'll never know!

Jodi
Mommy to Joshua, born February 2003

[megsmom]

Meg has always liked veggies but one thing she absolutely loves is frozen peas and carrots. She also loves cold out of the frig green beans. She calls them "chilly peas." Beth's (egoldber) daughter loves canned cold veggies. Who cares how they eat it as long as they eat it.

Keep trying different things, use lots of butter, a little brown sugar on the squash and sweet potatoes helps out. Meg loves stir fried zucchini with olive oil and basil. Are you eating your veggies at the same time? It always helps if you are eating the same thing. Alas, not all kids like vegetables. Just keep trying and you never know when he might take that bite and like it (some studies say it takes up to 30 times of trying) and just don't make a big deal of it. It took us forever to get Meg to like anything with pasta (believe it or not) but one days she started eating it and now loves the stuff.

Jen
mom to Meghan 7/13/01
and #2 EDD 11/12/03

[heidi_timms]

I noticed that someone else mentioned spinach pancakes. My sister also makes veggie waffles. I bet you could sneak them in there somehow!

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03