Most kids go through some sort of picky eating stage at some point. Let me put it this way- you’re a very lucky Momma if you have kids who readily accept all foods. More often than not, I find that toddlers and young children don’t get too excited over vegetables. In my toddlers case, veggies (particularly green ones) usually get tasted, then promptly spit out or thrown across the room. The odd time, he will politely hand it to my husband or I, or smash it into his tray. Regardless of where it ends up, it’s not in his tummy.
Why am I not concerned?
Because he eats a variety of fruit (which often carries the same healthy nutrients that veggies do) along with other nutritious foods AND we continue to offer him veggies every single day without pressuring him to eat them, regardless if he tries them or eats them. Yes, this can be frustrating and sometimes seems pointless, but I know that it’s important for him to be exposed to them regularly. After all, it can take up to 20 or more tries for a child to warm up to a food that they don’t initially accept. Yes, I know… that’s a lot of tries. Also, my son is growing well and he sees my husband and I eating veggies regularly (so he’s becoming accustomed to the fact that eating veggies is normal and good).
See?! It’s not so bad!
Even if your child is refusing to eat ANY veggies, he or she is likely consuming a variety of nutrients from other foods and is meeting his or her energy requirements. Keep re-introducing vegetables in a non-pressured way- don’t give up even though you feel like you’re going to lose your mind. Try offering veggies in different ways. Try vegetable soup, grated raw veggies, steamed veggies with some cheese, or a fruit and veggie smoothie. It’s funny… my son will eat carrots when they’re cut length-wise and then dipped in hummus, but he won’t eat them on their own. Go figure. I prefer veggies with dip too! Who likes a plate full of plain raw veggies anyway?!
Try to be creative with how you offer veggies and make sure that there is a lot of variety day to day. Offer veggies when your kids are hungry (maybe as an appetizer before dinner) and add a yummy dip or sauce to make them more appetizing.
For easy, family-friendly recipes, check out my recipe page!
Did you know that we provide one on one nutrition counselling services for families? If this is something you’d like to learn more about, check out our The Centre For Family Nutrition page.
Comments
Rayanne Langdon says
I was talking about this with friends recently. I refused to eat veggies when I was a kid and my parents didn’t fret. They kept asking doctors, but I was always extremely healthy. To this day, I hate most veggies and eat only what I think is necessary and I have fewer health problems than most other people my age I know. I think you may be on to something with that fruit thing, though. I definitely eat much more fruit : )
Kate says
My first daughter has happily eaten almost all veggies since day one of food (and will still gladly eat them and try new ones 3 years later), but my #2 daughter, now 13 mos, has never and will not touch them even when I try many creative ways wit hide them in other foods that she likes. It’s like she knows they’re there. It drives me nuts and I feel like I waste so much food. (She will eat them mixed with applesauce oddly). I give her fruit at every meal for the vitamins, but worry that there is a lot of sugar in them. (She doesn’t get candy, juice, or other sweets at all) Is this a realistic concern?
Sarah Remmer says
Hi Kate. Apologies for the delay. I totally understand your frustration. Eating habits, even for siblings, can differ greatly. It’s important to keep the dialogue around food positive – avoid pressure, comparison, etc. If you’re concerned please email me at sarah@sarahremmer.com. Through my private practice (The Centre for Family Nutrition) we offer private counselling. Hope this helps!