10months and not eating any vegetables

[VLR2006]

Hi,
My son has always been a SUPER eater.  he ate every puree i made and has so far eaten every proper dish i make for him.  Lately he's started to become fussy and has screaming fits in his highchair.  He loves feeding himself so for about a month ive been making things that he can pick up and eat.  he will eat anything that i give him, apart from any cooked veges that are on his plate.  its so strange because as soon as he puts the vege in his mouth (i.e. broccoli, carrot etc.) he spits it out, has a fit, and then after that refused to eat anything else.  if i just gave him the fish cakes or chicken balls then he would be fine.
I dont know what to do as i know i need to get fairly strict and not just run for the yoghurt and banana as i know he will eat it.  i am wondering if its teething thats causing the feeding problems (he has 1 up the top and 1 down the bottom about to break out) or if its the fact that he knows yoghurt and banana will follow.

Does anybody else have this problem, and would you just give them what they eat (i.e. fish cakes and no veg) or keep trying with the vege's and hope he breaks one day and just has them ?

thanks for your help.
Louise x

[J&Jsmom]

Will he eat pieces of pasta in a pasta sauce? You could then make a hidden veg sauce so that he's at least getting veg in. Also try making vegetale rissoles (in the Annabel Karmel book I think) - again, don't look like veg but are. Also with both of these suggestions, the taste of the veg isn't as strong. You could also try roasting sticks of carrot, parsnip, potato or butternut. The roasting makes them sweeter and more palatable. I would try introducing these things for a while and then go back to regular veg like broccoli and peas and see if he's anymore interested. Mine go through phases where they boycott some food, and then the next week love it again.

[Peek-a-boo]

PP had good suggestions--I'd keep offering veggies (creatively and maybe nice mild ones--could you coat them in cheese/sauce, or mix chopped veggies into meatballs?), but not make it into a power struggle.  You don't want eating to become a fight as I think that problem could snow ball.  It's not like you're caving and letting him eat cake and ice cream--it's banana and yogurt, pretty healthy.

Good luck!

[ErinGP]

My son is a VERY picky eater, and has never been good about eating veggies. I have started making zucchini bread, carrot muffins, etc. so that he gets something (not the same, I know), and he loves it. I find sometimes he'll refuse to eat a certain type of food for a while and if I take a break for a couple of days he's fine with it after that.