what really works for your veg hating lo?

[*Becky*]

I have to get more veg into DS as we are having PT issues and he is constipated now

I make hidden veg sauces but need some more ideas......

Going to make a list and try every single one!

x

[<Catherine>]

I now have a veg hating LO too, he never used to be like this. Dont think its causing us any issues yet, but following along with interest.....

Although, funnily enough we went out for lunch on Sunday and all he wanted to eat off his plate was broccolli!! He's never eaten broccolli at home but now that's all he wants!

Does he eat any differently anywhere else? Nursery tell me he eats his veggies well there and I think that's having his peers around him (he's only there one day a week though).

[amayzie]

I find frozen spinach is really easy to mix into a lot of things and doesn't have much of a taste- or gets overpowered by the other things.. I often grate carrot and WHATEVER vegie into Bolognese sauce. I also put HEAPS pf vegies into my rissoles- you could either grate them in- or you could try pureeing them first and then adding them?

[koe2moe]

Mine, too!  Even the tiniest little speck of green or orange, he has to pull it out!!!  Help

[<Catherine>]

Grating is a good idea, I'm going to start doing that.


That's what's happening here too Koe!

[amayzie]

I have quite a fine grater- that would make it easier to hide the vegies..

[amayzie]

Did you see this list on Lemonthyme's blog? http://mamacook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/coping-with-fussy-babies-and-toddlers.html

[michaeljacknnugg]

I find that - particularly at lunch time - offering lots of veg and not much else works if he is hungry. Easy to make funny faces with too :-)

His favourite veg-heavy meal is crduties and garlic mayo!

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

Becky, I have a veg hating DS too .  Here are some of the things I do:

--scrambled finely chopped carrot, cauliflower, and or zucchini puree into scrambled eggs (when he could eat them, found out he has an egg intolerance)
--sandwiches: peanut butter and sweet potato, avocado and cream cheese or cheddar cheese, tomato sauce and mozzarella (although this one is not a huge hit)
--pumpkin, zucchini, carrots in pancakes and/or french toast
--when I make apple sauce, I hide carrots, broccoli, and/or zucchini in there sometimes
--muffins

Let me know if you want any recipes.  I've been at this for awhile

[We Three]

Yesterday, Jessica Seinfeld was on tv, and she made a baked ziti with whole grain pasta. She put 1.5 cup of pureed cauliflower into the ricotta mixture, and 1.5 cups of pureed carrot into the tomato sauce.   She has a book on the topic...(as do others!)

  http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X


 Here are some recipes

  http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipes.asp?food=deceptively+delicious&a=

[amayzie]

I recon pureeing might be a good bet- my tip- puree it up, protion it up, freeze it and use it as you need it... rather than pureeing every time....

[MommytoJashn]

so we are vegetarians and my DD is soo.... choosy.

so grating and hiding is the only option !  

so we have carrots , peas , cauliflowers , nuts all grated and stuffed in paratha's , part of gravies of other vegies that she eats.

or even puried and added to dough.

[Mom to M&M]

DS will only eat veggies that are finely chopped or pureed into things. He KNOWS they are there (cause I tell him) and loves pasta sauce with finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower or spinach on his pizza. And I still offer them "regular" as well - but he refuses those and meanwhile asks for more of the other! Crazy boy. Anyway, finely chopped broccoli and cauliflower work REALLY well in pasta sauce, chopped spinach or mushrooms (or both) on pizza (under the cheese works best for us), spinach in his "smoothies" (which are really just blended fruit and veg with a tiny bit of juice and lots of water), meatballs made with either sweet potato/carrot mixed in or chopped kale or spinach mixed in work well too! And he LOVES roasted chickpeas (super easy to make!).

[*Becky*]

thanks ladies - will get busy!

[Lemonthyme]

Sorry!  Only just seen this!  I have a blog with loads of hidden vegetable recipes.  Sorry if this list gets a bit long...

Broccoli nuggets - ok sounds weird but stay with me here.  Even my broccoli hating husband liked these.  Loads of people have told me they've made these and their kids (and they) loved them.
http://mamacook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/broccoli-nuggets.html

Ah, hang on, I did a couple of posts especially for fussy types.  Take a look at this, there are linked recipes from there including fried rice (with hidden veg), noodles etc.  http://mamacook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/even-more-inspiration-for-fussy-babies.html

And here's another summary I did earlier on.  Loads more inspiration for including fruit and vegetables in a slightly sneaky way:  http://mamacook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/coping-with-fussy-babies-and-toddlers.html

I hope that's useful.  If you have a particular ingredient you would like to include, let me know and I'll see if I've got something or can think something up!

Good luck!

[Lemonthyme]

Oh and I should have said, keep offering.  My son went off vegetables for a while and last week he suddenly, out of the blue, decided to eat boiled broccoli with such enthusiasm he almost choked.  Today after merely nibbling cucumber with disdain for some time, he joyously chomped away.  Nothing had changed, he just started eating it again.  Go figure!

[amayzie]

I find too my guy won't eat vegies by themselves, but as part of rice, or a curry he'll eat anything!! Weird! My guy is younger of course- not as clever... The broccoli bites are really nice!

[amayzie]

I was browsing pintrest and saw these and thought of you! Not sure if you'd have to grate the carrot up smaller... http://www.danamadeit.com/2011/03/veggie-muffins-or-as-i-tell-my-kids-theyre-cupcakes.html

[Mama2boys]

looking for ideas as DS2 is fussy wrt veggies as well

[Lemonthyme]

Sorry Amazie I didn't realise you'd posted a link earlier up!  Glad you liked the broccoli nuggets, they're by far the most popular recipe now.

Wow, even I'm not brave enough to sneak broccoli into a muffin lol!

[clairebear79]

Does he eat any differently anywhere else? Nursery tell me he eats his veggies well there and I think that's having his peers around him (he's only there one day a week though).

Glad my DS isn't the only one who does this!  He's not only a veggie hater but also VERY picky.  He absolutely point blank refuses to eat any veggies, I offer them at practically every meal & they always go in the bin & it has now been this way for around 10 months & I can't see any sign of it stopping.  I don't make an issue of it or try to bargain with him, I just put them there in the hopes that one day he'll try them.  I am just thankful that he likes his fruit so at least he gets some vitamins that way.

[Lemonthyme]

I'd also be wary on feedback from nursery.  Although there is the peer pressure thing (and I've seen it first hand, my son used to hate breadsticks but happily ate them when his peers were) but also given half the chance, my son would steal anyone else's broccoli (as he's recently turned into a broccoli eating machine).  Just because it's gone off his plate, doesn't mean your son ate it lol!

[amayzie]

Just because it's gone off his plate, doesn't mean your son ate it lol

Yes- if my guy was there he'd probably have eaten it

[Lemonthyme]

Yeah and I say this and my son today announces "not like broccoli".  Sheesh!