STILL will not eat veg - could really use some ideas.

[*Becky*]

yes I think a lot of it is texture - I always ask him to try the veg that is on his plate but jeez you would not think it was so painful to eat a pea. He puts it in his mouth and then lets it dribble out or waits until we are not looking and spits it out!

Dips wise - he loves humus

[brenda2]

have you tried adding pureed roasted red pepper to the hummus?  or purred carrots or butternut squash would also be good to add.

i have done potato pancakes that had potato, peas, carrots, eggs and chicken in them.  they were a hit with dd1 but not with dd2.

[Tweakster]

F is what I would describe as a good eater but even he has thinned out what he will actually eat.  He will almost always try something (I say almost because there are things he finds 'suspicious' and will only poke at them or prod them on his plate) but it often comes straight back out again 'no like it' he says.

TBH it is frustrating but it's one battle I can't really fight and win so I leave it.  I don't cook things that I can 'sneak' veg into, our meals are really simple.  But I do keep offering every meal.  We pretty much either offer him raw veg as a snack or as a side dish to what we are eating.  Dip sometimes works but he's picky on which dip he'll eat and most often he'll eat the dip on it's own.  Like tzatziki for example, instead of dipping he'll just pick it up in globs and eat it that way *rolls eyes*

Texture us a huge thing at this age I think.

Offering and modeling is all you can really do. 

[Shdef]

I made Scotty faces at that age. Sliced red pepper was the mouth, a mini corn the nose, two slices of cucumber the eyes, etc. That was the afternoon snack, nothing else. It would stand on the table and there a wee dip of his choice that he could buy himself and pay for himself. If he knows that THAT is the snack he'll be getting, he may be more likely to give in at some point.

If nothing works, then go overboard with the pureeing. you can create awesome sauces, I even make my pot roast gravy out of the cooking juice + pureed carrots, onions and mushrooms.

[babybarr]

instead of dipping he'll just pick it up in globs and eat it that way *rolls eyes*

Yep... we get that too

I think you just have to keep offering, well that's what we're doing anyway!

What about baked beans or chopped tinned tomatoes?

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

I added cauliflower to DS's eggs this morning and made him french toast with carrot puree mixed in (all from the Deliciously Deceptive book). Also added butternut squash to his meatballs.  I always cut up some fruit or veg on his tray though even if I've mixed it into a food that he usually eats. Just so he see it there and maybe picks it up and tries it.  Definitely a texture thing.

[brenda2]

Like tzatziki for example, instead of dipping he'll just pick it up in globs and eat it that way

i think this is ok - you can make tzatziki from plain yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice and garlic - pretty healthy, even if he only eats the dip and not the veg.  hummus also is very healthy and would ok to eat in globs.  now if he's eating ketchup in globs you may need to swap it out for some tomato puree instead.