How can I get my toddler to eat more fruit/veg?

[beckygatt]

DD1 is 2yrs 3mos. She is quite a good eater but recently just isn't interested in fruit or veg. I used to be able to give her fruit as a snack, e.g. grapes or a banana, but now she's just not interested. She wants biscuits instead!  CRINGE!!! I'm trying to eat fruit in front of her to encourage her but it doesn't seem tobe working. She's not too keen on veg either. With a 2month old baby I don't have that much time to play around unfortunately.... Any ideas? 

[kim&savannah]

I'd just keep putting it out for her--don't offer the biscuits, just have fruit and veggies on the table when she's getting hungry.  I put out cut raw veggies before dinner (which my kids like anyway, so that helps) and they will eat a huge plate of them while I'm fixing dinner because they are hungry.

If you really want to get more into her, you can sneak it into things she likes.  If she'll eat smoothies, you can get a lot of different things into that--I can still put a little frozen spinach in it for my kids, as long as I have a lot of dark berries so the color isn't green.  You can add extra stuff to pasta sauce, if she'll eat that, or puree it and add it to soups.  Also, there is a recipe book (and probably a website) called the sneaky chef, or something like that, that has recipes that hide veggies in them.  I haven't really ever looked into it, but I've heard a lot of people recommend it for picky eaters.

[Lemonthyme]

I'm not sure this is the best suggestion because it doesn't get rid of the problem, it just hides the fruit and veg but I've got a few (no added sugar) muffin recipes you're welcome to have:
http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/05/restaurants.html
http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/05/spinach-and-feta-mini-muffins.html
http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/07/no-added-sugar-apple-and-sultana-mini.html

Otherwise I'd try changing it up a bit.  Maybe try some different dried fruits, different fruits cut up in a different way.  My son was refusing grapes earlier so I quartered them and then he ate them!  I know I don't really like eating a whole apple and will only eat it for myself if I cut it up first.  Maybe it's worth a try?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I'd just keep putting it out for her--don't offer the biscuits, just have fruit and veggies on the table when she's getting hungry.

I would do this, and not make a big deal out of it at all, you don't want it turning into a power struggle because when it comes down to it she is the one in control of what is going in.  I hide veggies in my pasta sauce, make pancakes with applesauce in them, and put fruits and veggies on their plates all the time, whether they eat them or not, and let them decide.  I don't even talk about it except to name the food for them if they ask, and then let them see me eating it.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! Drives my DH & MIL nuts, as they would like to cajole them into eating (seriously, my MIL did the airplane spoon thing with Spencer recently-she's almost 3!!!)

[beckygatt]

Kim - I don't exactly offer her biscuits but she knows where they're kept so she'll take me to the cupboard or fridge and point out what she wants. And she's quite stubborn about it!

Lemonthyme - I could try that but she's not too picky about texture, size etc. I'm afraid this is probably my fault because 1) I like biscuits myself so she sees me eating them, and 2) I have given then to her in the past when I'm in a hurry and need a quick snack, and now she obviously prefers them to fruit/veg! Its funny because if we're out on a playdate and my friend has fruit for her kid DD will go and ask for some and eat it, but if we're at home refuse :-/

[Lemonthyme]

Perhaps then the answer is to not have biscuits in the house.  Difficult but you can't really expect her to see you eating them and not have them herself?

[beckygatt]

No you're right!!  I'll have to clear out my cupboards I guess... I'd like to make more stuff myself but at the moment with a young baby I just can't seem to find the time!

[Lemonthyme]

I understand completely but it will get better and you'd be surprised, making a batch of muffins is just 10 mins or so till they're in the oven but if you get rid of the biscuits you might find you both eat more fruit anyway!

[skatty]

Does she like cold stuff like ice cubes? My dd loves to eat peas, sweetcorn, peppers, and berries from the freezer frozen, has done for ages. You can also make "icecream" by blending frozen bananas with a splash of milk and add berries to that 

[beckygatt]

Hmmm yes I could try making 'ice cream'. Can bananas be frozen then?

[kim&savannah]

Yep!  And its a great thing to have in the freezer--perfect for making smoothies (or ice cream), and frozen bananas with chocolate sauce on them, or dipped in chocolate, are a great treat (not that that's what you necessarily want to do to get her to eat fruit).  Plus, if you have bananas that are going bad, you can freeze them to use later in baking as well.  We end up with tons in the freezer just so  Idon't have to throw them away.