kids & vegetables [General]

2011 Feb 13
i've mentioned this before, but i have a very picky preschooler. i'm always looking for ways to get him to try new things. he hides from anything green (literally) and i still have to hide vegetables in his food to try to sneak them in.

i came up with one approach that seems to work a little. we go grocery shopping together and he has to pick out 1 vegetable and 1 fruit to try. anything goes. he always picks based on colour and so far hasn't picked the same thing twice. i find it fun too.

does anyone have any other tricks to share?

2011 Feb 13
There's some interesting stuff on this in Brian Wansink's "Mindless Eating" book. One argument stands out to me: children pick up on subconscious cues through facial expressions of caretakers. One's preconception that 'the kid won't like this' can actually send a cue to the kid to not like it. Positive exposure to new foods seems crucial, as even a slight hint of dislike, or expected dislike, from the caretaker will sour their tastes from it.
Another interesting point from that book was his suggestion to take advantage of the tendency of very young kids (under a year) to mow down on practically anything within arms reach by exposing them to a variety of foods. My brother fed his second born all kinds of things when she was a baby - blue cheese, lots of vegi's, durian... - and she's kept those habits. She's 3 now and still likes blue cheese, and devoured the jar of sauerkraut I gave them last fall.

2011 Feb 13
winter squashes are great with pasta. Butternut, Acorn or Kubocha all are great in a lasagna or mashed and tossed with penne and parmesan. there is also a great recipe for arroz verde on finecooking.com, but it's definitely green because it's cooked in spinach puree. And once I found an old recipe for bundt cake that used a ton of grated rutabaga. No one knew what was in it. Diabolical.

2011 Feb 13
interesting hatman. we eat a big variety of foods and a lot of vegetables, so i can't see him being turned off any of that by us. between starting solids & 2 1/2, he'd eat and try anything, then one day it stopped. i know tastebuds change, so that could be it. we let him go into the fridge and encourage him to taste just about anything - except hot sauces and liquor ;)

agreed blubarry! we have been bad this year for not eating our squash. we used to eat tons of it because squash soup was a favourite. now it's no soup, but we can have squash one of the other ways. yum!

2011 Feb 13
Children from age 2 to 4 are usually picky eaters but will suddenly start trying other foods as they grow older. This usually happens when they start going to school and see other children eating different foods.
You are going things right by letting him choose foods to try and the just one bite formula also helps.
Good luck.

2011 Feb 14
cakelady: the one bite formula always worked with our nieces and nephews. From the time they were toddlers, their visits to our place were safe zones where they could taste anything, with no consequences if they didn't love what they were eating. Before they were in school they enjoyed fresh oysters, and also developed a taste for stilton (although they used to like to hold their noses because they hated the aroma!). When we were out to dinner with their parents once, they both ordered calamari and their horrified parents screwed up their noses and said something to the effect of "ugh! you know that's SQUID right? Do you think you're gonna like that?".

Another tip is that we involved them in every step of the process, helping to buy and prepare the food from an early age. But maybe that is a lot easier for a foodie uncle to do once in a while, than for parents who are just trying to feed the hungry mouths 3 times each day.

2011 Feb 14
Tell them they can't leave the table until they finish what's on their plate. It worked for me.

These darned kids today and their coddling parents ... (waves cane at screen)

2011 Feb 14
dislike Rizak. what toddler ever learned a food lesson that way? and over filling kids - who wins? i think people should only eat until they are full, and not until their plates are clean. in our house the rule is, you don't get anything else later in the evening if you were too full and didn't finish your dinner. it is hard to do this with 3 yr olds, they have short memories. we hold onto the plate of dinner for a while after a meal incase he gets hungry and does want to finish it. it is never a punishment, food shouldn't be used as punishment.

my parents did the finish your plate thing and there are still foods now i won't eat because i had to choke them down as kid. what's the point of that?

i have heard it can take something crazy like 20 tries to get kids to try something they resist.

2011 Feb 14
Roasting vegatables has gone over well with my fussy daughter. She loves roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and the odd beet. Spagetti squash is definitely worth a shot, just so long as you don't label it a vegetable...it's just a new type of noodle.

Clever smoothies, combining fruit and vegetables. The Vitamix recipe book is great, if you can get your hands on one. There are some excellent recipes with strange sounding combinations that you'd never know contain a pile of veggies.

Mashing cauliflower in with potatoes is a good way to add vitamins and they likely won't know. Sometimes just plain cauliflower mashed can fly.

Roasting, then blending will give you a puree to add to noodles/sauces/etc.

You could also get creative and 'dress up' the foods to look like something else...playful plating (think Bob Blumer style...).

Brocolli slaw, pasta salads, chili, spagetti sauce and others are good for hiding or at least disguising the enemy!

2011 Feb 14
Oh, and pumpkin pancakes have also been a big hit and a flavourful way to add a bit of nutrition to pancakes.

2011 Feb 14
i hide a lot in pancakes. last night it was corn & sweet potatoes, sort of a thick pancake (for the grown-ups i made thai corn fritters using similar ingredients, but with a lot more spice). i also do beet pancakes (turns them pink), i roast the beets first, then puree and push through a seive. the resulting beet juice i use in everything and the pulp gets added separately.

he is on a plain pasta only kick, i used to be able to put stuff in tomato sauce.

2011 Feb 14
Do you have time to make your own pasta? If he likes only plain pasta... how about spinach pasta, or chickpea flour pasta etc? Would he be up for things like that?

2011 Feb 14
I recall reading a book called "My Child Won't Eat!" (think that's what it was called.) It mentioned much of what I've read in the above posts: kids needing to try something new many times, food shouldn't be punishment, make them part of the process, etc, etc.

I also recall reading a part in it about the amount of calories and protein a child might require and how a plate of steamed veggies just doesn't have the same appeal as the same plate of steamed veggies slathered in olive oil, real butter, or some other kind of fat. The fat helps the body metabolize the vitamins and minerals of the veg. And to get the calories they need from just veggies without the fat is a hard sell. Our bodies and especially brains need good quality fat, and the joints and ligaments of growing children need quality fat too.

Haven't a clue how you serve the veg to your kids, and maybe they are just showing their independence or something, but I know our kids love veg, but without the fresh churned butter, or rich gravy poured over it, they don't eat near as much.

If it's a finicky issue, rather than a calorie issue, what about fun shapes? Like a sweet potato mashed mountain and a butter lake, with broccoli trees, and a road of carrot coins? There are so many veggie shapes and colours you could make any picture! As the japanese say, "First, we eat with the eyes..." lol!

I also can't help but think as long as you keep trying to introduce and provide access to good veg like you are, they will eat them eventually. Just think, there are probably kids out there that don't know what a vegetable looks like!

2011 Feb 14
HFF, I love the idea of the pink beet pancakes. I also substitute things for mashed potatoes, or mix them in. My current favorite is celeriac.

2011 Feb 14
In the interest of disclosure, I don't have kids, but here are a few observations/thoughts, some of which are contrasting, I have had on this matter over the years:

1. It is pretty well known that toddlers are sensitive to bitterness. Therefore, certain veggies, esp. when minimally prepared, are going to be hard sells. Plain broccoli or asparagus, certainly radicchio and arugula, etc. I think you have to be reasonable on this one, expecting a child to love grilled radicchio or bitter salad greens might be unrealistic at that age.

This kind of goes for other strong flavours out there, calf's liver, muenster cheese, sardines, etc. Some things are simply an acquired taste. Nothing profound here.

2. On the other hand, children are biologically hard-wired to seek attention. When dinner becomes a pageant involving cajoling parents begging and pleading with a child, or when young children are constantly sought for their input into what the child and, by extension, the family will or won't eat, my observations are it becomes a bit of a vicious cycle. Child recognizes (most likely subconsciously) the increased attention paid to them, and the behavior is continued if not reinforced.

My mom was always of the opinion, dinner is what is on the table, don't make a fuss about it (from the parent's perspective), and eventually a hungry child will eat or at least not starve themselves. We had our battles over the relatively typically sticking points: squash, asparagus and brussel sprouts come to mind, but all my siblings came around in the long run.

I often tease my mother that if her cooking in the old days was as good and informed as it is now, she would have avoided these occasional dinnertime stand-offs. Which leads me to my third point...

3. I'm not suggesting this is the present case, but some people cook vegetables horribly. I find this especially to be the case in my grandparent's pre-boomer generation (again not trying to offend anyone, take it with a grain of salt).

Nothing in my opinion is less appealing than microwaved broccoli; bland, chalky squash; boiled, sulphurous brussel sprouts; or asparagus boiled into mushy submission. My politics are if a few added calories (in the form of butter, olive oil, parmigiano, duck fat etc.) along with improved technique get you and your family eating more veggies, those are smart calories to add to your diet.

I agree with Bobby F, roasting vegetables (Particularly broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower) goes a long way towards addressing points 1 and 3 above.

2011 Feb 14
Hmmm.. my two cents from evolutionary point of view. Babies rely on their parents to bring them food, and will put pretty much anything in their mouths. Toddlers however, have evolved to be picky, and prefer NOT to try new things, because with their new-found ambulatory freedom, comes the possibility to ingest (fatally?) unhealthy, or dangerous things. As they get older, they will/can new things.

That being said, my son has never had a problem with veggies, and loves them more than meat, and sometimes even more than dessert. Although I agree with others that forcing a child to eat a food they abhor does not produce good result, I think we can't dismiss Rizak's comments out of hand. My son, given the choice will 'snack' at dinner time, and then try to eat more later, a behaviour we firmly discourage. My son has to try everything that was cooked, in sample quantities, and has to choose things he likes to further fill his plate. He then is required to stay at the table until all (or an agreed upon amount) is consumed. Sometimes, as with others, the unfinished plate is set aside for later. Literally, it can take my son an hour to finish a small plate of food. However the alternative of binging right before bedtime, and having a poor night's sleep is unacceptable.


2011 Feb 14
My kids aren't picky (yet) so I don't really have the experience to respond sympathetically. However, I don't think you can do a lot to change their mind. Even as toddlers, they are individuals. They grow and change and all you can do is make sure you provide an environment that allows them to do so.

Anyway, that said. Presentation goes a long way. I cut mine into interesting shapes. I also do kabobs and "lollipops" a lot. Combining new veggies with known favourites also works.

But, I never attempt to hide it (mashed into a pancake, etc). I don't really think trickery should be employed. I really want them to identify the food when prepared with it's raw state.

P.S. Tracinho... very insightful for someone without children! Maybe you should try it out. You can have mine for say 3 days a week... deal?

2011 Feb 14
trachino - i gave your post a thumb's up. for the most part i agree with what you were saying and i totally understand the "i'll keep doing this annoying behaviour because it means i get mom's FULL attention". i have tried getting other people he likes to get him to taste food and that has failed too. at daycare he could care less what the other kids are eating and will choose to just go hungry instead - those nights we are guaranteed that he will have 2nd helpings.

i can totally understand the bad veggie cooking, i have inlaws who cook veggies to mush and then cover them with margarine (never, ever butter). i can barely stomach it. even fresh veggies are ruined. they approach avocados like they are gold, so are doled out in thin, tiny slices and then covered with mounds of mayo. it is revolting.

i've tried offering my guy various dips, but hasn't worked either. maybe i'll try making some cheese sauce tonight.

he is obsessed with my camera and now during meal preparation he has appointed himself official dinner photographer. he can spend a long time taking pictures of the food in various stages of cooking. it is pretty funny and he has captured some great shots. maybe if i just keep him totally immersed in the buying and prep work, i will eventually wear down his resolve.

2011 Feb 14
My kids ate practically anything when they were babies but both became somewhat picky after about 2 and then started to expand their food choices again around 5 or 6. They are both still changing. However some of their favourites are blue cheese and calamari (in any form - favourite hands down). My youngest (7) still prefers his pasta with just parmeggiano or a blue cheese sauce but will have it with a bit of tomato sauce as long as the sauce is smooth. For us that is the key, I make a huge batch of "tomato" sauce in the fall and it has a wide variety of vegetables in it - all then pureed together. It is used for pasta, pizza and anything else where I need it.
They both eat a fairly wide variety of vegetables but each is different in what they like. Roasting vegetables changes the flavour quite a bit and now there are quite a few that they prefer this way. When they help with the dinner prep, they tend to be more willing to try out new foods.

I also really like the book "My Child Won't Eat" It is very well researched and written.

2011 Feb 14
hipfunkyfun..."maybe if i just keep him totally immersed in the buying and prep work, i will eventually wear down his resolve." You will succeed - maybe sooner, maybe later, maybe it'll take years, but you will succeed. Kids resist so much and will not do exactly what you wish, but many of them absorb what you say and do in spite of themselves and it helps form them later on in life; fear not, sounds like your kids are lucky (as are others kids here). As you are interested in good, healthy, flavourful foods they will likely eventually follow; pity the poor 3/4/5 year old kindergarteners who's parents send them to school with a baloney sandwich, a Rice Krispie square (bought), and Bear Claws, every day - the odds are stacked against them in many ways.
Your kids are lucky.
Just my opinion, not much help...

2011 Feb 14
hey andy - thanks for that!

we had a tiny bit of success tonight. i lightly steamed a romenesco cauliflower and made a cheese sauce on the side. we pretended to be plant eating dinosaurs and dipped our trees in sauce. he ate 2 small pieces, which is good enough for me. he also had roasted sweet potato coins "chips".

gardener mom - i agree about the not hiding veggies. my mom guilt gets too strong though and i need assurance that he is getting proper nutrients, so i must hide. i do offer veggies in their normal state as well. hiding them is too much work and a habit i'd like to drop.

organic girl - can i come eat at your house? fresh churned butter sounds divine.

pete - i have found that setting the plate aside works. sometimes an hour after dinner he will be hungry and happily finish more of his dinner. i'm fine with that.

2011 Feb 14
Have not read through this all yet but one thing we do is offer 3 veggies and say they have to eat 2 and can leave one behind. Seems to work fairly well if they have a choice of something not to eat. i.e. all on the plate together but they can leave one

Also there is the 'gateway foods' that I talked about in another thread about getting kids to eat. I think if you search for gateway you'll find it.

2011 Feb 15
Vegetarian times magazine has a very good website with tons of recipies.

Last year I tried one for macaroni and "fake cheese".
You used some cheese in it,but instead of using all cheese you are supposed to use carrot puree for most of the dish.
To me it did not taste cheesy enough and should have used an older cheese.
It was still good though and did not taste like carrots.

2011 Feb 15
Just keep trying - you never know what works. There is no one solution, no expert. 4 kids 2 - 7 each one is different, and each day/week it changes. We've recently started buying the fruit/veggie drink to get more veggies into oldest daughter. While we can maybe get her to gag down a bite of this or that, it just doesn't seem to add up to enough veggies. This seemed the best solution for now. She still gets veggies on her plate, and she still has to eat some.

I do like your idea of letting them pick their own veggies while shopping. Unfortunately shopping usually ends up being one of running out after 8 when the kids are asleep and before farmboy closes.

2011 Feb 15
We got 1 guy eating celery by way of "ants on a log". He loves peanut butter, so you spread that in there and put raisins on it. Now he'll just eat celery

2011 Feb 16
Funny, celery is the vegetable I never buy and I like most veggies.
Celery and peanut butter...I can't seem to like that.
adding raisins to peanut butter....not for me either.

But if celery is in my food I usually eat it or if it is in stuffing my mother makes.

I guess some people are just pickier.

I bought some Jerusalem artichockes or Topinambours a few months ago and was asking my mother if they were good as the only description from the farmer's website was that they were kind of like a potato and could be roasted.

My mother told that they were the "worst vegetable in the world" and "awful to eat".

I still bought them and found them ok. taste was fine. roasted them in the oven with spices.
would not get them often as they are annoying to clean and cut nicely.

-for picky kids maybe you can make some smoothies or posicles and put vegetable puree in them with some fruits to hide the taste?