How to get a 13 month old to eat veggies?

martini-time · July 2011

I realize a lot of kids hate veggies, and this will probably be an ongoing battle for years to come! Little dude used to love pureed veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, etc.) but now that he's feeding himself table food, he spits EVERY veggie out. I'm trying to get creative (and have even tried reintroducing the pureed ones, to no avail) but nothing is working. I've tried roasting sweet potatoes, cauliflower, regular potatoes, etc. I've made broccoli cheese (he's a total cheese hound) nuggets in an attempt to "hide" the veggies, and he hated those too. I don't know what else to do, but I'm getting concerned that he's not getting a well rounded diet. He pretty much eats chicken, crackers, cheese and fruit and refuses everything else.

Any ideas? Should I be giving him a multi-vitamin? Thanks ladies!

gina000 · July 2011

Sounds like my 18 month old. I just keep offering veggies every night, some nights he eats them some he doesn't. I have found he really likes cooked carrots so I do those pretty often. A few nights ago he shook his head at the the broccoli, but last night he happily ate his " brocci" My pedi recommended the Poly vi sol vitamin.

Hang in there.

Seattle_JiLLn · July 2011

I see no problem with giving a vitamin. But really, just keep offering... not much else you can do. My kids liked canned (no salt added) green beans and carrots. Those were a good consistency. Oh and frozen peas right out of the freezer. You could also try veggie burgers.

I figure fruit has the same vitamins as veggies... or mostly. So if he's eating other healthy food, I'm not that concerned that he's not eating a lot of veggies. I do give my kids multi vitamins though just in case.

MissLauraQ · July 2011

Alex eats veggies - Willow doesn't. But I taught Alex on my own.

Here's my advice - FEED VEGGIES FIRST whle they are hungry.

Don't give them a plate of food with other stuff on it - they will eat what they want first and won't be hungry enough to even care to try to eat the veggies. If you offer veggies first - soon they'll be hungry enough to chow them

tfarabians · July 2011

Seattle_JiLLn:

I see no problem with giving a vitamin. But really, just keep offering... not much else you can do. My kids liked canned (no salt added) green beans and carrots. Those were a good consistency. Oh and frozen peas right out of the freezer. You could also try veggie burgers.

I figure fruit has the same vitamins as veggies... or mostly. So if he's eating other healthy food, I'm not that concerned that he's not eating a lot of veggies. I do give my kids multi vitamins though just in case.

This and we also do boca and veggie burger and morning star sausages. Cruz loves Edamame, we found that out at sushi one night!

StellaZ · July 2011

G was/is pretty picky too. A few techniques (not really tricks, just way to introduce more veggies) I have used with some success are:

veggie "meatballs" - veggie version / meat version (super yummy and chock full of veggies)

carrot mac-n-cheese

veggie egg mugs

pumpkin oatmeal (from TwinMommy09)

greek yogurt veggie dip

G LOVES one particular puree - pea, spinach, apple by Peter Rabbit (I buy in bulk from Amazon), He gets some with every lunch and dinner and uses is as "dip" - which makes it more fun too.

Also, he LOVES the eggplant patties from Trader Joe's, whouldathunkit? I bake them 1/2 time, add marinara and cheese and finish cooking. yum!

stacylu · July 2011

J is just now starting to eat most veggies. Before she was like your LO though. I added pureed food to spaghetti sauce, eggs, sloppy joes, chili, etc. I also smeared pureed carrots/cauliflower on quesadillas under the cheese or on sandwiches. I have the book "deceptively delicious" (jessica seinfield) and that had lots of good ideas.

suzie711 · July 2011

stacylu:
J is just now starting to eat most veggies. Before she was like your LO though. I added pureed food to spaghetti sauce, eggs, sloppy joes, chili, etc. I also smeared pureed carrots/cauliflower on quesadillas under the cheese or on sandwiches. I have the book "deceptively delicious" (jessica seinfield) and that had lots of good ideas.

This is what I do as well. I just try to hide veggies in whatever I can - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't - and Hudson differs from day to day on what he likes and doesn't - just keep trying and hopefully you will find a few veggies he will eat. Hudson is pretty picky with vegetables since he's been on table food - but he eats fruit like there's no tomorrow .. so I figure at least he gets good vitamins there!

kristalovesjared · July 2011

put anything in yogurt and my DD will eat it!

Broccoli is one of her favorites with a little yogurt topping!

stacylu · July 2011

kristalovesjared:
put anything in yogurt and my DD will eat it! Broccoli is one of her favorites with a little yogurt topping!

This is true - I remember putting black beans in J's yogurt when she was younger and just the other night I put her peas that she wouldn't eat into her yogurt before she ate it. And she scarfed them down that way...

chibipoe · July 2011

I'm really lucky because my kids love veggies, they would eat nothing else if I let them.

BUT there are plenty of foods they won't even look at. I find that if there is something in particular I want them to eat I give them that food first. Also just keep putting it on their plates, you'll be surprised. Some days the girls think spinach is disgusting and some days they'll eat a whole plate, just depends on their mood. I never assume that they won't eat something and they don't get options.

blueLu25 · July 2011

Mine love veggies too, but they both went thru a stage where they wouldnt eat them, so we started dipping or covering everything in ranch. It worked for both of them!

Also love the advice of feeding them first, before other food options. That's a good idea!

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