How do I get my 1 yr old to eat veggies??

Airynn Chica · December 2013

It's not that she doesn't like them. I think its a texture thing. Any ideas on what has worked for you?

JessicaxLynn87 · December 2013

I wish I could help. My LO doesn't like them either. Not too long ago, she finally started to eat green beans. This was the first time that she actually shoveled them into her mouth and enjoyed them. Other than that, she likes black eyed peas. I just continue to offer them to her and hope one day she will eat them and enjoy them like she did with the green beans recently.

MeatballEsq · December 2013

JessicaxLynn87 said:

I wish I could help. My LO doesn't like them either. Not too long ago, she finally started to eat green beans. This was the first time that she actually shoveled them into her mouth and enjoyed them. Other than that, she likes black eyed peas. I just continue to offer them to her and hope one day she will eat them and enjoy them like she did with the green beans recently.

Same here. Until then, I give him a veggie pouch once a day so at least I know he's getting some in him.

cmumama · December 2013

Hide them when possible, but don't stop offering. DS2 doesn't always eat his, but I always offer them. I want him to always see them even if he doesn't eat them.

watercolor5 · December 2013

mssm2012 said:

Hide 'em! Peas & carrots in soup. Cheese sauce on broccoli. Sneak spinach into baked dishes (lasagna, etc).

This... if you cook the veggies into food like soup or omelets or casserole, it will often change the texture and taste slightly. DD1 has never turned down a veggie that has been cooking with chicken broth. I slipped some green beans and bell peppers into our goulash the other day and it was delicious. DD1 doesn't hate veggies anyway, but it won't usually be the first food on her tray that she eats, so I also give her the veggies first when she's hungriest, and give her the rest of her food after she's eaten some.

BillyMollyEmmy · December 2013

I put veggies in a breakfast smoothie. I can literally hide an entire zucchini in a blueberry smoothie and she doesn't notice.

MeatballEsq · December 2013

mssm2012 said:
Hide 'em!

Peas & carrots in soup.
Cheese sauce on broccoli.
Sneak spinach into baked dishes (lasagna, etc).

Yeah that doesn't work for my kid. He goes "blech!" And rips them out if his mouth. Smoothies are the only way to hide them for me.

1fish2fish · December 2013

We offer at lunch and dinner and then give a pouch once a day to supplement.

BPer · December 2013

My LO refuses almost everything. We're in the same boat.

PenelopePond · December 2013

BillyMollyEmmy said:
I put veggies in a breakfast smoothie. I can literally hide an entire zucchini in a blueberry smoothie and she doesn't notice.

Recipe? ;;)

BillyMollyEmmy · December 2013

PenelopePond said:

I put veggies in a breakfast smoothie. I can literally hide an entire zucchini in a blueberry smoothie and she doesn't notice.
Recipe? ;;)

I make a huge one because I drink it too

one cup greek yogurt

one zucchini

frozen blueberries (I never measure I just put lots in!)

apple sauce to sweeten

From there, you can add whatever you want! more fruit, some banana, a little orange juice... but those are the four main ingredients I always use

ETA I forgot... you'll need a little water in there to smooth it up.

PenelopePond · December 2013

Awesome! DS1 always begs me for a smoothie. We may try this out soon. @BillyMollyEmmy

jussagirl02 · December 2013

I offer veggies as an appetizer before dinner, when I know DD is really hungry. This has seemed to work over the last couple weeks. I also hide them in soups, omlettes, and lasagnas. If all else fails, I put cheese on them, because cheeses makes everything taste better.

fireflygirl12 · December 2013

We keep offering them, even if they don't get eaten. Dip is the new thing in our house though. W will eat almost anything if he has something to dip it in. We usually use hummus, plain greek yogurt or tzatziki. Occasionally we will do ketchup or BBQ sauce, but I try not to since they are higher in sugar.

BillyMollyEmmy · December 2013

mssm2012 said:

PenelopePond said:

I put veggies in a breakfast smoothie. I can literally hide an entire zucchini in a blueberry smoothie and she doesn't notice.
Recipe? ;;)

I make a huge one because I drink it too

one cup greek yogurt
one zucchini
frozen blueberries (I never measure I just put lots in!)
apple sauce to sweeten

From there, you can add whatever you want! more fruit, some banana, a little orange juice... but those are the four main ingredients I always use

ETA I forgot... you'll need a little water in there to smooth it up.
Do you use a raw or cooked zucchini?

I just cut it up and throw it in there raw. I also switch it up for kale and spinach sometimes. It's tasteless in a smoothie.

tinyhumantoe · December 2013

My kid eats pretty well, so maybe my 'tips' are useless.

I give her veggies first when she's really hungry. She sits there with them for 5-10 min. I try different things - sometimes she thinks in a bowl or cup is cool, sometimes I set a lid on top and she's amused to open it and eat them. Sometimes I line up 3 green beans in a row and repeat when she eats those 3 (too many on her tray and she won't touch then - wtf?).

Lately she thinks it's cool to stand on her kitchen helper stool and eat veggies as appetizers before we sit her down for dinner. She eats while watching me cook, which she likes better than not having something to watch.

Anyway, I do veg first, then protein, then whatever is tastier after. If the meat is bland, she gets that first haha.

I can't have anything good in sight or she'll whine for an upgrade. It took awhile for DH to realize she won't eat peas when there are grapes on the table. Fruit is dessert, period. We give her some about an hour after she's done with dinner and running around. She was anticipating it and boycotting dinner, so we stripped it from the dinner routine.

If she doesn't eat, she gets dismissed from dinner and does boring stuff with me (housework) while she builds up an appetite.

Here is what W thinks:
Canned green beans >>> fresh steamed, however long whole green beans are an exception.

Corn, frozen corn/carrots/peas are good (cooked). Frozen peas left frozen are hilarious and get gobbled. Sweet potato is neat if I bake and cut cubes, then put them back in the skin for her to pull out. Cooked carrots, zucc, and squash are wins. The bigger the better - so strips of zucc vs circles. She really likes seasoning, and she likes to see me barely sprinkle pepper.

Big pieces of stuff >>> cut up pieces.

It's really important to her that she's eating the same thing we are eating. So yah, I sit by her and eat my stuff in a shitty order sometimes.

If she doesn't eat well I can always get a pouch down her 30-60 min later on foot. I don't associate it with dinner bc she will boycott dinner.

BPer · December 2013

@tinyhumantoe W needs to teach DD how to eat, seriously.

Holly_1007 · December 2013

I agree with everything you have said @tinyhumantoe. We have taken to hiding the pasta or carb in the microwave until after the veggies and protein have been eaten. We don't even offer fruit with dinner, those are lunch options for us.

Airynn Chica · December 2013

fireflygirl12 said:

We keep offering them, even if they don't get eaten. Dip is the new thing in our house though. W will eat almost anything if he has something to dip it in. We usually use hummus, plain greek yogurt or tzatziki. Occasionally we will do ketchup or BBQ sauce, but I try not to since they are higher in sugar.

She loves ranch and recently has started tasting Ketchup, but she just licks it off the veggies!!! Even butter or jam on toast--she just licks it off and ditches the toast! I will have to try more in scrambled eggs. I try to give her dinners of what we are eating. Tonight I minced up the broccoli and mixed it into the stroganoff sauce on her plate so we'll see if she eats it. She does eat some in Spaghetti and jalof rice (a rice with sauce cooked in) but I worry its not enough.

@mssm2012 I will have to try the smoothie idea! Do you give it to your LO in a sippy cup then? I've never tried (I don't think I could use blueberries as the price here in Botswana is outrageous, but definitely bananas and maybe mango or strawberries depending on the season)

@Meatballesq I will have to try veggie pouches. I considered buying some, but worried I would be 'back-tracking' since it is baby food.

Airynn Chica · December 2013

Sahara78 said:

I shred carrots, zuchinni, eggplant, etc. and put it in spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, or mac & cheese.

I've never made her mac 'n' cheese. She loves cheese and pasta and I've been thinking about it. I've never made mac 'n' cheese from scratch and for some reason I'm hesitant. I also thought about making a tuna mac 'n' cheese so maybe I could mix in some veggies.