17 mo old and vegetables

[BEANIBEAR1967]

my 17 mo old doesn't want to eat veggies any more-i try to hide them in his food-he spits them out--tried blending like baby food he won't even open his mouth--how do i get him to eat veggies again--he likes fruit and he really likes meat.

[AnnieBrooke]

Food issues can be so frustrating!  Here are some suggestions off the top of my head:  

Does he feel this way about sweet potatoes?  Seems like most kids think they are about the same as applesauce.  

My mom used to fill celery with peanut butter and cut it into 3-inch lengths. She would also feed us our carrot sticks pre-cooked and frozen, so they were like popsicles to chew and crunch on.  

Try not to get into a power struggle, it's more likely to be about him wanting to have some autonomy (even at his young age) than that he suddenly hates all veggies.  

Cook vegetables that have an interesting appearance and that he hasn't seen before, and you and your hubby eat them in front of him as though they are for adults only, and DON'T GIVE HIM ANY for one or two times, and see if this picks up his interest.  Kids are more likely want to eat what you eat, especially if there is some doubt that you will let them.  

Good luck!  :)

[cutiemama]

Food issues can be very trying on parents because we just want our kids to eat a well-rounded diet.  I wouldn't make a huge deal about the veggies as your DS can find the same vitamins in fruit alternatives.  Speak with his pediatrician for some good recommendations to make sure he's got a balanced  diet without having a struggle during meals. My DD won't eat meat or poultry and  I've given up fighting her. Instead, I make sure sure she takes a multi-vitamin and ensure that she gets her protein through other sources like cheese, Peanut butter and eggs.

[AndiJ78]

Do you offer them raw with a dip? That has been the most successful way I have found to get my kids to eat veggies at that age. Also, I find if I use a cheese sauce for the cooked ones it tends to go over better (heck, thats about the only way my dh will eat them too)

The more he sees you eat them, the more interested he will be. If I want my boys to eat something the fastest way to get them to is to sit down with my own portion of it and start eating, before you know it I have both monkey's there wanting a bite.

Andi

[tlword]

Those are good ideas! My son has Aspergers, and food issues are a constant problem for us.  I usually have to resort to dicing them up so fine they can barely can be seen, then mixing them with cream cheese.  That sounds gross but he loves cream cheese. He'll eat it on anything, sometimes on waffles, toast, crackers.  Be creative and learn to dice.  I've mixed them with scrambled eggs too.  Children really don't need much anyway.  A tablespoon or two a day at that age is just fine.

[myproblem]

The nice thing about baby food, is you can force feed them. I know it sounds mean, but my daughter quickly learned that she'd rather eat it nicely than have me pry her mouth open and cram it in.

[AndiJ78]

I would never advocate force feeding a child, that is not only dangerous but a horrific parenting decision. I am stunned someone would admit to doing that, ghastly. Allow your child to self regulate as they were designed to do, offer the food in a variety of ways, if they snub it make up the nutrition in other ways through other foods or supplementation.

Andi

[BEANIBEAR1967]

thank you all for your advice. now here is another question-which vitamins do you recommend for a child this age?

[AndiJ78]

That one you will have to talk to your doctor about. They have the liquid vitamin drops made for children under age two sold in most stores and AFTER age two they can start on the flintstone type ones. They contain more iron than recommended for under two, so I would not start a child under two on them unless specifically told to do so by your child's pediatrician. And even if given the okay, remember that children 2-3 only get 1/2 a vitamin. My son just turned 2 on May 27th and has graduated to the 1/2 a flintstone a day : )

Oftentimes you can make up some of the nutrients fromveggies through other foods, even a good fortified cereal like total can help make up a lot of those nutrients. Again, kids are excellent self regulators, not much pushing needed from parents. They tend to balance out their diet over time, one week or month they go crazy for meat and only meat, the next month they may go vegan on you. Allow them some flexibility, they will not allow themselves to starve or to become severely malnourished.

Andi

[myproblem]

I wasn't aware that the purpose of this forum is to tell parents that they are doing a bad job. I hope you never have an underweight child who refuses to eat. It might just starve.

[myproblem]

I wasn't aware that the purpose of this forum is to tell parents that they are doing a bad job. I hope you never have an underweight child who refuses to eat. It might just starve.

[who_is_this]

I think horrific and ghastly were not good word choices.  

What she might have meant is that it is not a good idea to pry a childs mouth open to get food in.  The challenge of parenting is to find creative ways to get your child to want to eat and try new things.  Food and eating challenges tend to become more intense with toddlerhood thru the early childhood years.  Making a battle out of mealtimes this early will not help.  Rather, looking for tasty alternatives like some of the ones others suggested will make life a bit easier.

If you really have an underweight child, there are a lot of supplements available that might be worth looking in to.  Just getting a little more baby food in can't provide enough calories to really help him/her gain weight.  If your child is very underweight, ask your pediatrician for advice.

[Mertek]

I wouldn't advocate force feeding either, but with our children we do have them try everything, if they don't like it, fine. but there is no harm in trying a food. The other trick we have also learned is to keep offering the food. Sometimes they won't eat it because it's new...or what they think is new.

Just last night, I was with my Godson and his family. He loves spahgetti but wouldn't touch the lasagna...until I tried making it a game with him...offered to eat it myself if he tried it too. His sister is a terrible eater at 6...but that's a whole other issue in and of its self.

[AndiJ78]

There is always another alternative, I stand by that it is an awful thing to do to pry a child''s mouth open and force it in. My children often refuse a food the first few times, persistence and creativity go a long way in getting a child to eat properly. Why make something like eating such a major battle? The things we do now as parents have the potential to effect our children for the rest of their lives, good and bad.

Andi

[npd]

I remember reading somewhere that in studies it can take an average of approx. 21 times before a toddler will accept a new food. :)  That certainly seems to be true of my son - we eat several different vegetables with our meals, as well as various salads.  We always put a little bit of everything on their plates, and are sure to include at least one thing we know they like in every meal (i.e. if I'm making chicken, zuccini and potatoes, they get lots of chicken, some potatoes, and the tiniest zucchini serving you have ever seen) :)  After MANY such presentations, my son will eventually decide he likes something (it has worked with broccoli, salad, green beans, carrots, zucchini and others... it has yet to succeed with peas, but who can blame him??) :)  My daughter is a much pickier eater, but we follow the same principle and don't make a bit deal out of it... she is slowly coming around and last week ate a large serving of a vegetarian lasagna!  (she usually scorns all veggies except corn, potatoes or sweet potatoes, and generally refuses cheese - we haven't given up yet!)  So don't worry too much, try to keep mealtimes relaxed, and always offer variety... our pediatrician is always telling us that a toddler can seem to eat nothing but peanut butter and banana sandwiches for months at a time, but if you keep track of what they are actually eating, they are generally very good at moderating their own diets... as long as we continue to offer healthy choices.  Good luck! :)

[AndiJ78]

That is a good point, salads are a huge hit in our house. Probably one of the best ways to get the kids to eat a lot of veggies, I make a meal out of them with some chicken, shredded cheese, lots and lots of different veggies and they go crazy.

Kids are strange little creatures at times, you have to get creative. Thankfully there are so many other parents who have gone through it who are able to offer sound advice and I am always amazed at the new gimmicks and novelties in the stores created to get kids interested in foods they may otherwise snub.

Andi

[myproblem]

Thank you who-is-this for having a little more class in presenting your point of view. I have no problem with a person disagreeing with me, as long as they're not insulting about it. The problem I had with my daughter was that last year about this time, she decided not to eat at all, not even her favorites that she usually ate all the time. It didn't matter what I offered, or how it was presented. This went on for several weeks before I got frustrated enough to force feed her. I understand that this may sound mean, but in her case it solved the problem. After a few bites like this she would open her mouth willingly, and eat what was offered. I suppose that some people reading my post may have had images ofa screaming, red-faced baby choking down something that taasted horrible to her. This was not the case. She is a much more willing eater now, and I can no longer count her ribs in the bath.

[first time mama]

I agree that force feeding is never a good choice!  I was also a VERY light eater for a period and my pediatrician told my mother to never force feed me.  When you do this it is not only dangerous but causes a power struggle b/t you and the child which should never happen.  You are the adult.  

One good technique I used when I was a nanny for a little guy that wouldn't eat his veggies is always having a plate of healthy foods out.  He really liked this.  He liked eating through out the day. I would put things like, carrots, grape tomatoes, chunks of cheese, etc. on a plate by where we were watching a movie, doing a craft etc. and he would always eat the whole thing but slowly.  

Andi is right, they go through phases and usually if you watch over a weeks time they will actually eat what they need just not in one meal like you may want:-)

[lib and jrs mom]

there's a rule in my house that my mom had with us when we were growing up.  that is to try something once, if you don't like it, you never have to eat it again.  my dd is about to turn 6 and LOVES salads and veggies with dip.  the reason i think is because she knew i never forced it on her.  she doesn't eat potato chips and stuff like that because we don't make it available.
just to add a little humor to this thread.  i went over to my sister's house one day and she was feeding my niece a jar of orange baby food that my niece was not going for.  my sister said that she would not offer anything else to my niece until she ate the food.  i asked her what it was and she said squash.  she said it was good for her and she needed to eat it.  she also said that making her eat it now would help her grow to like it.  at that point i reminded her that both of us growing up despising squash, zuccini, all the mushy veggies and that she NEVER cooks it in her home.  so i asked her what the point of trying to make my niece like it was.  she realized at that point it was much more sensible to start her on veggies she would one day eat when she was older and would be cooked in the home.
i think often times we give our kids what's good for them without realizing once they get past the baby food stage it's something we would never fix in an everyday meal.
my kids love cucumbers, carrots, broccoli in dip because those are some of my favorites.  they see me eat it, get curious, and want some for themselves.
i hope you all have a good night.