Vegetables and Fruits

Set the example by being the example. Let the kids see you eating various friuts and vegetables.

When the sensational six were small, I would always have a bowl of fresh fruit on the table. Or take a bowl of friut or platter of veggies from the fridge and set them on the table. Green grapes with blueberries, carrot stickes and celery stalks, raspberries and blackberries, kiwi friut with pineapples, peaches and nectarine, broccolli and cauliflower, red and green apples, etc.

They would swarm the table and feast until everything was gone. Mainly they would watch me and other family members enjoying these foods and want to try them. I hope this helps.

I have struggled with this issue. My latest thing, is to have fruit bowls at the table (all day). They can have these when they want a snack or with a meal. I try to have grapes, strawberries, oranges and bananas. It helped their fruit intake. While they wait for their meal, they'll usually have a few grapes or a strawberry. I've noticed when the bowl is almost empty, they eat more because each child wants to "have the last one."
Veggies is harder. I give them veggies and make them take at least one bite. The other day my 4.5 yo asked for broccoli at lunch when I hadn't made any because his "tummy wanted broccoli"!!!!! I also use tomato sauce and paste quite often (like on a tortilla with cheese and olives) and that gives them some veggies.
Homemade salsa and guacamole can also increase intake.

One thing I've done is to give my son raw fruits and veggies right before each meal. I offer him the choice of two different fruits in the morning as I am getting breakfast ready and he eats them before the main meal comes while he is playing or watching a show. I always put them in his own special bowl or plate that gives him the right serving size. Sometimes I jazz it up by serving the bite size pieces with a fun & decorative toothpick. This works wonders with the foods he doesn't want to eat, they take on a different look and seem more inviting. He just seems to eat them on auto pilot. Same thing with lunch and even snacks (just vary choices to include a variety of fruits and veggies). At dinner I do the same thing with the raw veggie, but he is usually sitting with me in the kitchen while I'm making dinner and also helps select a cooked veggie to go with dinner. It seems that by giving him fruits and veggies before the meal, he eats more than he would with other food choices at the same time. By the end of the day he has gotten his full serving without a fuss.

All I can say is please keep trying! I am married to a man who will not eat ANY vegetables other than potatoes. He will eat bananas and grapes if I make him. The main problem is his mother also doesn't like vegetables and therefore did not prepare them for her family when they were little. Since he was never exposed to or encouraged to eat fruits and veggies he absolutely refuses now.

Luckily our children like fruits and veggies and actually make fun of Daddy for being so picky and missing out! Here are a few suggestions to try if they absolutely refuse to even try fruits and vegetables without something on them:

Fruit: try a variety of fruits with different dips (yogurt, caramel, chocolate syrup) to get them to try the fruit. Or sprinkle a bit of sugar on some berries to make them a little sweeter.

Broccoli, Cauliflower: Melt a little cheese on the top of the veggies

Do you have room to plant a small garden? We grow strawberries, tomato, squash and cucumbers in our garden and the kids are always so excited to eat something that they grew.

Good luck,
K.

We only have 2 main rules when it comes to eating... #1 you have to try everything on your plate before you get seconds of what you want & #2 if you eat your dinner all gone you get dessert (ice cream, cookie, cake, pie, candy - whatever I have).

My 4 1/2 yr old hates green beans, but he still gets about 4-5 put on his plate when we eat them... the rules still apply. Actually after about 1 1/2 yrs of this - last week he ate them & said mom beans are good can I have some more. I about fell over and my jaw hit the floor - he did get seconds and finished them as well. Kids sometimes need to try things numorus times before they get a taste for them.

We usually serve a meat, starch (potatoes, rice or noodle), a veg and/or fruit w/ milk for dinner. Lunch isn't as "formal" - a lot of times it's soup & sandwitches. Breakfast is usually a quick fix (toast, cereal, meal bars, ect) execpt on the weekend when we have more "old style" breakfast. I do understand adding veg & fruit to dinner as a side... if you are worried about waste, just give them small amounts. Like I said I usually only give my one son 4-5 green beans, but other son (2 1/2) will eat half a can of green beans.

You can still do the pureed veggies now & then, but try to introduce them the other way as well - since that is the way they will get time in school & through out most of their lives outside your home.

Good luck!

do you mean 4-7 years or months? Because if its months definately just keep putting them on the plate and they'll pick them up on their own. Try giving them some softer things not pureed but cut in small bites, obviously nothing hard but like soft blueberries cut in quarters that will mash themselves up in their mouth or a couple peas cut in half will do the same thing. If they're 4-7 years, is there a reason that they need to be pureed? Otherwise I'd say keep putting small portions of a variety of different fruits and veggies on the plate and give incentives for them to try it.

My daughter (3 years old) likes certain fruits: watermelon, strawberries & apples she eats willing and even asks for them at snack time... I offer other options but I always serve one of those too just to make sure she is getting fruit. It is a power struggle and as long as she is eating SOMETHING healthy I am not going to fight what it is.

With veggies it is a different story, she will eat maybe a spoon or two of corn or peas and nothing else. I have just started steaming a whole cauliflower and then mashing them up like would mash potatoes adding a little bit of milk to make smooth. It is so yummy! I also have my daughter drink V8 Splash which has tons of fruit and veggies in it, my daughter has constipation problems but as soon as I had her drinking this three times a day plus a berry smoothie with added ground up flax seed we have had NO issues what so ever.

I do not understand why pureed fruit and veggies would take away some of the nutritious value? Of course I am not a nutritionist but to me just smashing something up does not make it lose anything, if you are using the whole veggies or fruit you are getting all the benefits. Cooking it you do lose some nutrition but not much (to my understanding). My pediatrician has told me that if they eat one way then serve it that way, because eventually they will outgrow it. Maybe I am too easy on my daughter but she is healthy and strong so I really do not care if what others think for not telling my daughter this is all you get, eat it or go hungry.

My daughter started out eating EVERYTHING at age 1 1/2 but she just does not like the texture of some foods so she is picky and has gone three days of only eating breakfast because she did not like what I offered so as long as she is eating healthy I do not care if it is the same stuff everyday. The whole presenting it to my child 15 or so times has NEVER worked for me, she knows what it is she but hates the texture (not the taste, which she likes).

Research has shown that it can take up to 15 exposures to a new food for us (kids and adults) to get used to a new texture and flavor before it appeals to us. Then there is something called metabolic programming which is that the more good-healthy-nutirious foods we eat, the more our body will crave. So just keep trying.
I also used to do things like make a cheese sauce for the broccoli and cauliflower to get the kids to eat it. The one day I just "forgot" and they ate it! They are now 19 and 15 YEARS old and they eat everything from asparagus to zucchini.
One of my very favorite books and resources is "The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood" by Dr. William Sears. It is full of just good basic healthy family information but he also talks about ways to get the kids to try and eat veges.

In good health,

Lori Krause, RN, Certified Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Coach
www.LoriKrauseRN.com

the younger you start the better obviously, children are not born with a desire for one food over another it is learned. So at this age they will eat what you give them if they are truly hungry. You can make them fun and presentation does help. Fruit parfaits are great, fruit smoothies, fruits-n-dips... with veggies try them raw, roasted, sauteed, etc... see which they prefer and go with it. If raw, try different dips too. Also you can have them help you prepare the food... often kids will be more apt to eat what they've helped prepare. Best wishes~

Wastful sounds like my husband serving up the food he puts way to much on a plate then expects the kids to eat what they were served.Start with smaller portions they need to try their food before they are dismissed from the dinner table.Go for raw instead of canned adding in a fruit dip or veggie dip who knew that little silicone cupcake liners will do the trick to get the kids to eat more of everything!!Try it.
Raw veggies:carrots,celery,cucumbers,peppers,tomatoes
fruit:peaches,nectarines,pineapple,apples,bananas,oranges,strawberries,pears,grapes
Before the kids get innto a stocked up fridge with fresh produce be sure to wash and destem the grapes strawberries,cut pineapple,cut cucumbers etc as for a dip use yougurt the flavored is fine to.

I'm sure you have plenty of responses, but here is one more. With my 4 year old it's all about serving a variety of fruits, and sometimes in fun ways.
He also is more willing to eat veggies with dip. He's a big dipper.

Some suggestions:

Snap-peas - fun to hear "snap", or try edamame - these are fun to dig the beans out of.
Try serving with a toothpick
Raspberries - fun finger food. Try them on all 5 fingers.
Bread with peanut butter, or Nutella and banana slices (cut bread with your cookie cutters for added fun)
Blend fruit with yogurt
Make you own icees/ice cubes with water, fruit, and a little simple sugar syrup.
Buy several dips for veggies and do a "taste test"
Let your children make their own dip for veggies. Empowering them can help them get more interested in the food.

If all else fails, cut veggies up small and sneak into rice dishes. This especially works for husbands who never learned to eat their veggies :)

Let them help you prepare the meals or try a kids in the kitchen class. A lot of YMCA's have them as well as the prep yourself kitchens (like a Super Suppers).
I discovered my 4 year old actually does like veggies after letting him cook with me. He's super picky so we went to the library to get some kid friendly cookbooks so he could help me prepare the meals. I thought since he's making it, he'll at least try it. When making the zucchini fries...he ate most of the zucchini before we could get them prepared for the oven. Go figure!
He's still pretty picky, but now actually prefers veggies...He loves raw zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, peas, sugar snap peas, carrots, the list goes on.

Like some of the other moms, we serve fruits and vegetables in lots of different ways with most meals. We serve them steamed, raw with sauce, broiled, etc. We also make soups that use lots of veggies, and smoothies with lots of fruits and muffins with fruits and veggies, so that even if they're not eating the straight-up version, they're eating them a different way. If you want some free recipe ideas, we have them on our blog, www.welcomingkitchen.blogspot.com

My boys drink a glass of soy protein and vitamins in milk every day, so I wasn't too worried about the nutrients. Now I give them V8 fusion (and still the protein). This has no added sugar (lots of natural sugar though, so take it kinda easy) and a full serving of fruits AND veggies in every 8 ounces. My DH, on the other hand, is a believer in the "Force them because we know what's best" method, and has gotten them eating veggies at every meal too. They are 5 and 2. They eat veggies without complaint now.

I think most parents with children in this age group have trouble getting their kids to eat fruits and veggies. It is all about finding what they like- and even then they may never love them. Some like raw over cooked veggies. It is really just a matter of seeing what they like. I have always thought just putting them on their plate for them to see was best- then they know what they are eating and know what they like. There are SO many ways to prepare and serve veggies I am sure you will find some way that they will enjoy them. It is all the the presentation, and smell :) Most kids will eat baby carrots. The smaller the sweeter, my kids also like cucumbers a lot.

Our kids have some fruit for breakfast and as a snack during the day. Most nights we make a salad and they like to stand on a chair and watch. During this time they snack on carrots, sugar snap peas, and cucumber (they can't get enough of it). We usually have rice, pasta, potatoes, or beans with dinner for hubby and kids (I try to minimize my intake) and I cut up and mix what ever veggie we are having that night with the rice, pasta, potatoes, or beans and they eat it. Occasionally I don't cut up the asparagus small enough and my son would say "hey" and eat around them. I cut them into about 1/4 inch slices and they eat them. I have even gotten them to eat brussel sprouts. They see us both eating them so they are pretty willing to eat them too.

One thing I do to help them get fiber is when making their lunches I use whole grain bread and sometimes the double fiber bread (when on sale). Costco has one that has 5 grams per serving.

Dipping and sauces! It's all about the dipping at that age! Ranch dressing, cheese sauce, whipped cream, BBQ sauce, mustard, whatever they like (even if the thought of it gags you!).

It can really take a while. A child has to be exposed to certain foods many times to be willing to try. Also remember their senses are a lot stronger than ours. Things can have a very strong odors and taste, not matching what you smell and taste.

Continue to add pureed, but also just keep offering the veggies and fruits on the side and you and your husband continue to just eat them in front of the kids. Do not make a big deal out of it.

Have you heard about my "Brave Taster " strategy.?
Make a chart for each child. Each time they take and eat a new veggie, fruit, or food they normally would not eat, they are given a sticker to place on the chart. After they have acquired a certain amount (you decide) they can choose a prize, activity or be able to pick a place to eat of their choice.
Again, once you explain it to them, it is up to them to taste.

Include them when you are prepping the veggies. Have your 7 year old, learn how to peel fruits and veggies (I do not usually peel them but do this to include your child). Give the 4 year old a plastic knife to slice soft or cooked veggies it will allow them to feel like part of the process.

Maybe make an apple pie with the 7 year old helping peel. Add blueberries that your 4 year old has counted out..Have your 4 year old help with the dough. Give them little aluminum pie pans to make their own pies with fruits.. Encourage them to try the ingredients.

Make banana nut, zucchini or carrot, fruit breads or muffins, again get them involved all through the process and then they will see how good it tasted and smalls as it bakes.
Hang in there.

I personallly recommend making them a shake that tastes good. I eat really healthy and my kids got burnt out on veggies so I found shake that taste great and they got all the veggies needed in it. Now if they are months old it probably wont work, but years old, PERFECT! You can message me at ____@____.com for more info.

1. Have *them* pick out a fruit or veggie to try from the grocery store.

2. Try preparing thing in a different way: broccoli in stir fry, lightly steamed, roasted in the oven with some garlic and EVOO, cut up into a salad.

3. And this is the one that works best for me. I make something like a big green salad and I make a "big deal" about not letting them have any. It's my salad, not yours. You can't have any. Then make a big deal about how yuuuuuummmmmyyyyy it is. Do this a few days in a row with different things that "they can't have to eat, 'cause it's mommy's and only mommy's." When they beg for a bite, reluctantly give it to them. Works at our house!

GL!

You'll probably get a lot of responses to do the "Deceptively Delicious" approach where you integrate them into some of your favorite foods that you children will eat.

Yes, it does give your kids the nutrition of the fruits/vegetables, but cooking vegetables vs. raw does compromise some of the nutrition, and the biggest issue I have with it is that it never teaches them to learn to enjoy them.

Our kids have always loved both, so we haven't necessarily had the same issue. But, we do make sure each meal has some kind of fresh or frozen fruit/vegetable (even on pizza nights, it's either on the pizza or it's served with it).

Our kids don't leave the table until they've eaten a certain amount. They love broccoli, celery, peppers, carrots, cucumbers - but, neither will touch mashed potatoes. Really strange.

Good luck! Be persistent and don't give them a choice - I made my husband learn to love Broccoli my making him eat it, and he honestly doesn't mind now.

I'd also recommend letting them pick out the ones they'd like to try and letting them help with the recipes so they're involved in the whole process (including consumption).

Sauces, melted butter over veggies (real butter) it has beneficial fats that a growing body needs, cheese sauce drizzled over steamed veggies, again cheese has necessary fats, and also provides calcium... my kids love raw veg, steamed veg, I have only found one veggie they won't eat and that's edamame, but you add a little melted butter, or a little homemade cheese sauce and they come back for seconds and thirds of the veggies!! With fruits try yogurt as a dipping sauce, or even a soft cheese (brie is wonderful), peanut butter for apples (my kids also like peanut butter with grapes) it also adds a little protein to the snack, it compliments the sweetness of the fruits, you could even buy dry roasted peanuts and make your own in the food processor, let them help you, it might be more fun... Try sitting down with them and eating the fruits and veggies together, they learn mostly by example, and if they see you chowing down on the veggies or the fruits they will start to wonder if maybe they are missing out on something wonderful... if you have the space maybe start a garden in the yard, home grown are so much better than the bland things we find in our local grocery stores, and you will be surprised how much more readily they might respond to some home grown veggies versus store bought, maybe even hit up those road side stands we see every where in the summer.. don't give up hope, you will bring out the veg eater, just keep trying EVERYTHING!!!

I haven't read all of your responses, so I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet. We put olive oil, vinegar and a little salt on all our vegetables. My kids love it. I use a really good red wine vinegar, and my son especially can't get enough. They eat them all up with no complaints. If I run out of vinegar, they will not eat them.

What we have started taking as a family is MonaVie. You get all your daily servings of fruits and vegetables in 4 ounces per day! We do not take is as a substitution; we have just added it as part of our diet. I give my kids (2 and 4) the Original formula. My husband takes Pulse and I take Active. Wonderful, wonderful product. Seems to most people to be a bit pricey but my husband and I figured out how much it would cost per week for all the recommended servings (plus all the wasted product because it doesn't get eaten) and the price was worth it. I went onto the Center for Disease Control website and you can find out exactly how many servings of fruits and vegetables each of you should have per day. For our family, it came out to 8 cups of vegetables and 6 cups of fruit! I know we do not consume that much of either each day.
Also, check out www.mvlife.mymonavie.com for more product information.

In our house, with dinners/veggies that are cooked and served, we have a "you have to at least try one bite" rule. If they try it and they TRULY don't like it, they don't have to eat it at that meal. But just because they tried the broccoli dish two days ago and didn't like it doesn't mean they don't have to try it again today. I've read it takes up to 15 tries for someone to start "liking" something they previously disliked, so one bite to try it. Guess what? My son, who firmly has stated "if it's green I won't eat it", is eating leafy green veggies now (finally at the age of 12). He still dislikes most veggies, but he will eat his one bite at dinner. He's up to cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, leafy greens, mushrooms, onions and a few more, but still dislikes broccoli and brussels sprouts. He's come a loooong way! I sometimes cut up raw carrots, apples, cucumbers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes or whatever else I have on hand that can be eaten raw and just put it on the table when the kids get home from school. I swear, by dinner, all the veggies are gone. Other days, I serve those things WITH dinner, just on the table for people to pick at. Usually, everything's gone by the end of dinner. Just having lots of fresh veggies and fruits cut up and out will encourage your kids to try them. But even if NONE of those things work and your kids STILL won't eat veggies, I can relate. As a child I ate cucumbers and corn. Seriously, that's it, no other veggies (and corn doesn't even really count, does it?). It wasn't so much the taste as the texture. Veggies were just too vile and nasty for me, cooked or raw. Slowly, over the years my tastes changed and now I love veggies (minus just a few I still can't stand). So even for the most die-hard veggie-hater, there's hope!