veggies anyone???????

[tonya]

My 2 year old wants to eat the SAME stuff everyday...for instance...
cereal
toast and eggs
hotdogs or corndogs and ketchup
chicken nuggets
biscuits and honey
it is like this is ALL she wants to eat..i fear she is not getting enough meat and veggies...then I talk to other people and they say...oh that is just a 2 year old...will this phase pass too????????????

 

[selune]

I believe that part of it comes from genes as well. Many women develop a dislike for veggies when pregnant because they tend toward more bitter tastes which historically are linked with alkaloids (poisonous) plants. Now we know that broccoli isn't poison, but our tastebuds don't have brains. Kids are the same way in general. Genetically they tend toward sweet or salty foods because those in nature don't tend to be poisonous. As people age they try foods again and the foods may not seem as strong and they like them. Could be a texture issue too. You may try pureeing some veggies into a hamburger mix (carrots, red peppers) and then make burgers. Start with a small amount so the burger flavor isn't way off. Keep trying, most kids will find a veggie they like, it may be different from any you like though.

 

[Zoomer]

My children never went through that phase. We started as soon as they could eat table to expose them to a variety of foods. They do not like everything they try but at least they are willing to try it. My children, who are 2 1/2 and almost 4, eat things that most children do not like for instance broccoli, eggplant, sauerkraut, veggie burgers and soy milk. I would keep trying to introduce new foods, and if you are concerned about a balanced diet, you could always get a vitamin supplement.

 

[LynnMcG]

My 2 year old wants to eat the SAME stuff everyday...for instance...
cereal
toast and eggs
hotdogs or corndogs and ketchup
chicken nuggets
biscuits and honey
it is like this is ALL she wants to eat..i fear she is not getting enough meat and veggies...then I talk to other people and they say...oh that is just a 2 year old...will this phase pass too????????????

Wow, you're lucky! My two year-old only eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies.

Seriously, don't worry about it. They know what they need. Make sure she gets her vitamin supplement every day, milk and water. She's getting great variety! We had/still have a rule with our 5 year-old - you must try everything. It's neat, no pressure, but she does it. She'll try whatever we're eating and if she likes it she'll have more, if not at least she tried. So she's always been a pretty good eater. We also try to do this with my son, but he's a tougher customer. He'll try ANYTHING, but he really doesn't eat much.

If you really have concerns that she's not eating enough try a protein bar. My son LOVES balance bars. He thinks it's candy, and it's all protein, vitamins and minerals.

 

[selune]

Yeah, my little ones like power bars too. Just make sure they get plenty of extra water when eating them because the vitamins need the water to be absorbed better in the body.

 

[LegacyOfLove]

Yeah, that is usually just a phase. When my kids were little, the pediatrician said just be creative and give a very small portion of the foods they aren't too fond of. Sometimes you have to experiment to see what they like and how. Some people suggested to me to dress things up...like celery with the peanut butter and raisins (ants on a log); or to call broccoli "little trees" and have some fun veggie dips for it. Of course, there are other ways to get the veggies in there...like soups....or zucchini bread (my kids love that)...pasta dishes...etc. But, for the most part...I wouldn't worry too much about a toddler's lack of enthusiasm for certain foods. Their tastes and interests do change over time. In fact, when I was little, I remember only liking corn and mashed potatoes. And when relatives tried to force-feed me the other veggies, I'd get sick...and of course, would not want to even try those foods again. Sure, I like other veggies now...but it took time. Don't force-feed them what they don't want. And, make sure the foods they're less likely to be excited about...make those foods "fun". Meal time shouldn't be a stressful time, or it will deter them from eating and turn it into a struggle. Just my thoughts!

 

[tonya]

Thanks everyone for responding..she eats a good breakfast...they have a well-balanced lunch at daycare..and then for supper it is the stugg I listed above..and sometimes when we sit down to eat..she wont eat much...but if I leave it sitting out she will cruise by and eat at her own pace...I try not to stress too much b/c I feel it just the stage right now..and as she gets older we can stress the importance of sitting down and eating and trying different things to eat!

 

[selune]

The cruising is good for her on the grounds that she is eating when she is hungry. Too many kids eat past the filling point and the become overweight. She'll be fine it sounds.

 

[Andy Broadley]

It'll pass in time, like in about 18 years or so. I was just the same at that age. It wasn't till i grew up that I started eating a little more healthily. Don't woory, that's just kids.

 

[lucypevensie]

I used to be a sort of short-order cook. Often if the kids didn't like the meal I'd whip up some macc n cheese. In the last year or so I've stopped doing that. I wish I had never even started because old habits die hard.

Now, maybe I'm just strict but I pretty much expect the kids to eat what I've prepared. That places the responsibility off me and onto them - it's their choice to eat or to be hungry. If the rest of the family is having chicken, baked potatoes, and broccoli, then so are the kids. If they don't want to eat it they don't have to but they're going to get pretty hungry in about an hour (because there are no snacks either for those who don't eat a reasonable amount of dinner). Often I'm merciful and put their plates in the fridge and allow them to eat it later when they complain about being hungry. But sometimes they just have to wait for the next meal - and they do eat that one 'cause they're so hungry! I do my best to make the family meals delicious and appetizing, but I can only do my best.

 

[BlessedMan]

I'm soooo thankful that the government in the mid 80's decided that ketchup is a vegetable! If not for that glorious invention, my then 3 year old wouldn't have been eating much of anything.

Let's just put it this way...for breakfast one morning, my son was dipping his Captain Crunch cereal in yes...ketchup...ewwwwwwwwww!

He's a little better now, but we keep feeding him the Flintstones everyday to keep him vitamized.

 

[mamaneenie]

Generally speaking my son will eat most of what I give him.

I sometimes make a cheese sauce with blended leftover veg in it and put some pasta in it. It looks just like mac and cheese and if he is having a fussy phase, we are both happy because there are veg in there, but he can't see them.

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

My children never went through that phase. We started as soon as they could eat table to expose them to a variety of foods. They do not like everything they try but at least they are willing to try it. My children, who are 2 1/2 and almost 4, eat things that most children do not like for instance broccoli, eggplant, sauerkraut, veggie burgers and soy milk. I would keep trying to introduce new foods, and if you are concerned about a balanced diet, you could always get a vitamin supplement.

My daughter is just like this, she will eat almost anything. We started introducing her to a variety of foods quite quickly after she started solids. Infact she was breastfed so she was introduced to different "flavours" since birth as breastmilk can change taste depending on what the mother eats. I'm very greatful that she's been such an easy eater!

 

[~Mrs. A2J~]

I used to be a sort of short-order cook. Often if the kids didn't like the meal I'd whip up some macc n cheese. In the last year or so I've stopped doing that. I wish I had never even started because old habits die hard.

Now, maybe I'm just strict but I pretty much expect the kids to eat what I've prepared. That places the responsibility off me and onto them - it's their choice to eat or to be hungry. If the rest of the family is having chicken, baked potatoes, and broccoli, then so are the kids. If they don't want to eat it they don't have to but they're going to get pretty hungry in about an hour (because there are no snacks either for those who don't eat a reasonable amount of dinner). Often I'm merciful and put their plates in the fridge and allow them to eat it later when they complain about being hungry. But sometimes they just have to wait for the next meal - and they do eat that one 'cause they're so hungry! I do my best to make the family meals delicious and appetizing, but I can only do my best.

I don't think you're too strict - this is the philosophy in our house too, though the times I've had to put my daughter's food in the fridge for her next meal have been few. Thankfully my 2 year old is a good eater!

 

[mamaneenie]

I tend to leave the dinner on the table (unless it is too unhygienic) and he gets it later. If he won't eat it then he gets NOTHING. It hasn't been too bad, and he isn't that fussy.

 

[tonya]

Well, she does like aome veggies..and she gets the balance at daycare..BUT her favorite is ketchup..and like the op..she WILL eat it ON and WITH everything...and she loves buttermilk..go figure...KIDS

 

[HeatherJay]

My two kids have totally different tastes. Emily, my 6 year old, LOVES fruits and veggies...she'll eat almost anything...broccoli, beans, cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots, zuchini, squash, peas, corn, green beans, and tomatoes (she LOVES them, she eats them like apples if I let her) and all kinds of fruits. But she's not so big on the meat, other than cheeseburgers. She'll pick at chicken and porkchops, and she likes chicken nuggets on occassion, but that's about it.

Eden, the 3 year old, is definitely a meat and potatoes kind of girl. She loves chicken, pork chops, meatloaf, turkey, pasta, and potatoes. She'll eat green beans, but that's about the extent of her veggies.

I have a rule about trying everything that I cook...at least a bite. If they don't like it, that's okay, they don't have to eat it. I think that's a more important habit than making sure they clean their plate. If you can instill in them how important it is to give new things a try, then I don't think you'll have a problem with her being picky in the future. Especially if you give her fun, new, yummy tastes to sample on a regular basis...like cheesecake, eggnog, a little coffee with lots of cream and sugar (just a few things my girls love to taste now and then).

Make trying new things a fun experience and don't support her pickiness. For example, the first time I let my 6 year old taste a cheeseburger from McDonald's, I let her taste it with everything on it (ketchup, mustard, pickles, and little onions). She loved it, even though she always takes her pickles off nowadays. But I see a lot of parents ordering a PLAIN cheeseburger for their toddlers (I'm not quite sure the reasoning behind that). I think that doing things like that enables their pickiness...it's one thing if your child honestly doesn't like those other things, but a lot of them just become afraid to try something new after they become accustom to certain things.

Anyway, that's my opinion on the subject.

 

[bliz]

Try baking your own bread. You'd be surprised how many ground up veggies will go nicely in yeast breads! Finely grated carrott, squash, spinach (very finely chopped mashed beans... add cinnamon swirls (not sugar and cinnamon, just cinnamon, and you've got a hit on your hands with lots of veggies.

Wait till she's a little older to make what she eats an issue. Then, limit choices. She eats what's served, or does without. No fuss or yelling. So long as she's not getting lots of sweet or extra salty prepared foods, she'll develop a taste for veggies if they are served and she's expected to eat them.

( I recently served my guys a big pot of chili. I'm well known for trying to sneak veggies in chili, and they were so glad not to see any... little did they know that there were 2 whole big eggplants run through the blender in there! It is a mother's obligation to slip veggies into their kids diet!)

 

[murron]

My youngest is the opposite. My oldest is the opposite....my middle child however, is another story. At 13, I still can't get him to even look at healthy food choices. I've had to let him go to bed hungry many times because he didn't want the healthy food at the table, just some junk food.

the 4 year old (gotta share this story)...he spent the night at his grama's one night when he was 2. She brought him home the next morning...with a little baggie of fruit loops in his hand. He gets in the door, and sees what his daddy was eating...fruit loops went flying as he made a mad dash to his daddy's lap.

Dad was eating radishes. This child absolutely loves some of the most bizarre foods (things I simply would not eat). He loves radishes more than just about anything. Family members stock a bag of radishes for him when he comes over, rofl. He loves raw celery, raw green peppers, raw onions (can you say EWWW?), raw carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. He turns down sweets for these things! My oldest prefers a fresh salad to almost anything, doesn't eat ice cream and scrapes the icing off cake before she eats.

 

[keirasmommy]

My daughter eats pretty much what we put in front of her. If she dosn't, I don't make a big deal. She gets down from the table and I just hope that she'll choose to eat at the next meal. Some days she hardly eats a thing but she's not starving. She's big and healthy.