Do you include a portion of fruit/veg with every meal?

[weeblueberry]

DP mentioned the other day he was a bit concerned that 10mo DD isn't getting that much veg with her food.

We were so gung ho at the beginning about batch cooking etc but it just didn't come to fruition because we're lazy bastards and now she gets leftovers from our own food or sachets when she's at my mums for lunch during the week. I realised the other day that for nearly a week the only veg she'd had was what was in the sachets and the fruit she'd had with breakfast.

I just wondered how consistent everyone else is giving their babies/toddlers fruit/veg with every meal?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I tried to and do with my DC now. Having DH was good preparation as he never used to eat fruit and veg

How about adding chopped banana or berries to ready brek? Could she have a sandwich with some chopped veg at your mums, like cucumber, pepper fingers?

[weeblueberry]

She's fine for breakfast - always has banana/raspberries/blueberries etc. It's more the veg at meals at my mums I'm thinking. Do you think pepper fingers, cucumber etc is okay for her if she's no teeth? I sort of thought raw veg might be a bit much for her at the moment?

[OatcakeCravings]

I did and still do (DS 5), not that he eats them but I always provide 2 portions of veg with lunch and dinner and fruit with breakfast. Unless its something like soup.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Why wouldn't she be ok with them? Genuine question, not taking the piss

[weeblueberry]

Just because she's not got any teeth to chew them yet. Well, she's got two front lower teeth but no molars. I just supposed she'd 'bite' off a big chunk with her gums then not be able to make it smaller in her mouth and then swallow it whole?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

She should be fine. If you are worried try her with halved cherry tomatoes or halved grapes

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

She'll be fine with fingers of raw veg, even with no teeth :)

If she's having what you are having for dinner, isn't there some veg coming with that?

[weeblueberry]

Yep most of the time but if we have something like spaghetti bolognese there's not always lots of veg in it. Or homemade pizza etc. The leftovers aren't always done either - if it's been something that doesn't 'keep' well i've been giving her a finger food meal like bread, egg and cheese and realised that actually thats not very nutritious. Fruit and veg wasn't really enforced in my house growing up and I often forget about making sure we all have enough of it.

I'll definitely try her with the raw veg though. :) Thanks so much all.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I bulk out my spag Bol, chilli and cottage pie with loads of veg. It works out about 50/50 mince to veg. Could you also steam some broccolli and give her a few florets with it or maybe some green beans? Both make excellent finger food

My DS got a book called hungry? from the library recently. It's written by Innocent and has sone great recipes for upping your fruit and veg

[missmagnum]

Grated carrot works really well in most things, especially spag bol, cottage pie etc. Makes the mince go further too. I loosely follow the guide (may have got this wrong, so google it) measuring in handfuls of your childs hand for portion size. So I give 2 handfuls of different veg per meal, then a fist of carbs and a palm of protein. Might not be very scientific but gives me a rough guide to follow.

I use lots of frozen veg just microwaved, easy and quick.

[ChunkyPickle]

Mine only really ate fruit/veg or pasta for a long while - even at 3 he's very hit and miss on meat actually.

DS1 isn't impressed with raw veg (except cucumber and tomato, and he did go on a carrot binge once) - but has always loved cooked stuff - broccoli, green beans, broad beans, baby sweetcorn, cooked carrot sticks, peas - luckily stuff that we have most days with dinner anyhow.

I stick by a similar rule to missmagnum - at least 2 types of veg, one of carb, and one of protein per meal.

He'll have had 2 types of fruit, 1 veg, plus cucumber in his packed lunch, and often some kind of fruit with breakfast too.

[sebsmummy1]

As a SAHM I do batch cook although I can totally understand how with limited time due to working that might not be easy to keep up after mat leave.

I was getting quite smug re the ole batch cooking then I realised that I was relying on the veg in the dishes and not fresh veg with the meal. So after taking some advice on here I now steam small portions of veg to go with his meal at lunch and dinner and he has fruit with his porridge in the morning.

[Spadgey]

Dd gets fruit with her breakfast then I give her either veg sticks if she's having a sandwich dinner or a new favorite is pasta with butter and grated cheese with broccoli and cauliflower (frozen, cooked with the pasta) mashed up and mixed through. We both had that yesterday and it was very good!

My spag Bol has 3 corgettes, 3 carrots and 3 peppers grated in it along with lentils.

She has roasted sweet potato and butternut squash, fish cakes with sweet corn and peas. If she's not had much veg at lunch she gets more fruit for pudding .

[Spadgey]

Oh and there was ham in that buttery cheesey goodness as well!

[Eletheomel]

Im a veggie (as is my weanling :-) so I make sure he gets fruit with bfast and fruit and veg with lunch and dinner. I offer him that in addition to the 'mail meal' (e.g. I might make tomato pasta as the main dish, but offer him stuff like broccoli spears, tomato, pear, dried apricots along with his main)

[Mutley77]

My Dd is 9 months and I must say I am a bit lazy with her food as im focusing on the fact t that their main nutrition until age one is milk. Therefore she might have just pieces of omelette for a meal or just some mashed avocado on toast. Agree brekkie is easy, cereal and fruit!

My older kids do have veg with every meal but what they have isnt always suitable for dd eg i dont give Dd raw veg yet either as she has no top teeth so can't even bite pieces off let alone chew them (I have tried)

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Have you tried her with things like cauliflower cheese or homemade veg soup? At that age mine used to like a "bits" lunch which was basically a bit if whatever we had in. Slice of ham, breadstick, hummus, dried fig, olives, cubes of cheese, raw veg, rice salad. Just whatever was to hand. Have seen some people do similar and serve in silicone cake cups. Dd also loved a vegeburger for lunch with some raw veg on the side

[UnicornCrisps]

I give mine cooked veg sticks that are soft enough to mush in her mouth, sweet potato, parsnip, carrot etc. Frozen cauliflower and broccolli goes really soft when microwaved. I just stick some veg in a steam bag in the microwave at most mealtimes takes no time at all. Also raw veg grated into microwave omelette, grated into veg muffins, etc.

[weeblueberry]

Thanks all. Some really good suggestions that Im going to try :)

It's easy for me to do this at the weekend (ie steam veg/make spag Bol etc) it's more during the week that mum can make something quick and easily to give her to supplement her lunch/dinner. I also want to suggest things without mum thinking I'm assigning a menu.

I really appreciate everyone making suggestions though and sharing how they do things.

[GreenGoblin0]

Why don't you batch cook and take a porti

[GreenGoblin0]

Sorry stupid phone made me post too soon...

Why don't you batch cook and take/leave some portions with your mum for her to give your DC?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

What does your mum have for lunch?