Veg avoiding toddler

[quesadillas]

Hi,

DS is almost two. He's a pretty good eater in terms of quantity, but gradually over the months, he's really cut down on the amount of veg he eats. And that includes potatoes. He'll eat veg if I hide it in pasta sauce or curry, and he'll eat sweetcorn and baked beans, but that's it. Any tips? Or should I just wait for him to grow out of it? He's fine with all other types of food.

[RojaGato]

This is interesting. He'll grow out of it and inthe meantime try peeling/deseeding things to reduce bitterness.

[quesadillas]

That is interesting. My MIL said something similar. Guess I'll keep offering and hope one day he gets it!

[agoodbook]

There is a great recipe for vegetable muffins - my 2 year old DGS loves them, broccoliandricecakes.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/vegetarian-recipes-multi-veg-muffins/and
I also make brownies with grated courgette - very popular! I can copy out the recipe for that if you want

[quesadillas]

Courgette brownies sound lovely! If you could pass on the recipe, that'd be great! Could be a good Christmas treat!

[CogitOIOIO]

I wouldn't hide vegetables as routine. I think it's important that a carrot looks like a carrot so that they get used to seeing them on the plate. Offer small amounts of normal vegetables in normal forms, eat the same foods as a family, and wait for him to copy the rest of you. Praise if he eats, no fuss if he doesn't. If he eats some fruits and wholegrains he'll be OK for fibre and vitamins

[Andcake]

Ds 2.5 is the same- so listening with interest.
My tips spinach and cheese muffins and the carrot muffins from blw cook book.
Also and this is probably BAD I have tried him on a few different Covent Garden style carton soups- we'll share one for lunch. I'm sure they are v processed but he does like their veg one ( comes in a resealable lid carton). Veg are quite well hidden in it. We do make homemade soups too and he likes them - spinach soup which I call froggy soup is a fav and takes 10 mins. Just boil a little bit in some low salt stock and whizz with a hand blender. I sometimes add some peas or left over potato to thicken. It's v v green but seems more palatable than broccoli for example

[500Decibels]

My dd is the same. I keep offering it and there's always veg in her plate but she never eats it.
I do put grated veg into meals and make lots of soups that she does eat so I know she's eating plenty of veg.

[quesadillas]

I agree with not hiding veg too much - he always gets given veg as it comes, and occasionally a bit of carrot or a couple of peas will go in. And he sees us eating veg, so hopefully one day he'll copy.

Plenty of fruit going in, particularly apples, bananas and grapes, so all is not lost!

[bronya]

Keep offering it, and offer less of other things, so he's hungry and eats it. That worked for my two year old DS. Peas, sweetcorn, baked beans, tomato sauce and carrots seem to go down best here!

[agoodbook]

we are lucky- my DGS loves vegetables. The recipes are done as he also adores cake, so we tried to find something a bit more healthy as a treat! And I tend to get a glut of courgettes on my allotment.
by the way- I do the vegetable muffins without the red pepper, but with more cheese.
quesadillas here it is ! I cut it into fairly small cubes so he can have a bit in each hand. Its lovely with fresh raspberries as a dessert, and freezes well too!
Chocolate Courgette Brownies
120g softened unsalted butter
125ml sunflower oil
100g caster sugar
200g soft brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
130ml milk
350g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp cocoa powder
450g courgettes, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp vanilla extract
method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5.
Put the butter, sunflower oil and both sugars in a bowl and beat them together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs and then the milk.
Sift the dry ingredients together and fold them into the mixture. Stir in the courgettes and vanilla, then spoon the mixture into a 20 x 35cm baking tin lined with baking parchment. Place in the oven and bake for 35–45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cut into squares whilst still warm.