To give my DC dinner with vegetables in

[doobledootch]

With the hope that they just spontaneously start eating more vegetables.

They are 2 & 3. 3 year old always quite fussy awful for ages, but becoming less bad. 2 year old would always eat anything but has recently been a little veg averse and is picking up more on his brother's fussing and leaving food.

The older one was BLWed things were not meant to turn out this way!!

I just put them on DS1's plate without comment. Sometimes he'll eat them sometimes not. I also tend to hide veg in sauces - I'll put carrot, onion, courgette etc into a bologna use sauce then whizz in the blender so he can't pick the veg out. Sadly, it's a necessity to get DH eating veg too

Bolognaise not bologna use

Do it. I have two ds 7 and 4 both were never fussy til around 3 then the older one started it. Initially I fought it but then I couldn't be bothered with the arguing, so stuck with same old cucumber, sweetcorn and peas I knew they liked.

I wish now I had just stuck to my guns, they don't have to eat it, just tolerate it on their plate. Now I'm furiously back pedalling trying to get them to eat their veg or at least tolerate them on their plate (and all the other things they have suddenly decided they don't like!).

You're in charge. No more Mrs Nice Mummy!!

Blw isnt a mirac, e to fussy eating really its a pain in the arse when they are so fussy I used to grate veg into bolognaise dd1 was a nightmare also she preferred salad veg and raw carrot I used to give her those. Thing is not fussing over fussy eaters thats hindsight though I used to fret she would starve she didn't she is in her 20s and eats most things now including vegetables

Miracle obviously

Look on the bright side , my DD only wants to eat veg. She's sat at a table in a restaurant and cleared a bowl of carrots intended to serve the entire table. Then we had the nappy from hell...

I seem to have won with the fussy vegetable stage by continuing to put stuff on the plate: DS was always good as a baby but went through the fussy 'no, dont like that' stage from about 2 onwards despite a good start

we always gave him a (small) portion of the same veg on his plate we were eating, and made sure he saw us eating it, then he got asked to try a bit at the end of the meal, and got lots of praise if he did, but no bribery and no fuss or attention if he didnt eat it.
It usually took about 5-8 times of being offered and trying something before he would start to eat it spontaneously. First ones to win with were Broccoli (because he could pretend to be a dinosaur eating trees) then 'White Broccoli' (cauliflower) and carrots. Which was pretty monotonous but not awful. This pretty much continued age 3-4 with stuff like parsnips, and peas etc getting added in a pure veg win every few weeks (and loading every possible meal with grated courgettes, squash, carrot etc to make sure he was getting enough veg by stealth) He was praised for trying, or eating one or two items at a meal but we decided not to let it be a battleground or show that it was an issue he got attention for if he didnt eat, and I think thats helped a lot in that there's no reward of attention for refusal.
It was sometimes hard not to fret over it but I found if you looked at the diet over a week or so and didnt focus on what he had eaten at an individual meal he had a much better veg intake than we thought even through his fussy stage

Eventually we got him back to eating raw peppers, salad, potato with skin on and he asks for celery sticks and veg soup now. He also seems to enjoy trying things that sound ridiculous as his sense of humour has developed and current favorites are baby crocodiles (baby sweetcorn) and monkey brains (roast peppers) so a bit of sillieness might help.

Thanks for the encouragement, tonight did not go well, the highlight was when me three year old told me he only wats veg at nursery, but onwards and upwards, that means there's hope.

mrsjay don't worry I have long since given up hope regarding the crap spouted about BLW. DS2 was fed baby rice from 4 months (silent reflux) then I introduced purées then eventually at 6 months ploughed on with a mashed bit of what we were eating and some finger food. Up until very recently he would eat anything

I do two veg with most meals. One ds is likely to try and another to keep him accustomed to seeing it there. He's coaxed to eat his peas but apart from that I don't comment on what he eats. He often gives things a nibble so hopefully we're getting there.

Go for it! I insist that there is one/some veg with every dinner and they have to at least try it even if they don't eat it. Lots of praise when they do. My 3 yo has always loved carrots but will now eat a bit of everything, even if it's a tiny bit. Since starting reception, my older one has a new found love of cucumber.

I dont think blw is crap as such makes a bit of sense but its just finger food really,

If you don't offer veg, how will they ever get to eat any? Make sure you offer a variety but don't get stressed out if they don't eat them. We have two rules in our house: you have to try everything new and if you don't want to eat, that's fine but there's no alternative (although plenty of fruit around)

Thats what I did offered try it dont like it leave it dd2 was a much better eater I think I stressed to much with d1

The other day in a restaurant my 3 yr old was given peas and sweet corn in a small ramakin dish.
She ate the lot as if they were delicious sweets.
This after years of totally refusing to try them when on her plate!!

we play the game
'oh that's not broccoli, it's a little tree growing on your plate'
sweetcorn is gold
cauliflower are clouds, that kind of thing

technically I guess it is playing with your food but they seemed distracted enough to try it and don't have any problems now

ds (7) will try some weird and wonderful things now but dd(4) still has a limited repertoire of about 8 veg.

Tiny, not overwhelming portion - without comment.

I've been doing this with DS2. He's 8 and still won't touch veg :o

We discovered the restaurant served peas and sweetcorn in a ramekin dish magic about a year ago. Adopted it at home. Gradually added diced parsnip swede chopped green beans etc. Served on the side with a spoon. Would clear the lot. Got us through a 3 year old fussy phase.

Small quantities worked here too, as did cutting it up small in casseroles/stews etc. I worked on the principle that if you cut it small enough, it was too much effort to pick out and if they were hungry enough, they would eat at least some of it (which they did).

Sprouts were fairy cabbages; aubergines were purple peppers!!

at limited repertoire of about 8 veg, that's probably more than mine

I do make a pasta sauce with lots of hidden veg and they would eat me out of house and home when it comes to fruit, so that along with the veg filled meal they eat at nursery will probably see them ok when it comes to balance.

I will start using toddler teatime as a place for meditation practice.

PS I don't think BLW is crap just the message that BLW will create non-fussy child who eat anything that you put in front of them. I'm very fair though as I also have no time for Annabel Karmel

Absolutely do it. It's normal for all children to go through a fussy stage, and if you stop giving them the foods they reject, they won't come out of it or accept them in future. I've ridden it out with my older two by continuing to put it on the plate, not making a fuss, then just taking it away without comment if not eaten - plus all eating together so he sees that it's normal to eat it. One of mine was particularly fussy with fruit, took over a year of presenting it to him then taking it away without comment before he began to eat it but he did and I'm so glad I persevered. My 2 year old is going through the stage of picking the veg out of her dinner - she still gets given the same as the rest of us.

Food on other peoples plates taste better. Sisters two best anything but especially if it's taken off mummy or daddy plate. Amazing how much veg gives missing that way.

Agree sister just puts the food on the plate. If not eaten it's not a problem although as mentioned above taking food off other plates seems popular at the moment. Nit sure thats something for restaurants....