Help! My Little One declares war on veggies!

BearClaire · 2025-03-26T16:46:26+00:00

Mommies, I need help! So my 18-month-old was a champion eater until I re-introduced broccoli. I had no issues during the weaning stage and have still fed them broccoli every now and then. Now? It’s a full-blown food strike. They used to love sweet potato and carrots, almost all the veggies, but now, everything is “YUCK!“. I’m not sure why they’ve all of a sudden turned against it and other veg. Anyone else had this broccoli-induced veggie aversion? Any sneaky tips for getting greens back into their diet? I’m desperate!

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

BB49 · 26/03/2025 16:50

Soups and pasta sauces? I used to blitz up all the vegetables and chuck them in. Sometimes giving them a different way, like raw with a dip on the side that they can eat with their fingers may help. I would not worry too much though, they all go through similar phases.

C8H10N4O2 · 26/03/2025 16:55

The joy of toddlers and faddiness - it does pass. There are recipe books and sites with recipes for incorporating veggies into muffins etc if you want to try that approach. Find recipes which do not take lots of time to prepare as its depressing to spend lengthy prep time to be greeted with "don't like it".

However mainly just keep offering the range of foods, don't make a drama of it and make sure the DC see the rest of the family eating and enjoying the same foods. That last can be difficult when gritting your teeth but has the most impact.
I used to expect them to at least try the food on the plate before puddings and I was never keen on them snacking.

leviosanotleviosa25 · 26/03/2025 17:00

Keep adding it on the side in variations like raw, roasted (carrots or parsnips roasted with a tiny bit of honey are lovely, or sweet potato with cinnamon), serve a dip with it, cut it different ways like spirals or zig zags, cauliflower cheese, add some butter or garlic etc etc
Then blend everything! Get a mini chopper and you can blitz stuff in there and it just cooks down in a sauce or casserole
best of both worlds

OtterMummy2024 · 26/03/2025 19:09

I'm an adult and I can't stand broccoli. I eat lots of other veg but will never cook with broccoli by choice and really don't like being expected to eat it when out and about. There's lots of genetic variation in bitter taste perception and your baby may have turned on to that perception. Prepare for the fact that broccoli may not be your child's favourite again.

Original poster

BearClaire · 08/04/2025 15:08

BB49 · 26/03/2025 16:50

Soups and pasta sauces? I used to blitz up all the vegetables and chuck them in. Sometimes giving them a different way, like raw with a dip on the side that they can eat with their fingers may help. I would not worry too much though, they all go through similar phases.

That’s a great idea! thanks so much - will start doing that. I know they all go through it but it’s just frustrating as my husband and I are very healthy and eat many vegetables on a daily (broccoli being one of our faves)

OP posts:

Original poster

BearClaire · 08/04/2025 15:09

C8H10N4O2 · 26/03/2025 16:55

The joy of toddlers and faddiness - it does pass. There are recipe books and sites with recipes for incorporating veggies into muffins etc if you want to try that approach. Find recipes which do not take lots of time to prepare as its depressing to spend lengthy prep time to be greeted with "don't like it".

However mainly just keep offering the range of foods, don't make a drama of it and make sure the DC see the rest of the family eating and enjoying the same foods. That last can be difficult when gritting your teeth but has the most impact.
I used to expect them to at least try the food on the plate before puddings and I was never keen on them snacking.

Oh yes, it’s very disheartening, a bit heart breaking tbh. Do you have any suggestions for good recipe books for kids maybe?

OP posts:

Original poster

BearClaire · 08/04/2025 15:09

leviosanotleviosa25 · 26/03/2025 17:00

Keep adding it on the side in variations like raw, roasted (carrots or parsnips roasted with a tiny bit of honey are lovely, or sweet potato with cinnamon), serve a dip with it, cut it different ways like spirals or zig zags, cauliflower cheese, add some butter or garlic etc etc
Then blend everything! Get a mini chopper and you can blitz stuff in there and it just cooks down in a sauce or casserole
best of both worlds

That’s such a cute idea - i’ve seen quite a lot of this stuff on Pinterest (veggies cut in all sorts of fun shapes). I will probably try this out on the weekends when I have more time. Thanks for the tips!!

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 08/04/2025 15:33

I randomly listened to a R4 program last week, which included a section by a Danish gastrophysicist about encouraging people to eat more veg. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0029hvw?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

One of the ways he mentioned moderating the bitterness of some veg such as broccoli is to add some umami - might be worth trying it with Parmesan and/or something tomatoey?

OTOH… my dd pretty much refused most veg other than raw carrot and cucumber for years from as soon as she could walk aged 11 months having happily eaten everything before that. The first green vegetable she actively enjoyed was (MN middle class wankery at its highest) marsh samphire. She grew up perfectly healthily. I slightly wonder if kids actually need as much veg as adults.

btw I meant to say I love the fact that the Danes have a professor of ‘gastrophysics’ - it seemed much more like chemistry than me but that wouldn’t have sounded so cool.

stample · 08/04/2025 20:36

Spotty mash - put the peas or sweetcorn it the mash
roasted pepper sticks
boiled and then mashed veg (obv only one veg at a time) as a spread on toast/bread
boiled sweet potato chunks with chunks of cheese and cherry tomatoes

Original poster

BearClaire · 11/04/2025 16:42

ErrolTheDragon · 08/04/2025 15:33

I randomly listened to a R4 program last week, which included a section by a Danish gastrophysicist about encouraging people to eat more veg. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0029hvw?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

One of the ways he mentioned moderating the bitterness of some veg such as broccoli is to add some umami - might be worth trying it with Parmesan and/or something tomatoey?

OTOH… my dd pretty much refused most veg other than raw carrot and cucumber for years from as soon as she could walk aged 11 months having happily eaten everything before that. The first green vegetable she actively enjoyed was (MN middle class wankery at its highest) marsh samphire. She grew up perfectly healthily. I slightly wonder if kids actually need as much veg as adults.

btw I meant to say I love the fact that the Danes have a professor of ‘gastrophysics’ - it seemed much more like chemistry than me but that wouldn’t have sounded so cool.

Edited

Oh my god! Thank you so much for sharing this link. I'm listening to it right now! Will surely try the suggestions you mentioned and see if this will do the magic for my baby. I've been searching for this kind of content online, and this is a big help!

OP posts: