Ways of getting veg in toddler!

[Lardolader]

Looking for tips on how to get toddler to eat more veg...

I make a pasta sauce with loads of puréed veg, is there an equivalent for rice?

She'll eat plain rice, most pasta, pizza and breads, but no curries, soups, raw veg, potatoes. Won't even try it.

Help!

This used to be my toddler, she is now almost 4 and will eat birds eye steamfresh veg straight out of the bag. Persevere and keep offering veg at every mealtime even if it gets rejected. I never imagined she would ever eat veg in its full form!

Make sure it's seasoned properly and not over cooked! Most children don't like veg because it's never seasoned properly or cooked correctly, it's always over cooked, mushy and decided of any flavour.

When you cook veg the best way (depending on what you are making) is to cook it Al'dente!

I've converted a few sprout haters in my tone just by seasoning and cooking the sprouts properly (fish fry and a small amount of water to steam, should take more than 1 minutes depending on their size.

Another thing you can do that I saw online a few years ago is to act like the veg is the desert. When you eat around your kid tell them they won't get any veg into they've eaten all their (insert other food items they like) and also make sure you show your kids that you are doing the same.

You want to also say something like "nice I can now have my veggies🤤 now that I've eaten all my (pasta for example)". Also if you have others come round for dinner make sure they do the same and say the same sort of thing, make veggies look like the prize that they can only have one they've eaten the other stuff.

Hope this helped,
Jav

We make an activity out of weighing everything and doing the dough, kneading etc. Though I also keep a few packets of mux you just add water to for speed.

A bit more risky as the veg isn't hidden, but have you tried making croquets or vegetable nuggets.? Basically mashed veg (cut mash as much as you like, I think they are nicer with chunkier bits of veg in but for dd you may need smooth). Shape, chill, dip in flour, egg, breadcrumbs and bake or fry.

Soup with bread to dip in worked well when mine were toddlers. I’ve also puréed veg and add to casserole / stew / shepherds pie and mine have eaten.

cab stir fruit purée into porridge etc

My son is 4.5 but I'm still on this thread watching with interest. He's not very keen on sauces so a hidden veg sauce is not the magic answer that some people make out it is 😔

He likes some veg but is very particular. Some tea times his one year old sister actually eats more than him and it makes me sad.

"I saw a really cool recipe on TV today that I'm going to try, do you want one"
" they are cauliflower and broccoli trees!"
Which are basically broccoli and cauliflower cut steaks,laid on a pan,drizzle of oil and roast.bloody 😋 yummy. We do cabbage now too.dad has paprika,cumin sometimes harissa on top.
But eating 🌳 worked.
Shall we have bottoms or rounds or cubes?
Cheesy leeks.
cauliflower cheese
gratin
hash
fritters
Also get them involved. Get them to pick the veg fir tea.let them stir.be chief taste tester."what did you think,more salt or pepper?"
In the supermarket get them to pick the green veg thus week,orange?what about red?
Don't not serve the veg as it is on the side! Keep trying. Your perpetuating fussy if your disguising everything.

Grated carrot and Red Leicester cheese straws were popular when mine were little also avocado brownies,

I also heard something about getting them to eat a rainbow i.e something red, yellow, orange etc.. make it into a challenge that you all do and have a chart they can tick off/ add a sticker to. Most toddlers love a rainbow. Make it fun and flexible, i.e start with 1 colour a day then build up to 7

Definitely have veg on all of your plates with all main meals. If they complained we took the approach of "you don't have to try it but it stays on your plate". Once they know that trying it is optional, the pressure is off and they might just try it.

A friend of mine used to make a chocolate milkshake with avocado in it for her veg avoiding child and also chocolate cake with beetroot and carrot!