How can I introduce more fruit & veg into my daughters diet?

[MuppetsMuggle]

Title says it all really.

my daughter has had tonsilitus 4 times in the last 2mths. meaning she hasn't recovered from it properly.

i want to get more fruit & veg into her diet, to build up her immune system. but shes quite a fussy eater.

any tips i will be grateful.

My DDs really love the idea of dipping, so dipping toast into soup is always a winner. Agree that tomato sauce can hide a hist of veg, and often tastes better with it in. Not sure if risotto has been suggested, also good for adding lots of veg to. Frozen spinach go into practically everything in our house - tomato sauce, omelette (green eggs and ham ), hoummous, pesto for pasta etc etc.

Oooh, I've never added spinach to things.. is it OK to buy the frozen stuff?

Most frozen veg are practically as good as fresh (especially if you get organic ones), def better than tinned or 'ready meal' types anyway. There's nothing added to it and it's most often frozen immediately after it's picked.

I only ever buy fresh spinach if I need it to 'look' like spinach IYKWIM? Sainsbos sell bags of frozen portions of chopped spinach. I just defrost in the microwave for 40 secs or so and then add it to whatever.

Have you got a juicer? You can juice veg with something sweet like apples and pineapples. Its great for building them up after they have been ill. she has also got a really sweet tooth so we quite often bake carrot muffins.

You can make smoothies with natural yoghurt and fresly squeezed juice or whizz up natural yoghurt with frozen berries. Also, if bolognese is her favourite, then definitely finely grate all sorts of other stuff in with it.

I also defrost frozen spinach and blend it with cream cheese. DD thinks its pesto and eats it up without a complaint on pasta.

we also add frozen spinach to "green egg", and my DS's fave meal is sausages and sweet potato mash. You can still make smoothies. I don't eat banana so mine are yoghurt/milk, strawberry, mango and peach.

Glad I don't have the only fussy child. DD is 2.5 so I think it might be a toddler thing. She has always been quite funny about veg but even stuff she used to love like tomatoes she no longer eats. She can spot a bit of pepper or carrot in a stew or pasta a mile off, though I do try and grate carrot and courgette into as much as I can.

Bizarrely the girl doesn't even eat cake

I find grating carrot/ courgette into sauces disguises it more than chopping, however finely.

I'd second the dipping thing - mine seem to like all sorts of dips with carrots/ celery.

Oooh, must remember to get some more frozen spinach, that's always good for getting past DD, DH too for that matter , I even stick it in curry.

I make a lovely chicken saag masala - got the idea from an Uncle Ben's (I think) sauce, and have made it my own!

i do as above, frozen spinach or veg into spag bol or plain tomato sauce. roasted butternut squash is fab. when done scoop into portions in the freezer then stir through pasta with cream cheese or creme fraiche.

did a fab easy pumpkin risotto the other day, so easy and ds gobbled it up. rolled the leftovers into croquettes, rolled in breadcrumbs and frozen for another day. keep meaning to try the frozen peas everyone on here keeps mentioning

Sorry, went to my mums for dinner tonight.

Most of my veg is frozen, so will def try the spinach thing.

DD does like sweet potato.

risotto is a good idea.

Will try and make some smoothies with natural yoghurt and berries and see where it gets me.

Need to buy a new blender as mine broke

Will try the dipping thing too.

So tomorrows shopping list goes:

Natural yoghurt
Frozen mixed berries
frozen spinach
frozen broccoli & cauli
frozen mushrooms
frozen onions
fresh carrots
fresh courgettes
tomato puree
peaches
plums
icelollie moulds
blender (cheap)
sandwich bags
cucumber
lasagne sheets
lasagne white sauce

err anything else I can add to it?

Do I need to add anything else to the natural yoghurt to make smoothies?

You might need to add some juice if they're not liquidy enough. Apple juice would be good with berries I think.

Have you seen those Innocent fruit squeezie things? I buy them when they're on special offer (too expensive otherwise) then freeze and give them to DS frozen. He loves them and they're just blended fruit.

BTF - where are they on special offer - trouble is I have to be careful what I buy as DD allergic to bananas.

We have plenty of Apple Juice in the apartment

Sainsbury's at the moment, two packs for £3. I don't think they have bananas in but couldn't swear to that.

Will have a look when I nip in there the weekend. thanks BTF

Have a look at this www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Big-Veg-Challenge-Vegetables/dp/009192359X book.
Can also add veg juice into juices or ice lollies. Beetroot carrot & apple good as is carrot & orange

Thanks ordered that along with the lunchbox book too

Does your dd like houmous? My ds loves it and it gets loads of veg into him as the houmous itself counts as a portion and he'll dip raw carrot (prefers it to cooked) and cucumber into it. Even with bread dipped in it's still a portion because of the chickpeas.

my d (4) will eat anything in a curry atm - also chunky crudites with sweet chilli sauce. i made some raw spring rolls (got idea froma US blog) and he seemed to like them too

Rachels103 - never brought houmous for DD mainly because I don't eat it - wrong I know. May buy a pot and see what happens.

Zebramummy - DD loves all currys and chilli con carne - her fav curry at the mo is Lamb Rogan Josh!

Grr, I made lovely smoothie with natural yogurt and frozen berries and juice yesterday and dd refused to drink it! Even though she will drink the innocent cartons of smoothie

opps! Why did she refuse was it because it wasn't in a carton?

Don't know, she is just really fussy with new things. I put it in her favourite cup, tried it in a glass with a straw, just said 'I don't like it'.

hmm, maybe ask how she would like to try it?!

My DD is being really fussy at the moment esp with food I know she loves grrr.