Help me get more fruit and veg into DS pleeeease

[PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow]

Help!

DS has always been a fussy eater, he's been getting better recently and I've been able to hide loads of veg in mash/fish pie/cottage pie etc. He'll eat chunks of chicken/fish fingers/sausages etc.

Recently he doesn't want to eat anything but the meat. He won't eat veg on it's own, and he doesn't eat any fruit. He used to eat fruit puree but turns that down now.

He used to eat most things at nursery, but is now turning down fruit and veg there too

he won't drink smoothies, doesn't drink juice, won't eat mash anymore. He will eat chips so the only thing I can think of is chipping things like sweet potato, parsnip and butternut squash in the hope he'll eat those.

Does anybody have any brilliant ideas?

thanks

Does he eat pasta? You can hide lots of pureed veg in the tomato sauce.

Sadly no, won't eat it on it's own or in a sauce.

He's going off everything in sauce now (my fish pie had 8 different veg in it, but he barely touches it now)

it's so frustrating!

I give him vitamins, and his eating is OK otherwise, it's just the fruit and veg.

How old is he? Is the fussiness about him trying to make decisions and take control over his meal?

I tend to offer a "choice" of two or 3 veg each mealtime, and only a teeny tiny portion of the "favourite" food with the promise of a second helping if the veg is eaten. I don't believe in hiding the veg - that is not really solving the root problem.

And no pudding if it isn't eaten - if you're not hungry for carrots/peas/spuds etc, then I'm sure you don't have room for ice-cream/cake/apple pie etc!! You have to be vigilant about stopping snacks between meals otherwise he might be filliing up on biscuits etc in between times.

Bribery and corruption!

And I definately would not turn everything into chips - he is leading you on!

What about making the smoothie into ice lollies?
DD will eat those, but not keen on drinking smoothie.

Jelly made with apple juice rather than water?

he's 2.3. It's just a phase, isn't it

Yes, the chips thing is a bad idea isn't it. I've been offering slices or pepper and some carrots, or peas and sweetcorn. I'll have an apple and leave slices about for him to pick at.

he won't even eat raisins anymore

Think I need to ditch the yoghurts. He drinks plenty of milk, so I think ditching puddings may help

A few ideas:

1. My ds1 is a vegetarian and is gluten free at the moment. I have been making my own veggie gravy for him (commercial gf gravy is vile) by cooking up a variety of veg in stock (like a soup) then straining off the liquid and blending a bit of the veg back into it to thicken it up. At yesterday's dinner he ate, potatoes (which he despises), carrots, sweet potato, onion, parsnip and leeks all contained in his gravy and he was none the wiser.

1. To get fruit into him you could try making your own ice lollies.

1. Another way to get him to eat fruit might be to make carrot, banana or courgette cakes or muffins or make a normal victoria sponge, but fill it with fruit puree instead of jam.

1. Try putting just one piece of fruit and veg for him to try at every meal and getting him to take a bite. Don't make a fuss about whether or not he eats all of it, but praise him for trying it. I can't remember exactly but I think it takes about 8 tastes of something new before children will accept it.

1. Don't despair, ds1 wouldn't eat anything unless we added pear to it for ages (even cauliflower cheese had to have pear with it - boak). Now he eats everything except potatoes, peas and sweetcorn - oh and gluten of course.

Hope some of the above is useful.

I'm really a cruel mother when it comes to food - I deliberately make a favourite pudding when I know its a not-liked main course, that way I can use the "0h-never-mind-if-you're-not-hungry-and-can't-finish-your-main-so-you-don't-want-pud-either" line.
They usually finish it, even if it is only a tiny portion I have put on the plate, because they want that pudding!

Another strategy is to let them negotiate to only eat half of the amount on the plate - you both win then!

Good luck!

hi, my dd1 is 7 and has always been a very fussy eater to the point of only eating baked beans at one point.

I got through it by offering smaller portions, no snacks, no pudding and bribery eg no yogurt if you don't eat your veggies etc. I also got her involved in making the dinners.

At 2.3 they are naturally fussy - dd1 started coming out of this stage at about 4 and started trying new things. She now has a varied diet, although she still won't eat any fruit.

Bear in mind that milk is quite filling, so perhaps just offer water between meals and milk at bedtimes?

it's just a fussy phase, don't react and don't pander to it! just stay calm and as if you're not bothered

but... some tips i found that worked were:

• limit milk, just before bed/morning. it is too filling as a drink, stick to water or v diluted fruit juice
• offer a snack when you know they are hungry of chopped up veg/fruit with a little pot of cream cheese/humous. even melted chocolate if you think he would dip strawberries in it.
• ice lollies are a good one
• a choice of 2 or 3 veg, then just give him one or two bits, nothing much. gradually increase
• try new things like corn on the cob with holders, diced butternut squash with chopped chicken in some rice in a little bowl etc..., roasted butternut squash
• soup with some nice bread
• apricots, strawberries with some apple maype plus a couple of marshmallows, chocolate buttons as a tasty treat?

good luck and don't panic, it will pass!

Make sure you and the rest of the family set a good example! My DS (nearly 3) is much happier to eat his veg when he sees that the rest of the family does.

'Fraid I've not read the rest of the thread, but my MIL could only get BIL to eat spam (with ground up vitamin pills) for a long time when he was little. He's now strapping 6ft4 healthy man who eats - and cooks - a wide variety of healthy food. So there IS hope.

Numptymum - cue song "Spam, spam spam spam"

DS is 2.3 too and having a carbs phase at the moment. A month or so ago, he wanted fruit all the time. Maybe your DS just needs his protein at the moment and it'll pass?

Do you cook with your DS? My DS likes to make pizza or wraps and will eat way more veg that way. We made houmous and carrot wraps the other day and he actually asked to put tomato in too. He loves to "help" cut up the vegetables and we talk about what colours they are, whether they are crunchy or juicy etc.

Just keep offering normal food with no fuss and it'll probably pass.

It sounds like you're going through testing times! Kids generally don't like things because of their texture I know when my DS was really young she wouldn't eat mushrooms for that very reason......I tried cutting veg up and disguising it in other food such as a bowl of beans, mash.

I also agree with BorntoFolk, if you get your DS involved in the preparation of food, it will seem like more of a game and he may be more likely to tuck in.

How old is your DS?

@meltedmarsbars

thanks all

DS had meatballs and a single small carrot for dinner and wouldn't eat his raisins.

Have made some fruit puree to sneak into his readybrek, that'll be all he has tomorrow I expect.

Look at the variety he eats over a week, not a day: you might find that less stressful?

good idea, thanks.

attempting to get rice cakes and raisins into him atm. Big fail

he'll be fine, I'm sure. I don't think I ate any fruit as a kid and I'm still here

Does he have an older child friend or relative that he looks up to? You could invite them for tea/have a party and get him involved in making the food (and encourage the other child to make a big fuss about how wonderfully tasty the things your DS made are). My kids adore their older cousins and do anything they do!

Sadly no.. there are only kids his age or younger that we know really.

His cousin is 6mo younger but eats literally anything you put in front of him (cue muh smugness from my sister ), but he doesn't pay any attention to him.

Cakes with fruit in are getting baked tomorrow, in the meantime mashed banana and puree in breakfast, and a few raisins + vitamins and I think he'll be OK for the forseeable. If he gets scurvy i'll take him to the GP

What about getting him to help make his food? Even something as simple as fruit skewers makes food a bit more fun - esp if he can dip the fruit into something like yogurt, fromage frais, chocolate

Would he eat a pizza if he made it himself - you could make a tomato sauce with extra veggies in it perhaps?

Good luck - am sure it will pass

Oh and dd will always eat when we have a 'carpet picnic' - put blanket on floor, she invites all her toys and eats finger food from her tea set! Obv we don't do this everyday but as an occasional treat it's fun!

I think that this is one of the most stressful aspects of childrearing. My DS who is now 11 won't eat very much veg at all. I do have several tricks/rules which I use:

If they don't eat their meal they can only have fruit for pudding.
I add lentils, grated carrots, grated courgettes and other grated veg to mince based dishes - grated veg seems to 'disappear' into the meat and not be notice.
I mash potato with other root veggies - if it comes out yellowy I add a little cheese and call it cheesy mash.
My kids love pasta with green pesto but they don't know that it also has pureed broccoli and sometimes pureed peas in it.
I make a tomato sauce for pasta/pizza etc with loads of hidden veg in it.
Soup is always a good one and if I have time I might make bread with grated veg in it.
Carrot muffins for breakfast.
Smoothies made with tinned summer fruits, juice, bananas and yoghurt.

The best advice I got was to chill out - kids don't starve in the western world. They will eat if they are hungry. Set some guidelines and stick to them. My brother lets his 3 fussy boys designed the weeks menu every Sunday but they have to make sure that they each get 5 a day and ketchup doesn't count. They have a realtively boring diet but they do normally meet the 5 a day target.

Vulture, you have just reminded me. Dh makes the boys 'green macaroni cheese'. They love it and there's lots of talk about alien food etc.

Little does ds1 know its actually green because dh purees peas into the cheese sauce. (Ds1 truly believes that peas are the Devil's own vegetables!)