Increase fruit consumption!

[PinkDaydreams]

Hello all!
Please can anyone advise on how to encourage a 22 month old to eat fruit! He will only eat bananas, no other fruit, I’ve tried all sorts but he’s not interested. He will eat the cow and gate fruit pots and also Heinz fruit custard/yoghurts (He won’t eat ‘normal’ yoghurt or fromage frais).
Thank you!

DD is nearly 5 and was never a big fruit fan. She will now eat a bit of banana occasionally, satsumas, raisins, grapes, pineapple, melon, watermelon, and this last week we seem to have cracked apples. Berries are still a complete no-go.

We persevered. And we always make it available, always insist on serving a portion with meals and it's up to her whether she eats it, and always let her see me enjoy fruit instead of other sugary snacks (I eat my chocolate with my head in the larder). We insist on a vitamin supplement.

You could try offering chunks of fruit on lolly sticks or something. And muffins baked with fruit in are deceptively healthy (if you limit the sugar content from less natural sources). But the most important thing is to "not care". If his not eating fruit bothers you, he's going to not eat fruit. Two is the real beginning of boundary pushing, and he'll be trying to work out what your stress buttons are.

Mine ate raspberries no problem after I drew a face on my finger and put the raspberry on my fingertip as a hat. He wanted the raspberry on his own finger immediately, then he giggled and ate it.

My dd was very similar, she would only eat bananas. I started baking healthy non sugar oat snacks for her that had raspberry and blueberry in them, these were a hit and now she will happily eat those berries on their own or in natural yoghurt. Like pp I just kept offering her fruit.she loves satsuma now as well as apple. She won't eat strawberries or grapes or raisins but is starting to eat pear. I've just had to keep offering it to her.if she had her way she would still eat three bananas a day though

That’s genius, Tice!

I wouldn’t panic too much, OP. Just act not bothered, as pp said, but introduce little bits of fruit in other stuff. If he still won’t try, make a point of making something and then eating it in front of him, while saying how delicious it is, but he can’t have any. If he’s anything like my DD he’ll immediately start wailing and demanding some and then will demolish the lot to spite you!

What about little bits of poached pear with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce? Or oaty biscuits with little bits of berry in? Or mix things with banana, eg strawberry and banana crumble, peach and banana, etc. Start with only a little strawberry and gradually up the amount as he gets used to it. Prunes are also good, as they taste so sweet you could almost forget they’re a fruit.

Exposure. Just keep serving it but don’t make a big deal if he doesn’t eat it. Mix it up and don’t stop offering. Apparently it can take many many many times of seeing, touching, holding, tasting etc before some kids will eat an unknown food.

Wow I wasn’t expecting so many replies, thank you! He used to love figs, prunes and raisins but won’t touch them now.
@TiceCream I laughed out loud at your raspberry finger, that’s so funny!
He does see me eat fruit and I always serve some to him but he pushes it away.
@Tolleshunt he hates chocolate and ice cream too, and is very fussy with yoghurt. I’ve tried fruit and yoghurt but he spits it out.
I will keep on trying though, surely there’s got to come a day when he eventually tries some!!

Hmm, that does sound tricky if he’s also refusing foods like chocolate and ice cream.

I think you are right, just keep introducing new foods without any pressure, and hopefully at some point he will want to try, but it sounds like it will have to be totally led by him.

I wonder if it might help over time to help him think of fruit and veg as characters, similar to Tice with the raspberry? My four year old really loves the Doodle Mundo animations on YouTube (we supervise her 100% while on this to ensure no swapping to unsuitable content). These are funny little sketches where faces have been super imposed on real fruit and veg. I’m sure there are other series that are similar.

What are the thoughts on smoothies please? I’ve read so much good and bad that I feel confused! Obviously wouldn’t be giving all day everyday!

A small portion of pureed fruit or a smoothie isn't bad. Maybe you could puree the fruit and add a bit of yogurt so it's like a dessert. Or you could add pureed fruit to porridge.

I was thinking of a smoothie for his afternoon snack, he will normally have a corn based snack (kiddilicious veg stick things/apple rice cakes/carrot puffs). He’s had porridge this morning, that’s a good idea adding it to porridge, thank you @cherryblossomgin

I think a smoothie once a day would be absolutely fine. Far better to get him eating fruit than to worry about the sugar content, assuming he’s otherwise eating reasonably healthily overall.

@Tolleshunt that was my thought originally but then having googled I read lots of bad things about them and how ‘awful’ they are for toddlers

How is he on veg? If he eats lots of different veg then I wouldn’t be so worried if there’s only one or two fruits he eats. My DD age 7 is like this - only 3 fruits she likes but loads of veg. If he’s similarly restricted on veg though that’s more of an issue.

He’s picky with veg (not as picky as fruit) but it’s amazing how much you can hide in soup and pasta sauce!

Smoothie are "bad" for toddlers because pulling fruit releases all the natural sugars that would normally be contained within the fruit's flesh.

As he's having purees anyway I would say it's not going to make much difference as long as you're pretty hot on oral hygiene - teeth brushing is thorough and non-negotiable, you could ask your dentist about a fluoride coating periodically, and make sure he follows up the smoothie with a glass of milk or chunk of cheese. Dairy neutralises the sugars in the mouth.

If you can manage that then I would say a smoothie each day would be a great way to go. I would give the smoothie and then a chunk of cheese for his snack.

Cross post. OP, you can do the same with other meals. My spag bol usually has spinach and grated carrot packed in, as well as the usual onions, mushrooms, etc.

Lentils count as 1/5 (although only one portion of beans or pulses per day counts towards it). You could shove a handful in soup, spag bol, chilli, cottage pie, even blend them up in gravy. Great source of protein too.

Homemade hummus or guacamole would also count if he'll have dips.

DD stands with me and prepares food. I let her pick off the chopping board. Weird child loves raw mushrooms. You might find a bit goes in that way too.

I didn’t know that about lentils, thank you! When I make soup I always throw some lentils in.
He also won’t eat chunks of cheese, I have to grate it into mashed potato or mix into beans. He had a dairy/milk allergy when younger and is now really funny with dairy foods.
He likes to eat off my plate so I’m going to try chunks of cheese on my plate and see if he wants it then.

Maybe similar textured fruit like fresh mango slices?

DS2 will only eat pealed sliced apple. Nothing else. Had a bite of banana and vomited because of the texture. 🤣

@yellowallpaper they can be so dramatic can’t they?!
He used to like melon when he was smaller but that gets pushed away now too!

😂 DS(15 months) has CMPA and, if he outgrows it, it's going to be a nightmare getting him off the Violife. He won't touch any veg unless it's in spaghetti bolognese. He's never actually eaten more than a bite of carrot or broccoli etc. He will eat any fruit I put in front of him no matter how mundane or exotic.

As for cheese, you could try chunks, slices or grated, even Dairylea. A small cup of milk will do the trick though.

My theory is that when toddlers eat much processed baby food they tend to dislike lots of normal food tastes, even fruit, as their palate is used to bland. Ive noticed it in my own children in the past plus those of friends and relatives.

@Auberjean Because my son has several allergies he doesn't have processed food at all. We do BLW, have offered a variety of veg from 6 months. 9 months later he still won't touch it.

One of my children is a fruit refuser. I’m not pushing it, fruit isn’t the healthiest food in the world so I’m not worried about it. Unless they refuse both fruit and vegetables you should be able to patch together a healthy enough diet without pushing.

@Auberjean mine eats very spicy curries, I don’t think it’s that.

That's interesting. But I do think that babies who eat processed hard are fussier about "real" food. You can tell just from tasting it that it's almost flavourless, and i think they get used to it.