DS wants to try broccoli. Is there something else that will make him into a veg lover?

[Kiriwawa]

This is really an SN post but I'm casting the net wide for more ideas!

DS has SN and is a food refuser all round. He eats about 10 things and only one veg (corn on the cob).

He saw a photo of himself with a bit of broccoli when he was a baby and has said he's going to try it tomorrow. He is very scared of food he doesn't know but he's recently tried 2 new foods (1 liked, 1 not) so I feel we're on a bit of a roll so I really want to capitalise on his excitement that actually the bit of melon he ate wasn't the most delicious thing ever but neither did it kill him.

On the one hand, great that he wants to try it. On the other, I'm worried he'll hate it and that will be the window to the magic world of veg shut for another 3 years.

Any suggestions?

Asparagus. Sugar snaps. Mange tout. Baby corn. Pan of boiling water, chuck in the veg for a minute or two and take out. They cook surprising quick and keep the crunch, even better with green veg is to have a bowl of ice cold water to pop the veg straight in from the boiling water.

Carrots cut in batons, or baby carrots.Cabbage. Peppers. Celery, because of the texture thing peel the stringy bits off. Cucumber. All lush raw.

Could also try stir frying veg, keeps its crunch. And chuck in some beansprouts and water chestnuts.

Great new book - getting the little blighters to eat

Only around 60 pages but amazing!

DS2 has HFA but is very into gardening. Anything he has grown in his garden he will eat - today he was declaring that broad beans were his favourite vegetable ever, after he had picked them and podded them (along with peas and carrots). He is desperately waiting for another cauliflower and some more strawberries to finish ripening as we haven't had any for all of 2 days. He tries most of it raw first and then cooked on the crunchy side (none of my ASD boys will eat anything mushy by choice as they don't like the texture).

butternut squash and peas - I'm sure they have been said, but I love them

Ooh, dip buttery asparagus into a runny yolked boiled egg, yum. Does he like eggs?

DS1 loves his brocilli raw - also very into crunchy foods.

Maybe if your DS tries it tomorrow you could do it both raw and steamed.

Maybe a bit late in the year to start now, but would he be into growing his own veg next year? Our two eat peas and beans straight from the plants, and carrots straight from a clean under the tap.

Would he eat the annabel karamel (sp) tomato sauce? Great with pasta, pizza base....

It has carrots, mushrooms, etc within it. My 3 adore it but would not eat any of the veg individullay

Ds is similar with food but loves raw pepper, cucumber, lettuce.

What about raw turnip? I LOVED that as a kid.

Green beans? Nice and crunchy.

Would he be interested in the fact that for some people eating asparagus will make your wee smell funny? That got my boys eating it.

They also had a load of beetroot because they wanted to see if their wee would go pink.

Roast broccoli in oven with a splash of soy sauce over it. Yummy. And crunchy b

ER, for some people although their wee smells funny they can't smell it - that is genetic, as is the ability to produce smelly wee after asparagus consumption. Of course unless others are invited to smell their wee we never know if none smellers don't make the smell or lack the ability to detect it :)

Loshad I thought everyone's wee went smelly but not everyone could smell it. A bit like tasting PCT.

I got an invitation to go and smell wee, anyway, but politely declined.

PTC even.

Is there any saucey type things he likes you could cover it in? Gravy, beans?

I stir fry broccoli with soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce. Ds likes it with pesto.

I love broccoli!

I like the idea of having a try new food day with visuals, might try that one.

Chuck some cauliflower and olive oil in a zippo bag for half an hour and then roast it. So sweet and still crunchy. All my kids adore roasted cauli.

I thought that originally ER, exactly analogous to PTC tasting, but apparently it is more complicated than that with asparagus. Some produce vile smelling sulphur (old fashioned will not concede to american spelling) based compounds, some don't. But also some can smell those compounds and some can't. So if someone never complains about the side effects of eating asparagus (not me, it makes my wee stink ) you don't know if they are a non-producer or a non-smeller.

If he likes cheese sauce, try cauliflower along with the broccoli, they're my twins favourite veggies, with a bit of macaroni chucked in it's a perfect meal.

Another vote for asparagus dipped in egg yolk too,although we call it 'sparrow grass' (I think this was the original name).

Red pepper is popular, especially when they steal it from the chopping board as fast as I prepare it.

Wow. You are all really great moms. I'm hoping to start trying to conceive in the next year or so. I have a host of my own food issues and had quite a limited diet as a child, particularly around veg. My biggest fear is passing on my own body/food issues to my children. I'm in awe of all your fantastic ideas and the wonderfully positive messages you're giving your children about healthy eating. I hope I can follow your examples and pass on healthy habits to my children.

Asparagus in tempura batter might work for him, also things like parsnip, sweet potato or beetroot deep fried crisps, or aubergine thinly sliced in batter or baked with a cheese sauce.

How is he with colour? Would the shape and colour of peppers courgette or aubergine tempt him? How about a changing montage of colourful vegetables on the fridge door? I know this would take time to do and you are probably already run off your feet. Maybe get a relative to do it as a present next Christmas?

My sensory kid had (still has really) an aversion to lots of food textures, but Broccoli was something he could eat, had to be raw, even lightly steamed wasn't a good texture according to him. So he'd eat raw carrots, whole green beans, peas and broccoli. Loved the beans and peas still frozen too.
Good luck with introducing more veg. Let him lead the way. We used dip for a while with broccoli and cauliflower both raw. He never liked carrots, but the other kids loved them raw.
Makes dinner prep fast, a selection of raw veg and a few slices of cold meat, and a slice of bread and butter was a good dinner.

Broccoli dipped/drizzled in garlic butter.?

I have tender stem lightly steamed then flash fried with olive oil and balsamic glaze, which is very sweet. It may help take away the bitterness?

Good luck!

I make a Veg In The Hole - a bit like Toad In The Hole, but substitute lightly stir-fried veg for the sausages. But I have no idea whether your DS will like that sort of thing?