13 month old DS refuses all fresh fruit and veg - any ideas?

[MissBrighton]

I shouldn't complain really as DS is not a bad eater. He loves his porridge, bread, cheese and anything pureed. He won't however eat ANY fresh fruit or vegetables. He loves fruit pouches such as Ella's Kitchen and he will eat veg if in a soup, sauce or puree. He will also eat mashed fruit in yoghurt if not too lumpy. God forbid though it would have any recognisable texture! Strangely he will chomp away on a sausage, eggy bread, a dry rice cake, a muffin and even mature cheddar. I know he is having a healthy diet but would like to add variety. I often introduce something new alongside food he knows, but if he rejects a new food it seems he has made up his mind and will refuse it for life! Any ideas / experience?

Watching with interest. DD 13mo is the same.

I suppose the pouches aren't too bad as they are still getting fruit and veg, I'm hoping in a few months time she'll start eating properly the pouches are expensive

The pouches are expensive! I also feel they upset his tummy sometimes, so I restrict to one a day. He loves them though, sucks one dry in 30 sec flat!

Could you disguise some veg in some mashed potato? Add gravy and give it a stir in. Its not complete mush, and the mashed potato gives it a smoother texture.
Anything that isn't carrot is a nightmare! We've had peas up her nose and everything

My 10 month old is the same. I've always thought it's because fresh fruit and vegetables are a bit difficult to munch on, even steamed, when they haven't got all their teeth. It must have a weird texture. Whereas bread, cheese etc just sort of turns to mush fairly easily with a bit or gumming.

Puree the fruit yourself and add to yogurt. Buy some plastic ice lolly makers - the warm weather will soon be here so you can use the pureed fruit in them.
Quiche or a frittata full of small bits of chopped veg, soften the veg a bit first before adding to the egg and cooking it is holdable for little hands.

Banana bread/cake.

Slices of toast with squashed banana or strawberries on top.

Pancakes with mushed banana/strawberries/raspberries/stewed apple/ whatever . Roll them up like a sausage so they are easy to grab.

carrots, cauli, peas and broccoli are good for mashing into potato.

Blitz down as many vegetables as you can to make sauces for pasta, rice or on top of potato.
Flapjacks made with oats - you can sneak many fruits in there and it keeps well too so you can make up a decent batch.

Mini pizzas - again chop the veg into tiny pieces and soften first.

Mash banana into porridge - again stewed apple would be good too or pears.

Teach them how to 'dip dip' with things like carrot sticks, sliced apple and whole strawberries into things like yogurt or even a little melted chocolate - if the dip is something they like they often hardly notice what they are using to dip dip and just eat it.

When they are older teach them about the Superpowers :)
You can't see in the dark if you don't eat up your carrots, broccoli gives you big muscles (we weren't a spinach family) Apples make you have strong teeth, are a few that were used and believed in my house.

Thank you CarbeDiem for the fantastic ideas! I love the lollies :) Will be trying all of them and really appreciate you taking the time and effort to write it all down.

You're very welcome. I remember how difficult it is to get little ones to eat the good stuff.
The lollies, banana muffins and mini pizzas were the biggest winners way back when my dc were small. I've got 3 6ft plus man-mountains - so I must have done something right along the way :)

DS rejected veg until I really overcooked it. Almost as if it was too hard to chew. Still prefers veg with gravy or sauce or in casserole. Luckily he guzzles all fruit including quite crunchy apples

Ha! Mine's the same at 2.5!!! I hide veg in bologese. He'll eat frozen spinach stirred into mashed sweet potato. Bananas and raisins. That's it. Won't eat fruit purée. Not peas or sweet corn, mashed potato, fruit pouches, processed fruit like humzingers. Not even juice. Maddening. I have one older child who will eat anything but v-e-r-y slowly and tiny amounts. And this one who guzzles adult portions of very limited foods.