My 2-year-old son is a very picky eater. And by picky, I mean that he only likes yogurt, fruit, chicken, pasta and sweets. And though I’m thankful that he loves healthy things such as yogurt and fruit, I wish that he’d take a liking to vegetables too.
It’s important for little ones to acquire good eating habits early. Here are few things that I’ve attempted (with varying results) to get him to eat his vegetables.
Please, just one bite
It’s ridiculous to think that a toddler will eat a whole helping of broccoli or spinach. Many moms subscribe to the three bit rule, insisting their child eat at least three bites of everything on his/her plate. Well three bites didn’t work for us. So now, it’s “Please, just one bite.” Many times, he takes a minuscule nibble and says a very fake, “Mmmmm” just to appease me.
Fun and colorful
Young kids like to see different colors. Therefore, you can try giving them a variety of colorful veggies, rather than a single one. This hasn’t worked for me yet, but I’ve seen other mothers have great success with a mixture of broccoli, squash and bell peppers.
What they don’t know…
Though I’m not big on lying, I’m a fan of hiding vegetables. Almost every kid loves spaghetti and spaghetti sauce is a fantastic place to hide veggies. You can add broccoli, carrots, spinach and other vegetables to the pasta sauce in a food processor. These vegetables barely change the taste of the sauce and your toddlers will eat it without even noticing the difference. You can also add shredded carrots to bread, muffins and other recipes.
How do you get your little ones to eat their vegetables? Leave a comment and let us know.
