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Started By
Message
Getting a 3 year old to eat vegetables
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:00 pm
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:00 pm
Any tips? My boy was born big at 9.5# and is taller than most kids his age - ate great as a baby and toddler, including all sorts of vegetables and proteins. Now, aside from dairy, he will only eat proteins - tacos, spaghetti (w/o noodles of course), chicken strips, steak, etc. He drinks a lot of milk and eats fruit and yogurt and takes vitamins. But he gets absolutely zero vegetables. I'm not even talking broccoli and brussel sprouts. We can't get him to eat mashed potatoes and creamed corn. He'll wail and cry at the site of it, and he's never even tried it before.
We've tried not letting him have any other food at all, figuring he'd get hungry - he starved himself out. We've tried taking away all treats and sweets - no ice cream, icees, snowcones, candy, etc. He asked for an icee at the pool today - my wife asked him if he would eat a vegetable with dinner - his reply was "no, I don't want an icee because I'm not going to eat a veggie" (at least he's not old enough to lie).
It's the most illogical thing I've ever seen - if he will eat just 2 bites of a food that isn't really even considered a vegetable anywhere other than Cracker Barrell, I'll buy him anything he wants. He wouldn't trade a bite of peas for eternal happiness or a life of money, hookers, and blow.
Please help - And save me the amateur stuff, like "Oh, let him cook with you and he'll enjoy eating it!" - tried it, thought he was going to start stabbing us with the kitchen knife when we put it near his plate. Or "Hide it in some other foods so he won't notice" - he only eats solid proteins that can't be easily altered. The slightest inconsistency, like minced up zucchini in spaghetti sauce, is found and promptly refused. This is a true illogical aversion that can't be solved.
We've tried not letting him have any other food at all, figuring he'd get hungry - he starved himself out. We've tried taking away all treats and sweets - no ice cream, icees, snowcones, candy, etc. He asked for an icee at the pool today - my wife asked him if he would eat a vegetable with dinner - his reply was "no, I don't want an icee because I'm not going to eat a veggie" (at least he's not old enough to lie).
It's the most illogical thing I've ever seen - if he will eat just 2 bites of a food that isn't really even considered a vegetable anywhere other than Cracker Barrell, I'll buy him anything he wants. He wouldn't trade a bite of peas for eternal happiness or a life of money, hookers, and blow.
Please help - And save me the amateur stuff, like "Oh, let him cook with you and he'll enjoy eating it!" - tried it, thought he was going to start stabbing us with the kitchen knife when we put it near his plate. Or "Hide it in some other foods so he won't notice" - he only eats solid proteins that can't be easily altered. The slightest inconsistency, like minced up zucchini in spaghetti sauce, is found and promptly refused. This is a true illogical aversion that can't be solved.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:02 pm to NaturalBeam
He's 3 dude. It'll pass. Calm down.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:03 pm to NaturalBeam
Might as well try to divide by zero.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:04 pm to NaturalBeam
Do you think he would drink a shake? You can hide veggies in a shake with milk and peanut butter or something similar
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:04 pm to NaturalBeam
Don't feed him for a day or two. Then hand him a vegetable. It'll be gone in seconds.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:04 pm to NaturalBeam
hide it in a smoothie or shake?
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:04 pm to ellunchboxo
quote:
It'll pass. Calm down.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:05 pm to NaturalBeam
Process veggies like red and green bell pepper and eggplant in a food processor, saute them until soft, then mix them into taco meat or spaghetti sauce.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:08 pm to NaturalBeam
Rice some cauliflower and mix it up with the bread crumbs for the coating when you make him some chicken tenders. Give him a fruit smoothie with a little spinach puréed in. Not joking, put zucchini or carrots in brownies. Done right he won't know.
Then be patient. He'll get over it. My sister survived on mac and cheese, dinner rolls and dessert until high school. Then she would eat broccoli smothered in a pound of cheese. Only after college did she eat like an adult. She played competitive tennis and has always been healthy, so your son will be fine.
Then be patient. He'll get over it. My sister survived on mac and cheese, dinner rolls and dessert until high school. Then she would eat broccoli smothered in a pound of cheese. Only after college did she eat like an adult. She played competitive tennis and has always been healthy, so your son will be fine.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:09 pm to NaturalBeam
Let the issue rest for a while. Don't mention it at all. Try again later.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:09 pm to NaturalBeam
quote:
We've tried not letting him have any other food at all, figuring he'd get hungry - he starved himself out.
This worked for us. He will eat eventually.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:10 pm to NaturalBeam
quote:
We've tried not letting him have any other food at all, figuring he'd get hungry - he starved himself out.
This was going to be my suggestion. How exactly did this play out? How long did he go without food?
You might just need to accept that he has a stronger will than you. (only kind of joking).
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:11 pm to ellunchboxo
quote:Yeah, I get that he's also not going to require me to escort him to go take a dump his entire life either. I'm asking for tips on ending this non-veggie stage sooner than it otherwise has to go on for.
He's 3 dude. It'll pass. Calm down.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:12 pm to NaturalBeam
quote:give him a year. He'll take this deal if you can just wait a year I promise.
He wouldn't trade a bite of peas for eternal happiness or a life of money, hookers, and blow.
Kids are smarter at younger ages nowadays.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:13 pm to NaturalBeam
Is it because he's constipated?
Who cares if he eats vegetables right now?
Give him more fruit for now.
Who cares if he eats vegetables right now?
Give him more fruit for now.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:14 pm to NaturalBeam
If he's constpated, give him more water to drink and less milk.
You can also give a child miralax
Also, try the vegetable Capri sun drinks.
You can also give a child miralax
Also, try the vegetable Capri sun drinks.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:14 pm to NaturalBeam
We're in the same boat. He still likes the pouches on occasion and those have veggies in them. Other than that, we try but don't push too much. He eats the spaghetti my wife cooks, which has a lot of veggies.
I assume he'll grow out of it. I did by the time I was around 6.
I assume he'll grow out of it. I did by the time I was around 6.
Posted on 6/14/17 at 10:15 pm to NaturalBeam
Mine did this for a while. I just gave him an extra flinstones vitamin.
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