Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A Toddler Eating What...?


I've always admired how well my brother's children eat their vegetables.  Actually, they don't just eat them, they enjoy them (much to the credit of their mother)!  From the time Master W started solids, I have made it my goal for him to enjoy vegetables too.

Like most toddlers though, he does have his fussy days and this has been a frequent topic at our mothers' group recently - how do you get your little one to eat at least some vegetables?

When Master W is being particularly fussy, I hide the vegetables in recipes such as my Fruit & Oat Snack Bars (in particular the variation with carrot and zucchini) or my Cheesy Vegeful Muffins.  But I also think it is important to teach him to enjoy the taste of plain vegetables without hiding them, otherwise good eating habits will never last. 



When he's not so fussy, I often give him a grazing plate for lunch with some raw vegetables for lunch (he's particularly fond of red capsicum, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green beans and avocado).  He also enjoys a tub of frozen peas for a snack!  Other favourites include corn on the cob and steamed asparagus.

As with most things, I also find the example set by significant others to be important.  Master W wouldn't eat broccoli until Poppy showed him how yummy it is!  And on desperate days, I resort to feeding him his vegies bird-style - i.e. I'll hold a bean or carrot stick by one end in my mouth and he'll come and take it from me with his mouth and eat it!  It sounds a bit weird, but hey, if it works, why not?!

These are some of the things that work for us.  How do you get your little ones to eat their vegies?

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