Now Ryleigh, here's the thing. When we came home, she ate vegetables, loved them, I couldn't give her enough. Everything we put in front of her, you name it, she ate it. That "honeymoon" period lasted about a month. Now it is a struggle, a struggle that has exhausted me to no end. I am at my wits end on how to get these kids to eat veggies.
Tonight we had teriyaki chicken, rice and peas. Well, when Ryleigh wouldn't touch the chicken or peas, I mixed the peas in with the rice and snuck a bite into her mouth. This is what happened next:
She held the rice/pea mixture in her mouth for 15 minutes, slobber and snot running from every orifice. Meanwhile, I wished for a drink and walked away. I just don't know what to do. How can I FORCE the food pyramid on someone? It just doesn't work that way in the real world does it? I have had it. I am spent. I am done. I am in tears.
Please, please, does anyone have any ideas for me that will help? I know there has to be someone reading that knows what to do. I swear, I will try everything and report back!! Please.
26 comments:
i hope ryleigh feels better, u 2 stacey from, katie
Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. No good advice here (I'll be reading your comments for some gems), just letting you know that I feel for you. It is SO frustrating when they won't eat. Mine went through a phase a month ago where they would love something one day then hate it the next. I would get so ticked off I can't even tell you. I wish I could tell you I figured out some magic cure, but for some reason they just started to eat "normally" again and stop torturing me. I'm sure this is just a phase too, but I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it while it lasts.
Hey - sorry - no magic advice here. My mom told me many moons ago that I can't force my boys to eat. They will eat when they are hungry. She said to not give in to the sweets if they don't eat dinner but offer the dinner again. Put veggies in the foods she likes. I despise peas - always have but my mom taught me a different way to make them and I'll eat them when made this way:
Put some olive oil in a small frying pan - just covering the bottom. Add some garlic and fry until the garlic is toasty. Use the "very early young pea" type peas, drain most of the fluid out and add to your olive oil. Cook until the peas get nice and wrinkled. I know - sounds kind of gross but it is very good.
Relax - maybe she can get her veges drinking some V8?? :p
~Carla
I always had to "hide" the veggies in things....cheese sauce on the broccoli, carrots with Ranch dip,celery with peanut butter and LOTS OF STIR FRY (They like to eat it more if they get to help prepare the veggies and help cook them for some reason)
There are still some things they won't eat like califlower and brussell sprouts...but who likes those? Stick with the carrots and celery for a while....
Otherwise...give them vitamins..I have found the "threats" of no tv or no dessert never really fazed them. They would rather fight you than get the privlige....Sorry, but every Mom goes through this. Oh, and by the way, the issues just get worse. Try not to get upset(although I have spent MANY a night leaving the table in tears) this is a faze...focus on the good things...like...at least they like rice! Good luck!
Thinking about you...Kim
Hi Stacey...Getting kids to eat vegies is rough!!! When my step daughter wouldn't eat them I would go NUTS!!!! We actually went to counceling to get some good ideas for good eating habits. The one thing I took from it was not to stress out, not to push and just let them eat what they can.
One thing you can try is a food based multi vitamin. Rainbow One has a good one for kids. Food based is the best. Check out Whole Foods for ideas.
Keep us posted!
I wish I had some pearls of wisdom but I am just writing to lend you my support. I hope you find a solution and soon!
Keep smilin!
Make them a fruit smoothie, and put a bit of broccoli and carrot it in. works like a charm for us. Generally, banana will mask any other flavor. Even at Jamba Juice I alway ask them to put a shot of carrot in our daughter's smoothie.
I'm sorry I can't think of any advice. I too busy laughing at the cute picture!
Can you believe how much work and fuss our children put into things like these? Why can't they conserve all this energy for a more worthwhile cause...let's say help mommy with house chores :)
Sorry to hear about not having fun here! :(
We get Syd to eat her Brocolli by using "Dip-Dip". Now this can be ANYTHING! Most of the time it is Ranch dressing. We give her a little bit and she laps it up. But she only allowed to use it for her brocolli, NOT ON A Fork or a spoon.
Oter "dips":
applesauce
BBQ Sauce
Katsup
Yogurt
Good luck and big cyber Hugs sent out to you!!!
I have the same problem. My daughter (2.5 years old) will not eat vegetables, other than edamame, and meat. In fact, she only eats carbs. Finally, I went to Whole Foods and bought green powder (which contains powder freeze dried green vegetables) and hide in her drinks and food. She doesn't know that it's there. I would rather have her eat vegetables, but for now, this compromise works for our household. Good luck!
Stacey,
I would suggest that you
give them both a good multi vitamin and don't sweat it. All three of my boys despised vegetables to the point that their noses could detect a hidden veggie from 100 yards away. My pediatrician told me that as long as I was consistent in giving them a vitamin and always "offering" the veggies I was doing all that I could. They are all now grown men who are healthy as oxes and all LOVE veggies. The transition didn't take place until well into their teens but I promise it will get better. Hang in there
Sorry you're having this trouble. I'm lucky that my Pipsqueak still loves her fruits and veggies and she's been home for 5 years now from India...
Anyway- try putting carrots, zucchini, broccoli into a food processor... blend it up and add it to meatloaf or spagehtti sauce. The kids will never know it's there if they don't see you making the meal.
You can puree veggie blends and do this on a regular basis. Also- maybe a veggie soup with alphabet noodles? Or dip for the veggies?
You can always try V8 juice or the V8 that is sweeter like fruit juice/ but is veggie juice.
Pediasure is a good suppliment too.
I read someplace that it takes about 15 times of introducing a new food before a child might try it... My Pipsqueak will take a small bite to try things and then if she doesn't like it- she doesn't have to eat it.. This works eventially- she usually ends up liking the offering around the 12th time offered. :)
Good luck and hang in there.
Kikilia
Hey Stacey,
I 2nd the "dip-dip" suggestion. Norah will (still) chomp the carrots and broccoili down with her "dop dop"....
A vitamin for the kids can't hurt and it would probabley reduce your stress (and guilt) over the pyramid thing.... Ryleigh looks healthy to me! Offer the veggies, cancel dessert if they don't eat them, hand out the vitamins and pour yourself a glass of wine.....
God Luck :)
Anna
I can't add much. Everyone has excellent suggestions!
My two girls are like Ryleigh -- they hate veggies! So I try not to sweat it and make sure they get all their vitamins by giving them a bottle (or two) of Pediasure each day. They LOVE that.
Sometimes, I puree veggies we're eating for dinner and add them to spaghetti sauce or soup. If they can't see them, they can't pick them out!
As a small child, my 19 year old son would eat any veggie that was smothered in cheese sauce. You could try that. You could also get the kids involved in food prep. They might be more excited to eat something they helped "make".
:)
Donna
Our blog: Double Happiness!
Check out http://ellensgrind.blogspot.com for April 14th. If you're into hiding vegetables in food they'll eat, Ellen references a cookbook by the Sneaky Chef. Her kids gobbled down chocolate donuts made with pureed spinach and blueberries, and she had reasonable success with a lot of pureed vegetables in a spaghetti sauce.
Betty (China adoption blog reader)
Im sure I read something about this in Today's Parent. I will try to find the article for you.
Just delurking to share. I went to a nutritionist because I was so worried and she said "You decide what they eat and when and they decide how much" So I offer meat, veggies and pasta,potato,rice or what have you and usually salad. It worked after offering about 25 times they started eating some of the veggies. I didn't demand they eat them but we talked about the goodness that was in them and what can be possibly prevented by eating them. I printed a picture of the food groups and put it on the fridge and tell the kids they need to AT LEAST eat from each food group every day for balance.
Of course I sneak in all the healthy snacks I can and clap secretly when they eat the spinach in my home made lasagna. LOL
Good Luck It's an ongoing battle but my older ones even eat salad now. I'm still in shock.
Laurie
oh my gosh, my Ellie makes that same exact face, snot and all. i have given up the ghost on the veggies, i didn't last nearly as long as you did (bless you) i figure once we understand eack other better and she is more secure i will revisit the subject
if thats any help
oh by the way im kathy mom of 4 i just found your blog, thanks for sharin
kathy
Flintstones vitamins!!!!
Hey Stacey,
My step-daughters did not like anything new and one refused anything healthy, we got them to try new foods by bribing them, they liked money, so they would receive a quarter everytime they tried a new food. The new food had to be a regular bite or small portion that we chose. Generally, they liked the new food and continued to eat it. We finally got Hannah to eat vegetables this way. She was 5 when we started this. Allie still eats anything you give her, she loves her fruits and veggies, but we still give her a multi vitamin. It is called "Lil Critters Gummy Vites" they look like gummy bears and we buy them at Target. Good Luck.
Reverse psychology. "Oh NO, you better not eat those, only a princess would eat them" or "wait, don't eat them, or you'll grow big and strong!"
Always worked with my BIL's kids.
Oh the food struggles! I was just saying tonight how tired I am of begging people to please just eat.
I have had great success with soups. I even will buy jars of baby food vegetables and blend them into cream soups. My one daughter will also eat vegetables if I let her put "shaky cheese" on them.
One suggestion is to grate some of the veggies and put them in the food. If you cook casseroles and home made pizzas those are good food to put them in.
I hear you. I have a few suggestions that came from our ped. (1) buy the frozen vegetable casseroles. Green Bean casserole. Alfredo Vegetables etc. Syd loves these; (2) cover them in cheese; and (3) if all else fails, give them lots of fruit as it has the same vitamins! I wish someone had told my mom #3 when I was growing up.
Stace-
Shelby makes that exact same face - amazing! I think she has set the world record for world's longest time between taking a bite and swallowing it - 30 minutes, no lie! And that was chicken! We don't even ATTEMPT vegetables!!! Seriously, though, I give her princess chewable multivitamins and the new V8 Fusion fruity drink which supposedly has a serving of veggies in every drink. Good luck!
Don't serve "vegetables," serve "rouuuuuund circles." Slice a zucchini into circles, put in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water, cover and microwave for, oh, about a minute give or take. Drain the water, splash with olive oil, and make a biiiig deal out of eating "rouuuuuuuuund circles." Both of my boys loved their round circles. You might also try sprinkling them with a tiny bit of lemon pepper or some other seasoning salt (don't use much; just a taste).
You might even have the round zucchini circles cap a day of round-circle themed activities: cutting circles out of paper, making play-dough circles, circle bracelets, whatever. Serve something round (mini bagels?) for breakfast, spaghetti-o type lunch, round cookies for their snack, and then zucchini circles with their dinner. They will be so excited about the circle theme that they won't know what hit them.
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