Three and still eats pureed veggies. - Cooking for Kids - Post

Cooking for Kids

Public online group

Three and still eats pureed veggies.

Kelly

I have a three year old little man. He has always eaten a well balanced array of foods. We started solids at 6 months. I tried pureeing foods for a moment and then found it easier to buy the food. Now he is three and will not eat any vegetables unless they are pureed. He has an actual gag reflex when talked into eating Martian basketballs and will puke up everything he has eaten. He loves his jarred veggies and enjoys picking them out several times a day. He gets the allotted amount of veggies in a day and likes the taste. He just will not eat them unless pureed. We make his plate the same as ours every night with real vegetables on it and still he only eats his jarred stuff. I have even tried pureeing the vegetables we cook every night but he knows and will not touch them. Weird. Anyway I look forward to joining this group and if anyone has any advice I would love to hear it.
Posted by Kelly on 01/11/2009 10:19 AM

Marcia

You are not doing him any favors by continuing to feed him baby food. He is 3 and needs to be eating regular food. My guess is, if he is not having any trouble with any other types of food, the gagging is his way of getting you to give him what he wants. He is playing you. You need to simply stop buying the baby food. It should no longer be an option. He may continue to refuse regular vegetables for a while, but as long as he is eating a good variety of foods otherwise, that shouldn't be an issue. Continue to offer him the same veggies you eat. In addition, you could try to entice him by making it fun. Try things like ants on a log- celery sticks with either cream cheese or peanut butter and raisins on top for snack. Make silly faces with the peas or corn in the mashed potatoes. Make homemade pizza and let him put the veggies on himself, showing him how to make a silly face or shapes on it. But don't try to force him or get into a power struggle about eating veggies. That will only make him resist more. Just continually offer, and if he refuses, let it go until the next meal or snack. Let him make choices and help prepare the food. Eventually he will probably start eating them. In the meantime, if it takes a long time and you are concerned about his nutrition, talk with his pediatrician about whether a multivitamin is a good idea.
posted by Marcia on 01/11/2009 12:21 PM

Kelly

Thanks Marcia! It sounds great. I'll give it another go. I just hate to clean up the puck when we undoubtedly throws up. I'll put a drop cloth down before we eat. He does take a vitamin now I just worried about not having a daily green, yellow, and orange food in his diet. But, I think your right.. all or nothing. I should just stop giving him the pureed for a week a see how it goes. Thanks again:)
posted by Kelly on 01/11/2009 01:03 PM

Marcia

You are welcome. Glad I could help. I reread my post and was hoping it didn't come across as rude. When it comes to nutrition, it's not so much a matter of getting a little of everything every day, but over the course of several days or a week. So even if he eats a veggie only every other day or every 3rd day, he's doing well. Once he gets used to it, he will eat more.
posted by Marcia on 01/11/2009 01:29 PM

DeAnna

My son may not be eating solids yet, but I have been there when I was a nanny. the trick is to hide the veggies. If your little guy likes different foods, hide HOME PUREED veggies in everything from cupcakes and cookies to burgers and spaghetti! sweet potato is really yummy in some of the sweet stuff, while carrots and peas and spinach and zuchinni can be hidden in your spaghetti or other saucy dishes. The puree is a good way to get passed the gag reflex, but don't buy the stuff from the stores (make it yourself) Remember to be persistent, but don't enter into a power struggle with him, or let him have his way with the store bought stuff.

He may be a very hungry little boy for a bit, but eventually you will find he will eat...or at least try the food with hidden veggies.

posted by DeAnna on 07/25/2010 10:43 AM

Your reply: