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9/26/07 10:37 A

Last week I was watching the Truth about food by Dr. Oz and he showed that it you give your child 1 small piece of a vegetable he doesn't like, and do this for 10 days he will start to like the vegetable and in 30 days you will have no trouble at all getting him to eat it. they must be small pieces and only 1 a day. HE SHOWED it worked.

Posts: 1,208
9/10/07 12:10 A

I'm still trying new things but one thing I did was started adding Naked Juice to his water so he gets used to the taste of the veggies or fruit. It's 100% juice. My two yr old drinks the Green Machine(which I know has spinach and broccoli in it) and Blue Machine flavors. He also drinks low sodium V-8. Oh I hate V-8. Yuck. Thank heavens he likes it. Then he watched mom and dad eat veggies and we continued to serve them to him (even though he wouldn't normally touch it). He eventually did it for the sake of being like us but still not really swallowing it. Finally he eats it if I mix it with stuff but it took a year. So don't give up!


Edited by: LUVSNOAH at: 9/10/2007 (00:11)

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8/28/07 9:56 P

My daughter hates spinach, but she loves my spinach, tomato, and fat free feta cheese omelets. :) I use only the egg whites, just throw everything in at once, scramble, cook and serve with a little ketchup. Her friend slept over last week and she loved it too. I use the frozen spinach, about 1.5 cup, 1 tomatoe chopped, 8 egg whites, and 2 oz crumbled feta. This is very yummy for breakfast or lunch.

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8/17/07 7:29 A

I try and get my kids to help me in the kitchen, helping getting the ingredients out and talking to them about them. I am glad to know that I am not the only one who does the no thank you bites!! My kids do that to broccoli, they like it a little 'cause they are little trees. Everything else I try to hide in the meal or see how they can help me prepare the dish--my oldest daughter and my son really love it!!

Posts: 1,673
8/16/07 12:33 P

If I want my daughter to try something new, I have to be willing to try/eat it as well. I'm a pretty picky eater myself but I have tried a few new fruits and veggies this year and my daughter has too. So by leading by example works for us. She never used to eat rice, but when I switched to brown rice and ate it, she did too. She likes hers mixed with a little corn. Great way to get her to eat some veggies too, add them to their favorite dishes.

Another idea to try is to... have them go with you shopping and pick out a new fruit or veggie to try for the week. If they get to choose it they may be more likely to at least try it.

current weight: 135.8

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Posts: 156
8/2/07 10:21 A

When I cook things I think my kids may be reluctant to eat, I tend to hype them up in advance. I make a big production about what it is, how good it is going to taste, etc. That at least gets them to try it. My kids love veggies so this is usually not a difficult task. If they are persistant in their resistance it usually means they do not like that specific item. For instance no amount of dancing will ever get my son to eat sweet peas, while he will run me over like a freight train to get to some broccoli.

My daughter can be fickle in her likes and dislikes of any food. She may eat it today and avoid it tomorrow. But I have found what works best with her is holding back something she likes to get her to at least try something.

My children also know their boundaries about poor behavior at the dinnertable. We can talk about why you do not like it, but to storm out is completely unnacceptable.

current weight: 351.0

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7/31/07 8:03 P

Tonight I made my son's favorite rice pilaf with carrot chopped up smaller than the rice. His comment? He'd rather have it without the carrot. Sigh...

But tonight's fight was about getting him to eat 2 oz of chicken before he could have more rice. He stormed out of the kitchen, refusing to eat any chicken.

I really hate mealtimes with this kid. They are so stressful.

-Annette

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7/31/07 6:35 A

My son loves Newman's Own low fat balsamic vinagrette, so when we introduce new veggies we put some of that on it.

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7/30/07 9:14 P

Liza - "chop it small enough that they can't pick it out!"

AH! I feel foolish. I was reading your post, thinking that my kids just pick out the vegetables. What a great idea this is! I'm going to give this a shot. My kids love things like rice with orzo, and I could throw in some finely chopped carrots or something.

We have the kids touch their tongues to something they don't want to try. And yes, sometimes they *do* realize they like something by that tiny taste. That's how my son ended up eating half the broccoli on my plate at a restaurant one time. Now he'll eat broccoli pretty much any time it is placed in front of him.

What I *don't* get is that the two of them ate a ton of asparagus about a year ago at dinner, and won't touch it since. I can see it if it was years ago and their tastes changed or something, but it was a matter of *weeks* and *neither* would touch it.

-Annette

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7/18/07 3:08 P

LOL...Your kung-Fu is quite good grasshopper!!!!

I like...I like.....

Thanks Lizabaker...

Edited by: POCOHANTAZ at: 7/18/2007 (15:09)

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Posts: 1,117
7/18/07 2:51 P

ah yes, veggies....

add to familiar dishes (homemade mac & cheese w/ peas, couscous with corn, rice pilaf with chopped spinach or peas & carrots) - the trick is to not overcook, so cook separately just until fork-tender, then toss in at last minute. and chop it small enough that they can't pick it out!

dips and spreads - my little one won't each spinach, but put it in a yogurt dip and voila - it's gone! try bean dips with veggies pureed right in (black beans are good at hiding them!)

meatloaf - puree cooked veggies or chop in the food processor, and add to meatloaf, burgers, meatballs, etc. - just be sure to account for more liquid oozing out, and cook just until well done to retain some nutritional value.

current weight: 141.4

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7/12/07 11:21 A

Okay I am sure you all have had this battle...when it comes to trying new veggies...LOL.

Well I have taught my children that they have to at least take a "No Thank You" bite of whatever is being served.

So if we are having broccli...if they think they dont like it...i make them take at least a forkful and try it..I explained they will never know if they dont like it if they dont't try it...They do this at school as well..because I explained that it might hurt the person who prepared the foods feelings if they dont at least try it...smiles...

Please feel free to share the tips that you may have to get the kids to eat their veggies on this thread..

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