No More Vegetables

[Blackcat31]

I am looking for some different viewpoints and possibly some opinions/advice.

I have a dcg age 4.5. I have had her in care since she was just over 12 months and she comes full days M-F). She has always been a fabulous eater. Loves absolutely everything. Recently, she has decided that she no longer eats/likes vegetables. None of them. We eat a pretty big variety of veggies here...cooked in a variety of ways. We sometimes add cheese or dip or whatever and she has always gobbled them up. Usually, she is the first one done and asking for more.
FTR-I do NOT have food wars here. I try to serve a well rounded meal with variety and fun in our menus. Kids get the same food on their plates as everyone else. If you are hungry, you eat. If you aren't hungy or don't like something, you don't eat. Simple as that.

I do not do special meals or substitutions. I also do not do treats or snacks in between regularly scheduled meals and snacks. Meal time is NOT allowed to be a source of power or struggles here.

I guess I am just going about my business as usual and if dcg doesn't eat any veggies there is no special attention for it. One rule we do have here though is no seconds on anything unless your plate is clean. (ALL first servings meet food program guidelines for content and portion size) so she is not deprived of anything except by her own free will.

I am simply wondering what some of you guys think about this situation. Do you think it is a phase? Is it a power trip thing (Mom forces her to have 4 bites; 1 bite per year of age of everything at home before being excused from table.) Is she just testing? Is she simply 4? I have never had anyone do this with food before, except 2 year olds.

So I am just wondering if there is an angle I haven't viewed this from. I am starting to think it is going to get worse because mom is seriously wigging out over this.

[SimpleMom]

Not sure. I've seen it happen on occassion, but not for prolonged periods of time. I do the however many bites per age thing here and that helps. Maybe it's just a phase and she'll bounce back. Sounds like she generally likes them.

[kidkair]

It's probably just a phase. I'd just continue doing as you have always done. Maybe request that she at least eat one bite before saying she doesn't like it but don't give her any more food unless she clears her plate. I have one 3 year old right now who refuses to eat chicken or tuna. I simply let him not eat. I never offer more than the food program guidelines. Here it's they get what's on their plate and that's it until next eating opportunity. If they complain that they ate it all and are still hungry (SAs) I tell them they can wait to full fill up at dinner with parents. I also tell them that it's unhealthy to be super full and what I give them is just what their bodies need to continue playing. I also offer water to finish filling them up.

[wdmmom]

My son doesn't eat cooked veggies very well. If it is able to be offered raw, than I give it to him that way. I would see if offering raw helps her.

My son would eat french fries like they were going out of style but didn't much care for hashbrowns or mashed potatoes. We offered hashbrowns with ketchup and WAA LAA! He eats them! I also sprinkle just a little salt and pepper on them and see if that's a little more inviting to her.

Good luck!

[Blackcat31]

Not sure. I've seen it happen on occassion, but not for prolonged periods of time. I do the however many bites per age thing here and that helps. Maybe it's just a phase and she'll bounce back. Sounds like she generally likes them.

I am hoping for her sake it is just a phase. I don't do any required bites of anything because as I said, I do not engage in any type of food struggles at all, but I get why mom does it; her kid; her rules.

It's probably just a phase. I'd just continue doing as you have always done. Maybe request that she at least eat one bite before saying she doesn't like it but don't give her any more food unless she clears her plate. I have one 3 year old right now who refuses to eat chicken or tuna. I simply let him not eat. I never offer more than the food program guidelines. Here it's they get what's on their plate and that's it until next eating opportunity. If they complain that they ate it all and are still hungry (SAs) I tell them they can wait to full fill up at dinner with parents. I also tell them that it's unhealthy to be super full and what I give them is just what their bodies need to continue playing. I also offer water to finish filling them up.

I feel the same way about not being overly full. This child does not ever complain about being hungry; atleast not here because she knows what my response will be so she doesn't even bother. I don't want to start requesting that she eat even one bite because I feel as though BTDT and it will just open the gates for a power struggle. Although, if it were my child, I would probably do that at home. I just feel as though at daycare it is tough to do that sort of thing because of the variety of backgrounds the children come from that it would be asking for trouble...kwim?

My son doesn't eat cooked veggies very well. If it is able to be offered raw, than I give it to him that way. I would see if offering raw helps her.

My son would eat french fries like they were going out of style but didn't much care for hashbrowns or mashed potatoes. We offered hashbrowns with ketchup and WAA LAA! He eats them! I also sprinkle just a little salt and pepper on them and see if that's a little more inviting to her.

Good luck!

...as I mentioned, we do cook our veggies in alot of different ways (grilling, boiling, steaming, fresh/raw, and baking etc) and I have enough condiments available that most buffets would be jealous.....


I'm just thinking she is just trying to rock the boat and see what happens. It has only been going on for about a month now so I shall have to wait and see if she has more determination and patience than her mother or I. Of course she is a redhead so I might have to really be patient......

[morgan24]

I have one just like that. Went from being a really good eater and would eat every veggie on her plate. Now she has refused to eat any veggies or fruit (except strawberries). I serve it, if she eats she eats. I don't give seconds unless she cleans her plate. It may only be one green bean and one slice of banana, she still will not try it. I don't get into food battles either. I think they will come around, but the bigger deal you make out of it the longer it will last. I just try to reassure dcm that she will not starve herself. I think you are handling it fine. I wouldn't change anything.

[Lucy]

I don't force them. I won't do the battles. But you might think about those cookbooks where they have recipes to "sneak in" the veggies. They start with a base of pureed veggie of some kind, but when you're done, the kids would never know the veggie is in there. Maybe that's counter-productive because they think you're allowing them to get away with not eating veggies... I don't know. I see the good AND bad in it. Just a thought though.

ETA: Thinking about this a little more deeply, I think I would just continue with the status quo. Continue with what you're now doing. Have the veggies there and available for her, and maybe her tastes will swing back around and she'll start trying them again. As you said, you offer them in a variety of ways, so maybe on a "fun" veggie day (dip, or cheese with raw veggies) she'll pick some up and surprise you. I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. That just gives HER power to go against you.

[grandmom]

Blackcat31,

My food plan is exactly the same as yours. No variation. I wouldn't even serve ketchup with the hash browns as someone else mentioned. This is the food, eat or don't. I'd be inclined to serve more vegetables just to get this out of the way faster. When she's hungry enough, she will eat. If we up the anty, so to speak, with ketchup etc., then they begin to feel the power. Next she will want ketchup on.....watermelon? or cheese on carrots, or chocolate on the strawberries.

[nannyde]

No food battles and no discussions about food with the kid.

If you have the time and the inclination I highly reccomend spiking the meats, rice, potatoes stuff with veggie puree. My kids LOVED blended veggies.

We had a black bean and ham stew today that had a cup of butternut squash and about a half cup of pureed spinach in it. The kids wooooooofed it down. It was very yummy.

Maybe make her some dipping sauce with some pureed veggies? About the consistency of applesauce with a little butter and some pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or nutmeg?

[CdnMumof4]

I spike everything with veggie puree over here. Heck...I sometimes have to spike sauces and dips with meat puree, all depending on the day and the crowd.

I also serve those Arthur's Smoothies which contain two servings of vegetables in every glass [as well as fruit servings] the kids love them, and they come in fun colours- a fave over here is "swamp juice" it's ..green- with spinach, kale, etc and they LOVE it.

but I'd say its an attempt at gaining power while at daycare, since she is 'forced' at home to eat a specific amount whether she wants to or not. She's just trying to gain some sort of control in the decisions she makes. Mum probably choses her clothes , activities, meals, etc- and kid just wants to be able to make her own decision for once.

Don't dwell, don't fuss, just let her be. Keep serving the veggies, and keep giving her praise for eating the rest of her meal. She'll get back into the veggies eventually, if she was a fan of them previously.

edit to add: what's the big deal about ketchup or dips once in a while? I say, if they want to explore with dips [we use hummus, roasted red pepper, baba ganouj, sometimes ranch and sometimes ketchup] then let them. You can make creative, healthy dips, as I do, which simply add nutrients to what they're already eating. My daughter [2.5yrs] insists on dipping apple slices in ranch dressing- not my thing... but she figures, she dips carrots in ranch, why not apples. She also eats apples whole, so it's not as though she NEEDS to dip the slices. Give them a little bit of creative room with their food. Yes, food should be nutritious, but food doesn't have to be boring. Make it more fun, add some healthy dips, add some fun colours if you can [once in a while] make a happy face with veggies on their plate- go wild. Kids should be able to learn and be creative with every aspect of their day, even meal time.