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Today’s mom tips are all about helping your toddler to eat some vegetables… which has been an ongoing battle in my house.

My baby girl started out her solid food journey as a little rockstar. After an initial few hurdles, she would try and then eat most things. And then somewhere around the 12-15 month mark, that lovely eating came to a screeching halt. And I became the Mom I was trying so hard not be… I totally caved to her. Which meant a diet that consisted mostly of carbs, cheese, peanut butter, and fruit because that is the only thing I could get my little toddler to eat without a fight.

After a few weeks, we gradually went back to eating some eggs, a little bit of chicken, and every now and then she would tolerate turkey in her sandwich bread. But those veggies? No way, Jose!

That problem makes this Mom super-stressed because I really want my daughter to grow up eating a well-rounded diet. While I know she may eventually turn the corner, every time she refuses to eat a veggie (which is every time she sees one within one foot of her face), I start getting anxious that she’s not getting enough vitamins and minerals. And forget trying to do the little airplane sounds to trick her into opening her mouth. Unless it is to scream at me, she is not allowing that vegetable to go anywhere near her face. I swear this is God’s way of forcing me to learn to go with the flow!

So today, I’m sharing 5 mom tips that have helped me in getting her to ingest a vegetable. Maybe some of these will work for your picky eater too (click link to purchase from Amazon)!

1. Pouches: These have become a huge staple because I know she will ALWAYS take one. I’m sure that is simply because she tastes the fruit and, therefore, it’s acceptable to her. However, if that’s what it takes to get some veggies in her belly, I’ll take it. So if your little one simply refuses to consume a vegetable on her plate, I encourage you to consider a little supplementation with pouches. I tend to choose the organic brands because I hope it means there are a few less chemicals, but I’m sure any of the non-organic versions are just as good.
2. Zucchini Fritters from True Roots: I prayed the whole time I was making these. It makes a pretty big batch so I was worried it would all be for nothing, but then I set them in front of her with a little ketchup… and she ate the WHOLE thing AND wanted more! Winner, winner! My only suggestion is to make sure everything is cut up nice and small. I made the mistake of coursely chopping the broccoli and using the larger-holed section of the grater. This meant that every now and then, she would find a piece of zucchini or broccoli and refuse to eat any more until I removed it from the fritter. But other than that, these were the first vegetable based food I put in front of her that she would actually eat. And my 9-year-old stepson asked for seconds on them too… so, Thank you Kristin Cavallari! (P.S. I am loving this cookbook as a whole. We are working hard on increasing our vegetable intake and decreasing our sugar intake and this little gem of a cookbook has been super helpful to us! I definitely suggest mixing some of her recipes into your rotation!)
3. Dr. Praegers: This is another nod to Kristin Cavalari’s fritters because she said the inspiration for that recipe was that her kids loved Dr. Praegers Littles so much. So I immediately started looking for them in the grocery store and, lo and behold, she will eat these guys too. We have tried the Kale Bites, Broccoli Shapes, and the Carrot Puffs. The Broccoli seems to be the favorite, but I don’t really care which she likes best as long as as a couple of them reach her belly during a meal and they almost always do! I’m so happy we found these!
4. Smoothies: When all else fails, smoothies are almost always a win. My go to recipe is: 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1/4-1/2 cup of milk, a big handful of spinach or kale, and water until it reaches the desired consistency. I blend it all up, throw it in a cup, and she will devour it. You could throw in other vegetables as well. The trick for us is leaving it with enough fruit flavor that she doesn’t realize there are vegetables in there. This recipe has been a saving grace for us! We are also obsessed with our Ninja blender, since we can have a quick smoothie ready to go in a matter of minutes, so this recipe is often in our rotation on busy nights.
5. Quesadillas: Since carbs and cheese are always wins, I use that as an avenue to sneak in other things that I can’t get her to eat otherwise. I have been known to mash up black beans with avocado and serve it inside a cheese quesadilla and then sit happily back as she finally consumes something other than fruit. You could add a lot of things to a cheese quesadilla… tomatoes, bell peppers, chopped spinach, chicken… and as long as you don’t go overboard, many times they won’t notice. However, here is a warning… if you are going with chicken, I suggest you cut it into really tiny pieces because if you have a child anything like mine, she will feel it in her mouth, reach in, and then pull it back out and hand it to you with a look of satisfaction on her face… then she will tear apart the rest of the quesadilla to get rid of all the rest of the dreaded chicken. So whatever you are adding, make sure it’s in small pieces or quantities.

I hope some of these tips are helpful for your finicky eaters!! I’d love to hear what has worked for other Mommas out there, because I am ALWAYS in search of new toddler food ideas to try. Please comment below with ways you have been able to get your children to eat their veggies!

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And, as always, Stay Healthy as Heck, KH