How Can I Get My Toddler To Eat Vegetables?
February 23, 2009
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN EFFECTIVE AND CREATIVE WAY TO GET YOUR TODDLER TO EAT MORE VEGETABLES? Read more here…
Do you have a picky eater?
Welcome to the club!
It is so difficult to get toddlers the nutrition that they need and some of the biggest challenges seem to be vegetables and proteins (such as meat). Too small for “hidden veggies” in things like pastas, it can be worrisome to parents concerned with their child’s early eating habits.
One trick I’ve found is juicing.
Not only do I have a picky eater, but I have a picky drinker as well. My little one does not like traditional “juice” and maybe gets down 5-7 oz of rice milk a day (which we make up for in calories with yogurt, almond butter, and avocado) and about the same amount of water.
Juicing is an amazing way to get the wholesome nutrients of fruits and vegetables to your child. Not only that but they actually get MORE nutrition!
I was most worried about getting Emilia green veggies so here’s what we have about 4 times per week.
Emilia’s Green Veggie Juice
1/2 pineapple (very high in vitamin C)
1 pear
LOTS of Kale and/or Spinach
She drinks it right up. You can barely taste the greens as it is sweetened by the fruit. Her immunity is awesome and it helps keep her “regular” since she does not drink much other liquid.
If your child is not eating any veggies at all, you may want to try a combo:
2 Carrots (peeled and topped)
1 apple (cored)
1/2 beet
1/2 pear
Lots of Spinach (it disappears pretty fast in the juicer)
This juice is a great combo of Vitamin A, C, Folate and Iron.
Juicing can get expensive especially if you are juicing organic produce. Look for juice bars in your area as this is a MUCH more economic (not to mention easier and faster) way to get fresh juice to your child.
Since the juices are not pasturized, just be sure to ask:
How often do you clean the juicer? (A; It should be at least once or twice a day)
How do you wash your produce? (A; They should use a veggie wash (such as biokleen’s) to soak and rinse the produce)
Do you top your carrots? (A; Juicers can handle rinds and skins of juice, but carrots store their “toxins” from the soil in the top, so it’s not ideal to juice them)
Do you core your apples? (A; Again, juicers can handle the apple seeds, but trace amounts of arsenic are found in apple seeds. Some say not enough to be toxic, but why take the chance?)
Finally, avoid giving your child wheatgrass. I know the reputation for being a “superfood” can be enticing, but Wheatgrass can carry e-coli so a lot of juice bars won’t serve it for this reason. Again, avoid sprouts, better to be safe than sorry.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at:
pregnancyandbabyinformation@gmail.com
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