Guest guest Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Hi. I signed up for this group a few weeks back but this is my first post. My husband and I are vegan; so is our son, who is almost five. Anyway, he's always been somewhat of a picky eater, but recently, he doesn't want to eat the things he's enjoyed in the past. I've even had him help me cook and bake, and he loves helping me but doesn't want to eat what we've made unless it includes copious amounts of chocolate. I've tried recipes from several well-known cookbooks such as " Raising Vegetarian Children, " " Disease Proof you Kids, " and so forth, but my kid wants cereal (puffed rice, thankfully), soy milk (it's really almond milk), and agave or maple syrup, or toast with ketchup, or plain beans with Braggs or noodles with Braggs. He does eat a lot of fruit, especially grapes and apples, and will occaisionally eat raw red or yellow bell pepper slices. Does anyone have any suggestions or meal ideas (vegan, please) that have worked for their little ones? Thanks. Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Oh my goodness, I can completely relate! My husband and I have been vegan for 11 years and we are raising our two daughters vegan. My oldest daughter is 2 1/2 and doesn't even like or wont even try the staple kids foods like PB & J, mashed potatoes, vegan mac N cheese and vegan grilled cheese, etc. This is what she loves: I buy boxed rice, canned whole black beans, and firm tofu. I use the near east rice pilaf with orzo and I cook it with 1 TBS margarine (it adds a lot of flavor) and cube up half a block of tofu and cook it all together. In a separate pot I cook the black beans and when it is all done, I strain the black beans and add it to the rice. No veggies, but we are still working on getting her to eat them. Oh, and I wish she would eat chocolate! She doesn't like it. Isn't that unbelievable? I sometimes wonder if she is even our kid. HA HA! --- On Wed, 10/22/08, library.momma <library.momma wrote: library.momma <library.momma Re: Picky eater Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 11:21 AM Hi. I signed up for this group a few weeks back but this is my first post. My husband and I are vegan; so is our son, who is almost five. Anyway, he's always been somewhat of a picky eater, but recently, he doesn't want to eat the things he's enjoyed in the past. I've even had him help me cook and bake, and he loves helping me but doesn't want to eat what we've made unless it includes copious amounts of chocolate. I've tried recipes from several well-known cookbooks such as " Raising Vegetarian Children, " " Disease Proof you Kids, " and so forth, but my kid wants cereal (puffed rice, thankfully), soy milk (it's really almond milk), and agave or maple syrup, or toast with ketchup, or plain beans with Braggs or noodles with Braggs. He does eat a lot of fruit, especially grapes and apples, and will occaisionally eat raw red or yellow bell pepper slices. Does anyone have any suggestions or meal ideas (vegan, please) that have worked for their little ones? Thanks. Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 We have all survived picky phases. One of my friends has a son who she swore lived on ketchup and air for a week. Through all of her picky phases, my daughter always ate frozen blueberries (still does at 13). Kids love to dip; kiwi is packed with goodies, try offering sliced kiwi with a syrup dip (maple syrup mixed with soy yoghurt). My daughter has always eaten just about any vegetable dipped in hommous (she like the cedars best); for some reason kids love ranch dressing (I hate the stuff), though mine is happy with anything with ginger; try raw or lightly steamed veggies with a dish of dressing. Broccoli slaw is great to keep around for snacking, soups, stirfrys and sneaking veggies. Don't turn meals into battles; I promise that your son won't starve or be malnourished and that this phase will pass. --- On Wed, 10/22/08, library.momma <library.momma wrote: library.momma <library.momma Re: Picky eater Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 1:21 PM Hi. I signed up for this group a few weeks back but this is my first post. My husband and I are vegan; so is our son, who is almost five. Anyway, he's always been somewhat of a picky eater, but recently, he doesn't want to eat the things he's enjoyed in the past. I've even had him help me cook and bake, and he loves helping me but doesn't want to eat what we've made unless it includes copious amounts of chocolate. I've tried recipes from several well-known cookbooks such as " Raising Vegetarian Children, " " Disease Proof you Kids, " and so forth, but my kid wants cereal (puffed rice, thankfully), soy milk (it's really almond milk), and agave or maple syrup, or toast with ketchup, or plain beans with Braggs or noodles with Braggs. He does eat a lot of fruit, especially grapes and apples, and will occaisionally eat raw red or yellow bell pepper slices. Does anyone have any suggestions or meal ideas (vegan, please) that have worked for their little ones? Thanks. Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Hi- I say 'ditto' to the last response...this kind of thing is really very normal and the more we make an issue of it, the worse it will be- especially in a child as old as 4! My daughter (5) goes through this same thing on occasion, and I don't make a big deal of it (unless the eating of some treat is involved, then I explain that I wouldn't be a good mom unless she has some good nutrition in her tummy BEFORE the treat), and it does seem to eventually pass. I just keep on making a variety of foods as if I hadn't noticed and sooner or later, she's back on it. The body, as we all know, is a very complicated, finely tuned machine. It simply would not allow your son to eat food he cannot subsist on without kicking in and forcing him to eat other things (some disablilities, like autism, excluded, of course). It may not be optimal in our minds as parents, but thankfully, this too, shall pass. (By the way, one other option is that he's using food as a control/separation thing- he's about the same age as my daughter was when she started to really assert herself, sometimes in not-so-peaceful ways, including with food) Good luck! jenni ________________________________ library.momma <library.momma Wednesday, October 22, 2008 1:21:04 PM Re: Picky eater Hi. I signed up for this group a few weeks back but this is my first post. My husband and I are vegan; so is our son, who is almost five. Anyway, he's always been somewhat of a picky eater, but recently, he doesn't want to eat the things he's enjoyed in the past. I've even had him help me cook and bake, and he loves helping me but doesn't want to eat what we've made unless it includes copious amounts of chocolate. I've tried recipes from several well-known cookbooks such as " Raising Vegetarian Children, " " Disease Proof you Kids, " and so forth, but my kid wants cereal (puffed rice, thankfully), soy milk (it's really almond milk), and agave or maple syrup, or toast with ketchup, or plain beans with Braggs or noodles with Braggs. He does eat a lot of fruit, especially grapes and apples, and will occaisionally eat raw red or yellow bell pepper slices. Does anyone have any suggestions or meal ideas (vegan, please) that have worked for their little ones? Thanks. Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 Yes, my five year old started this around when she turned five. So sad. She loved everything healthy. I was such a bragger. Suddenly everything I put in front of her is 'yuck'. However, we do make her at least take three bites and usually (we ignore what's going on) and she just ends up eating it all. Still, that immediate 'yuck, I hate that, it looks gross' is disturbing. Jill --- On Wed, 10/22/08, Jacqueline Bodnar <jb wrote: Jacqueline Bodnar <jb RE: Re: Picky eater Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 7:29 PM Andrea, It's normal for kids to go through this. It really is. Parents always worry, but it's normal. A dish that I've been making for my kids for years and they both love is: I cook whole wheat noodles (something fun, like sea shells, alphabets, etc.). Then I mix it with a little bit of olive oil. Then I add in some kind of beans. I usually ask them what kind they want and it varies. Sometime it's kidney beans, sometimes it's chick peas or black beans. Then I add a tablespoon of ground flax. I also add some raisins and some soft cooked carrots (I've tried hard ones, but they prefer the soft in this dish). Then I mix it up all up and serve. Sometimes we top with vegan parm. cheese. They love this dish (both of them) and eat lots of it. And it's very healthy, has lots of good nutrition for them. Make enough for two days...serve that day and put it in the fridge for a couple of days later. Chow! Jacqueline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 My son is nearly six and just started this as well, so strange. Even things he likes he says that about so we laugh about it and then he's fine again. He has never really liked lettuce, but I shreded it last time and he just ate it by the handful (I had tried that before, but I made tacos, and decided to do it that way - no reason, just for a change, and WHOA, heh). He still says he won't try brussles sprouts (though my husband and I eat them regularly) and we still put one on his plate (in hopes that he will try it) but he always says he doesn't like them. We said he never ate them so he can't actually say he doesn't like it. But he refuses it, but it sits on his plate and he sort of quarentines it away from the other stuff. I did the same thing for him, as he said the same thing about cabbage, but he eventually did try that (last week actually) and he nearly danced around singing MMMMM-mmmm. He also didn't like green beans for a while (until I think he was 3 or so) but we still put them on his plate. He would try to turn the '3 bites' rule into an arguement, but we'd just say it had to stay on his plate, he didn't have to try it then (if it was getting out of hand). I figured this way he'd at least get used to seeing them on his plate and know it was also for him, and eventually it seems to have paid off. Oh, a tip I gave my husband (as he is in charge now, mostly for lunch packing with our son) is to not put too much on the plate (or in the lunchbox). It's like too much seems overwhelming to them and so they won't eat anything, or will hardly touch it. We try to not give too much, as he can always get more if he wants, new stuff only one piece or 2 so you're not wasting it. He goes through phases where he just loves our swiss chard and will pick and eat it from the garden and then sometimes where he just isn't in the mood or something - can't get him to touch it with a 10ft pole. the last time, though, I made a Japanese Sesame sauce to put on it, and he just loved that (as did I, I could have just made the swiss chard my dinner!). It was easy - it's in I think the Moosewood at home book (not sure which one off hand though). To save time, instead of the sesame seeds in the morter/pestle I just used tahini (1tbsp), sugar to taste, Tamari (2tbsp), I put in a little mirin and added ginger and garlic (because I like it that way hee). I think that was all that was in it. Just toss with any steamed greens you like. Missie On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 8:43 AM, Jillene Wenzel <jillben2008 wrote: > Yes, my five year old started this around when she turned five. So sad. > She loved everything healthy. I was such a bragger. Suddenly everything I > put in front of her is 'yuck'. > However, we do make her at least take three bites and usually (we ignore > what's going on) and she just ends up eating it all. > Still, that immediate 'yuck, I hate that, it looks gross' is disturbing. > > > Jill > > --- On Wed, 10/22/08, Jacqueline Bodnar <jb wrote: > > Jacqueline Bodnar <jb > RE: Re: Picky eater > > Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 7:29 PM > > Andrea, > > It's normal for kids to go through this. It really is. Parents always > worry, but it's normal. A dish that I've been making for my kids for > years and they both love is: > > I cook whole wheat noodles (something fun, like sea shells, alphabets, > etc.). Then I mix it with a little bit of olive oil. Then I add in some > kind of beans. I usually ask them what kind they want and it varies. > Sometime it's kidney beans, sometimes it's chick peas or black beans. > Then I add a tablespoon of ground flax. I also add some raisins and some > soft cooked carrots (I've tried hard ones, but they prefer the soft in > this dish). Then I mix it up all up and serve. Sometimes we top with > vegan parm. cheese. They love this dish (both of them) and eat lots of > it. And it's very healthy, has lots of good nutrition for them. Make > enough for two days...serve that day and put it in the fridge for a > couple of days later. > > Chow! > Jacqueline > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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