What Is It With Kids And Vegies?

As babies and toddlers, my kids ate anything especially Master R.  Now, if they see a vegetable, they won’t eat it.  Why do kids do that? 

I’ve deliberately never told them that veggies are good for them, although now, I tell them they need veggies to get big and strong.  But when they were younger I didn’t treat veggies any different to any other food, so where do they get this notion that veggies are horrible all of a sudden?  And why?

Last night I pureed up some potato, pumpkin, cauli and broccoli, whipped up a cheese sauce and made a pasta bake.  I left some whole pieces of broccoli florets to mix through because I knew what would happen.  And sure enough I received the following comments.  “I won’t eat this, it’s got vegetables in it!” and “I don’t like broccoli, I’m not eating it!”  Surprised? Ahem, no.

I suggested they put the broccoli to the side and try eating the rest, they did and gobbled it all up and said it was yummy!  Most of what they ate was indeed vegetables.  I think if I didn’t put the broccoli bits in there, they wouldn’t have eaten any of it but by putting it in, they felt as though they were taking all of the vegetables out.  Good thinkin’, mum.

I just want to know how far away is the night when they’ll just eat whatever I’m eating.  They even pick out pieces of tomato, etc from spag bog! 

I’m not sure if it’s right to hide their veggies or to tell them they’re in there.  I make sure they try things before they say they don’t like anything.  Of course, this means that they take the smallest bite possible…smartarses.  Then, they inform me that they don’t like it, although there have been a couple of wins here and there, where they do actually like it and eat it.

Why can’t they just eat a salad, instead of all the pasta they consume, then maybe I wouldn’t have to be on a diet all the time!

Talk soon

Doodah