Forcing them creates food aversions later. Try pureeing and sneaking them into meals and then introducing them when he gets older to see if his tastes change works better.
2 Likes
I dont think punishment for food is right. It can cause some bad issues with food later on
1 Like
Just find 1 that he likes if not give big options of fuits and salads tins of beans peas spaggitti orange juices its easy enough to get the 5 a day into them just dont force or argue otherwise they will never eat dont punish because he dosent like sompthing if you dont like sompthing you dont eat do u?
Definitely try the food that’s made with veggies like the chicken nuggets I put veggies in Mac n cheese and pasta but I also don’t care as much about the rest of the food on their plate as long as they eat their veggies they can’t get up from the table until they eat them
We made ours eat them .1 item was allowed to be selected as something they never had to eat , otherwise eat it. Catering to kids toooooo much
No. Don’t punish for eating or not eating.
There are many many many ways to look up recipes how to hide vegetables in food without your kids being none the wiser.
Just keep putting them on his plate. My son is nine and has been this way for a while. He eats what he wants to eat. He’s very defiant so I just let it go. He drinks water, eats fruits, and I buy the v8 that has the fruits and veggies in them.
Get him to tastebuds not make him eat what he dont like.
Maybe let him help you prepare a meal with fruits and veggies! Kids are more likely to eat them if they help prepare it!
I always had to take a bite.
I don’t force my kids to eat anything they don’t like. My son is open to at least trying anything but if he doesn’t like it I don’t make him.
1 Like
I puree them in many dinners. My boys are picky about veggies. My girls actually eat more veggies then anything else.
My rule is 1 mouthful. My kids prefer and most enjoy raw over cooked. Maybe try carrot and celery stix and/or broccoli and cauliflower with dip.
I made mine let me know what veggies they liked, so I could be sure to have some prepared. But, I also made them try new things, but didn’t force them to eat it if they didn’t like it. They are teens now, and thank me for making them try them again, bc they’ve learned to like them or absolutely love them know. Taste buds change as we age, so you gotta keep trying. But, I don’t make bland food either. It’s got to have taste!!
1 Like
Make smoothies a scoop of vanilla ice cream some fruits and spinach I do blue berries bananas they never know
Don’t force, mealtime should not be a battle of wills. It can also lead to eating disorders.
Just try one bite. If you don’t like it, at least you tried it.
All of my kids hate dinner time. Try more soups or crockpots. I started making chilli and most of my kids will eat it and it’s good for them
You could try to hide them . Like when you make spaghetti blend some veggies and mix it in the sauce
Try the one bite rule. Like it or hate it, they need to take at least one bite.
Never punish your kids for poor eating habits. That’s a sure way to make him hate food & cause eating disorders in the future. The best way to get your child to eat veggies is for him to see you eating veggies. I have a picky eater. Every night he announced “I won’t eat that!”. Every night I say “fine but this is whats available” then it’s left to him. He whines, plays with the food on his plate, even throws tantrums. The rest of us eat, talk, totally ignore him. He eventually eats. Then I praise him. Sometimes I’ll have 1 of the few foods he eats without a problem available for after he eats what I want him to. Once a month he gets to choose the meal. The main thing is he’s seeing all of us eat the same thing. He knows he doesn’t get a choice. Kids won’t starve themselves. They have an internal instinct to live. Your son may go without a few meals. He may fight you. It’s not going to be wonderful. The goal is to for him to learn good eating habits. If you give in now just so you don’t have to deal with tantrums you will be creating a lot more problems in the future.
3 Likes
My son was like this. I make lots of yummy stuff he likes with hidden veggies. But I also require he eats veggies. I have a rule that he eats them no matter what. I use dessert as an incentive if he willingly eats them he gets thr dessert. If I have to force him he gets none but either way he’s eating them. I’ll make him sit at the table until he does.
I make my kids try everything, their still babies. But after they take a bite or 2 and still spitting it out I wont make them eat it . But they love green beans and peas now 
I would at least make him try them. And not just a nibble. A good bite. I have 4 kids 2 of which are picky eaters but the rule is you have to at least take a good bite or two to try it. Not just nibbles. Also I use marinara sauce to hide a lot of veggies. I would Not bribe him or punish him. Bribery will end up turning on you. Trust me it will. Kids are smart little manipulators. Don’t punish him either if you punish him it will make him have a negative view of food and eating and could lead to problems later. Try to make it fun and enjoyable to try new things. Or new ways of preparing foods also maybe let him help you in the kitchen.
Who punishes you when you don’t like certain foods?
3 Likes
Hiding veggies in meals works really well for my daughter. Spinach, for example, works really well. I can chop it up really finely and sneak it into spaghetti sauce, Mac and cheese sauce, too a pizza with it, put it in a cheese quesadilla and even mix it with cream cheese and stuff it in a chicken breast. We will also buy items like the fruity squeeze pouches that have vegetables mixed in with them. She can’t tell the difference. Making homemade juices with a juicer and pairing vegetables with fruits is another thing I want to try that seems to work well for my other mom friends.
Look into the “division of responsibility feeding”.
Try adding a bibatet of sugar in peas and corn, add cheese to broccoli and sometimes ketchup on stuff like cauliflower. Also try to batter and fry them. If you are cooking a roast or chicken use the juice from the meat to season the veggies too. It works for me!
I’m lucky cause my daughter loves her veggies. But once she got older she’d sit there and finish it, I don’t care how long it’d take. If the food is on your plate then you’re gonna eat it. 
Disguise them. There are plenty of recipe to that you can change ingredients.
1 Like
You’ve never made your kid even TRY them? Seriously? He’s 8 years old already. Sorry but that’s a massive fail on your part. Why would you wait until he’s 8 to say “should I make him TRY a vegetable?” 
2 Likes
Simce when is eating veggies a punishment? That’s so weird to me. This does not cause eating disorders… Wtf. Even when you go through rehab for eating disorders they Force u to eat veggies and all kinds of foods… Are they being punished or are they being helped? I was forced to eat veggies as a kid… Now I crave them.
Don’t bring focus to what he doesn’t eat. Bring him to the grocery store and let him pick out a new veggie to try each week.
Include him in the cooking process so that he’ll be even more curious about the new food.
Most importantly, don’t bring attention to food he is not eating. Instead try the same veggie repeatedly, for 3-5 days in a row. Eventually children are curious enough to try something that they have been seeing on their plate frequently.
Instead of talking about what they shouldn’t do, talk about what you’re doing as a family and talk about the importance of taking care of your body. No shame, no blame, just educational information. Include exercise, diet, mindfulness techniques, and hygiene in these conversations. It’s not only about food. It’s about being well rounded.
2 Likes
I always tell my boys eat or they don’t get a something sweet. They atleast got to eat half of there plate to get it. And I usually make them eat two bites to make sure they don’t like it as well.
1 Like
My parents made me sit at the table until I ate them. Sometimes I’d be there for awhile lol
1 Like
Are you more upset because he is being defiant or not eating his veggies? Hang in there mama
1 Like
Have a friend who grinds the veggies down and mixes into meat for meatballs…lol it works, the kid eats his veggies all the time without even knowing it! Lol
3 Likes
Find a way to add them to your other food - mix in with meatloaf, meatballs, etc. Just might be a stage and hopefully they’ll get over it.
Sorry but if he’s 8 you might have to accept he doesn’t like veggies. That’s a long time to not eat veggies, he’s alive and healthy I presume? Alot of adults don’t eat veggies. Frustrating but I don’t think you can force upon him now.
Try getting him to drink V8 splash…its juice and it has the vegetables in it that he needs. My mom used to get them for me cause i wouldnt eat them either.
Try doing fruit smoothies and sneak some spinach in! You can’t taste it, and it’s so so good for you, I always put spinach in my smoothies, and my kids love it:)
WIC told me not to force my son to eat them he was the same way he is 44 now still don’t eat much vegetable right now but he is a healthy big guy
If my son don’t like something, I don’t give it to him. What fucking piece of shit punishes a child for not liking whatever food they don’t like? 🤦
See I have/had this problem with my 8 Dinner time is very simple you get meat ,a starch or carbohydrate fruit and veggies and explained you that these make you healthy a strong you can eat all of your dinner you dessert , some of your dinner and you get to stay up for the hour before bed time or if you don’t eat you can go to bed early and read until bedtime but whatever you choose you don’t get to sit at the table and throw a fit
We require our son to at least take a bite or two to try it. We’ve done that since he was a tiny tike.
Can’t blame the kids because I’m 31 and I hate vegetables lol
He has to try them or they come back as a snack when he asks for them also alot of people(my grandma and mom did this) make veggies bland and nasty season your veggies add cheese if acceptable
Never ever punish your child for not eating certain foods. Simply keep providing healthy meals for him and gently remind him how healthy they are. Or even turn it into a game (broccoli being small trees and he’s a dinosaur l etc.). Make sure to cut off snacks at a certain time before dinner and do not let him have anything else to eat until his next meal. If he’s hungry enough. He’ll eat it. Lol
1 Like
Juice fresh vegetables with some fruit. Puree vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli mix into food like mac and cheese or spaghetti. Always leave a little side veggies for exposure.
We rarely buy sweets so my son is use to grabbing a fruit or vegetable for a snack. He’ll open the fridge and eat a tomato like an apple.
2 Likes
As a child I hated cooked veggies but I would eat almost any vegetable if it was raw. I still do this day dislike most cooked vegetables. I’d eat raw peas, raw greanbeans, raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, raw bell peppers, almost any. Maybe try raw. I still to this day dislike most cooked vegetables. They’re squishy and disgusting.
I dont force my teen to eat food she dislikes, and I’m still introducing my baby to new foods but if she refuses I dont force her to eat it. (I do keep trying at other sittings for her) I don’t punish them if they dont like something either. I did recently trick my teen into eating cauliflower when I made it into “fried rice” and she loved it. Try different ways, I wouldn’t force it, and I wouldn’t punish for it either. At 8 he knows what he doesnt like the taste/texture of.
You eat what you have been given and that’s that. That’s the way I was raised and that’s how im raising my kiddos
3 Likes
Have you tried different recipes for em?
Food is tricky. In my case my oldest has severe ADHD and ODD. We deal with a lot of manipulative behavior. So our rules are a little different. If i make something i know he likes, and he refuses to eat it then he doesn’t get dessert or a bedtime snack. He can finish the meal he didn’t eat instead.
If i make something that he’s sorta on the fence about he can have extra of whatever he does like or some fruit.
As far as veggies go. He’s picky. He likes carrots and brussel sprouts. He likes lettuce/salad. He likes corn. He’ll eat spinach if its inside the lasagna…he’ll eat cauliflower if it’s disguised in rice. He’ll eat bell peppers and onions is they’re hidden in food. He’s picky about his vegetables…but doesn’t outright hate/refuse them.
My suggestion is to figure out why your son is refusing them sometimes its a texture issue. My husband likes the way bell peppers taste…he despises the texture. I love salad with meat in it. But i can’t stand lettuce on hot food…the texture changes and i just…cant. Maybe if its something like this you could figure out a way to avoid the power struggle.
1 Like
Just let him eat what he likes !!! Don’t force him to eat veg. He will in time!!!
My son hardly eats any food he is that fussy so I don’t force him at all I am just glad he is eating all together then not eating at all. Put him on a really good vitiam then it doesn’t matter if he isn’t eating his veg it not he is still getting the vitimams he needed from the veg
Look up Ellyn satters division of responsibility when it comes to food and picky eaters she has amazing info!
Try raw vegetables with a vegetable dip at least he will get his vegetables only way I like most of them
Broccoli after it cook and soft add butter over it, that how I got both my kids to like it, they adults now they like broccoli
Idk my parent always told us kids that you cant say you dont like something unless you try first. So that’s what I did with mine. They tried didnt like it they didn’t have to eat it. But they found out they actually liked more than they thought.
You’ll eat it and you’ll like it. That was my mother’s motto. If I didn’t, no dessert or snacks. I went some hungry nights until I finally gave in and ate them before I realized my dog loved table scraps lol.
Bribery!!! Luckily I don’t have a problem with this in my home because my daughter came out liking veggies and fruits, but try giving him small amounts tell him if you eat this you’ll get something good(dessert,candy,etc.) afterwards.
Do u eat what u don’t like? Neither do i.leVe him alone he’ll be ok.my granddaughter ls still like that she’s fine.no meat either hamburger once in awhile.he will eat what he wants .don’t punish him for it either.
1 Like
Fruit can be just as good at that age.
Try adding veggies into the meal. Like when I when I make banana bread or spaghetti I add zucchini or squash to it I grade it so it’s really fine and you can’t tell. Also if you put tge yellow squash in the banana bread they wont even see it. And thd zuchinnie in chocorlate banana bread you also cant see it. Look up on pintrest how to hide veggie in toddler food and try some of those.
1 Like
Smoothies! Make a fruity tasting one to go with dinner that has veggies in it. They’ll never know they were there and you dont have to tell them! Still get the nutritional value to go with it, but at least they’ll taste better if you make them with fruit also.
My kids 12 11 And 6 don’t like veggies unless it’s blended up in a soup but love their fruit if he likes fruit give him that
Encourage but do NOT, under any circumstances, try to force it. He will only resist and resent you for it if you force it. And talk to his doctor and/or a nutritious.
Make him sit at the table until he eats all his veggies 🤷 kids need healthy meals and healthy diets for growth and development.
But I have always fed my kids veggies since they were old enough to eat then 🤷 my son’s are 1 & 3 and they move veggies. They love steamed sweet corn, steam d broccoli, steamed carrots and steamed cauliflower, they even love cooked parsnips and celery,
3 Likes
Don’t punish him. Save an argument for something important. Put vegetables on his plate an ignore his eating them. Just don’t give junk snacks. It is hard to let these things go. But as he gets older let him make the small decisions. Then he will be ready for the big decisions. BTW have you tried V8 juice half with salt and half without salt , this is something you can share.
My son has autism and is not open to trying new foods. Especially not veggies. I puree them and put them in his mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese. He also drinks juice that is a mex of fruit and veggies. His applesauce also has veggies
1 Like
My husband’s parents forced him to eat vegetables, green beans to be exact. He BARELY touches vegetables at 35 
I think they scarred him and it’s super annoying because half his issues with gout could be helped with some freaking green food. 
We have a 3 bite rule. You have to eat 3 bites of whatever is on your plate. after 3 bites, you still don’t like it, you can be excused.
1 Like
Should have been pushing the veggies at the high chair stage.
6 Likes
Try raw vegies instead of cooked worked for my kids spinach and silverbeet in salad they thought it was different lettuce
Dont force him to eat anything. Tell him he has to try them, but that if he absolutely cant swallow it he can spit it out. Try only one vegetable per meal, too many can become overwhelming. Even if he doesn’t like the first one you make him try, continue getting him to try that one kind of vegetable, even if it isnt everyday. They say after 10 times of trying the same one if they still dont like it then forget it lol but continue on like that for different kinds, and hopefully he’ll begin to like some of them.
Do you eat food that you don’t like
We do a lot of pasta and I use hidden veggies pasta noodles
My parents forced me to eat things I hated, still hate to this day. All it did was make me hate food in general. I rarely if ever actually enjoy a meal and eat just to survive. In our home we do the "take a nibble’ approach. If they dont like it then we dont force it. We come back to it months or a year later and “take another nibble”. My daughter eats more than I do and absolutely loves and respects food in very healthy ways.
we did try to force to the point that my daughter vomited, mind you this was in the day and time where doctors told us to keep trying, now we realise that she actually cant handle the texture and taste off things and it is actually more a disorder that is a thing now , and trust me they wont ever eat it , to this day and she is an adult now she still only eats potatoes and with her fruit it is only a certain smoothie she can handle and every now and again an apple
No snacks or desserts if he wont eat them. Put them.on the plate. Make them.in different ways to see what he will like…encourage him to eat them.
My mom made me sit at the table until I ate them.
I now LOVE almost ALL veggies.
Look online for ways to “hide” them if u must, but he needs veggies in his body.
If he like one or 2 for sure…always have them in the house. Always have one of the two on his plate and introduce new ones to him slowly. Have him go shop with you…watch cooking shows…look up cool fun new recipes. Get him involved big time.
1 Like
Why not make soup or put them in other foods so that he gets them that way, make smoothies and shakes, fresh juices.
H he will eat what you serve. Eventually. He will get hungry enough.
Make smoothies and hide the veg. Add yogurt and fruit to mask the taste!
1 Like
I never ate my growing up but now that I’m adult I love it
1 Like
Be creative. But i found explaining to my kids once old enough 4-5, why veggies are food for you, they make you strong and healthy so you can be happy playing blah blah… they accept that and eat it, they now like veggies plain just steamed. If i do sauces or anything then they hate it.
I also grow veggies and that helps alot when they see them growing and they can help me, thats when we talk about them
No, no don’t punish him. Keep on putting it in the plate even if he doesn’t eat it. One day he will eat it. Please don’t force him or punish him.
1 Like
Ok, sooooo. My boy is the same way.
However we are totally a meat and potatoes household🥴
I do make my son try new things. And he has to try them EVERY TIME they are on his plate. He might actually like it one of the times he eats it…
Or… You could just tell him it’s green chicken That is how we convinced my son to eat steak… We told him it was dark chicken
I was forced to eat vegetables and guess what, now I love them all even the ones I gagged on. I make my toddlers eat vegetables, we all have to do things in life that are healthy for us, even if we dont want to. I dont cater my babies like a restaurant, but I do have several veggies in every dinner, every night. I’m glad my parents didn’t back down and let me win that mental standoff.
1 Like
I probably would.
My parents did
So did my guy’s parents lol
I cook em all the time now for my fam.
My bio kids eat veggies, but my hockey billet didn’t like them all that much so I started making things I could hide veggies in. Worked like a charm
Mine has to at least try it.
I introduced broccoli to my daughter with cheese. Now she eats it without cheese. She used to down right refuse it until I put cheese (small amount) on it. Game changer! Try cooking them a different way or giving some veggies to him raw. Maybe he just doesn’t like the texture.
Start only offering veggies and eventually he’ll eat them if he’s hungry enough…
1 Like
My kids get their veggies on a small plate before anything else. And they get nothing else to eat until they eat ALL their veggies. They’re 4 and 7.
My daughter cuts raw vegetables up and fruit segments a variety then some protein on side. They tend to try it more then. Also sometimes she says they have to eat their age number in what’s on the plate. Maybe try that??they survive thru it I’m sure🌸
I make my kids. There are too many nutrients missing from every day food. Nutrients that are vital for thier development. I cooked all veggies in either a little butter or bacon grease. My kids love pretty much every veggie. But I started em very young and it was never an option to not eat your full plate. They can end up with bad constipation if they dont eat veggies. Like bad enough to go to ER. Happened to my brother in law when he was a teen
2 Likes
Yes! I am 42 and my parents ALWAYS gave into me when I was a child. I still to this day eat like a child. I will not try new things and there is not one vegetable I like. I wish they would have pushed me instead of always giving in.
5 Likes
My parents had me take one small no thank you bite of veggies . They also told me that tastes can change so to re try . They never punished or forced me. I’m 50 now and I eat all the veggies 
still don’t care for liver 
6 Likes
Never force a child to eat something and no punishment for them not eating it. I’m almost 69 years old and still remember my first grade teacher making me sit in the lunchroom and eat english peas, which made me sick!
2 Likes
I would sit down and talk to him about how our bodies react to different foods. How we need certain foods to be healthy and active. Talking about them in a positive aspect might help him look at it differently. Knowledge is power.
2 Likes