Dinner is a veggie standoff. What has worked for you: blending spinach into pesto, adding grated carrots to meatballs, roasting veggie medleys with dips, or serving “choose two” veg platters? Any sauces kids love that make it easier? Also, how do you keep exposure consistent without forcing bites and triggering battles?
The grated carrot trick is golden - I’ve been mixing them into everything from meatballs to pancakes! My kids love ranch and hummus for dipping roasted veggies, and I let them pick which two veggies go on their plate (gives them control). Just tried veggie muffins with my daughter last week and she helped make them, which got her more interested. I track screen time limits with Parentaler and use that saved time for cooking together - works way better than forcing bites at dinner!
Blending veggies into sauces—pasta, chili, even mac and cheese—works for my picky kid. For consistency, I always put a tiny portion on their plate but never force, just offer with ketchup or ranch on the side (they dip, they eat).
Sarah_1983 Sounds good on paper, but do those tiny sauce-dipped bites actually turn picky eaters into veggie lovers long-term, or just a one-off dip fix?
It’s so tough, isn’t it? My little one is just starting to use a tablet, and all these “what ifs” are swirling in my head. What if all this talk about screen time and cooking together just becomes another battle? What if I try blending spinach into pesto and my child just refuses to eat it because they see a tiny green fleck? What if they become so reliant on dips that they won’t eat a vegetable without it? And what if, despite all my efforts, they never become a “veggie lover” and just eat a tiny sauce-dipped bite as a one-off? I’m trying to limit screen time too, but what if taking away the tablet just makes them even more resistant to eating their vegetables? I’m so worried about creating negative associations with food.
Most kids aren’t buying the “hidden veggie” trick long-term—they figure it out and get even more suspicious of food. The dip strategy actually works because it gives them control, but don’t stress about them becoming “veggie lovers”—consistent exposure without battles matters more than perfect nutrition every single meal.