don't send anything for lunch that your child doesn't eat.

OP here. I forgot to mention that DS has food allergies- who knows if that comes into play- I seriously doubt it b/c his allergies are to peanuts and treenuts...seemingly unrelated, right?

My kids love veggies with dinner - even raw. But they hate them in their school lunchboxes. Maybe negative peer pressure in the cafeteria?

I would push them at lunch. Try them at home first.

I don't send veggies for lunch. They are never as appealing as anything else in the lunchbox. Just send other healthy foods and maybe double up on fruit. Save veggies for dinner and weekend lunches. Kids are tired out by school and look forward to lunch. Don't send junk but send stuff they like to eat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how old is he?

He is 3.5. I know he's young still, but he's one tough customer. As I mentioned earlier, I've been a vegetarian for 20 years so we often have a varied menu of all sorts of veggies. It's not like he's getting succotash out of the can, like I did growing up

I'd say give it up, because it's not really about the veggies -- it's a control issue. Once he feels that you don't care whether he eats veggies or not, he may actually start eating them. Also, as you have seen yourself, tastes change over the years. He may spend a few years totally anti-veggie, and then turn into a vegetarian. You never know.

Not helpful for lunch, but I often add pureed vegetables (which I freeze in individual baby food cubes for easy usage) to anything I can - carrots go into mac and cheese, scrambled eggs and cheese, carrots/broccoli/sweet potatoes go unnoticed in meatballs, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how old is he?

He is 3.5. I know he's young still, but he's one tough customer. As I mentioned earlier, I've been a vegetarian for 20 years so we often have a varied menu of all sorts of veggies. It's not like he's getting succotash out of the can, like I did growing up

hang in there. I found that 4 was a big turning point for my son and his veggie consumption.

Anonymous wrote:This doesn't solve your immediate problem but do you have any ability to grow veggies from seeds? Maybe next year? My three hated veggies but we started growing peas-in-pods, beans, carrots etc. In pots because we're a bit stretched for room. Once mine planted watered and looked after the plants they completely changed their view. They sort of owned the veggies if that makes sense. I'm sure that DCUMs will chime in saying my perspective is the lamest most pathetic thing ever but it worked wonders for us.

OP here. Actually, this is brilliant! I don't know if it would work for us, but it's worth a shot! My sister (attempts to) grow veggies and the kids are always very fascinated when they go over there.

Thanks!!

This doesn't solve your immediate problem but do you have any ability to grow veggies from seeds? Maybe next year? My three hated veggies but we started growing peas-in-pods, beans, carrots etc. In pots because we're a bit stretched for room. Once mine planted watered and looked after the plants they completely changed their view. They sort of owned the veggies if that makes sense. I'm sure that DCUMs will chime in saying my perspective is the lamest most pathetic thing ever but it worked wonders for us.

Anonymous wrote:how old is he?

He is 3.5. I know he's young still, but he's one tough customer. As I mentioned earlier, I've been a vegetarian for 20 years so we often have a varied menu of all sorts of veggies. It's not like he's getting succotash out of the can, like I did growing up

how old is he?

We routinely rotate in various veggies and fruits and figure out what DD likes. She started out loving green leafy veggies, but now spinach is pretty much it of the green leafy stuff. She will eat broccoli, brussel sprouts and cauliflower....thats pretty much it. No carrots, no green beans, peas, etc. We just keep trying to see what else she will eventually eat.

OP here. Yes, he gets a multi-vitamin.

To give another example of his stubborness, dinner one night was spinach and peas in a cream sauce over tri-colored rotini. When he wasn't looking, we hid the tiniest of spinach underneath a piece of the green rotini. Somehow his eagle eyes saw that miniscule piece of spinach and he refused to eat dinner completely (had previously been eating around the veggies).

I try to remember that I hated vegetables as a kid, and somehow turned out to be a vegetarian for the past 20 years. I suppose there is still hope.

Just make sure you are giving him a multivite so he is getting the essential nutrients. We need those for healthy brain function.

Give him fruit for lunch and keep serving the cooked veggies for dinner, prepared different ways. He will find some he likes eventually.