Need Magical Recipes For Some Foods ...

I really want my girls to like a few things that they right now won't do much with beyond spitting it out: beans, sweet potatoes and broccoli.

I did try Hummus on crackers, but had no luck. My way of cooking veggies is pretty basic steamed until soft, sometimes with some butter and s/p. They do eat sweet potato fries that I buy frozen.

Please give me some insight to some great ways to fix these foods for toddlers. I think it might be just that my way isn't working for them.

Thanks!

 

My girls are pretty good with broccoli, just steamed. And they really like it in Chinese food -- that sweet kind of garlicky sauce on like a chicken and broccoli.

Sweet potatoes, I haven't tried for a while (for now particular reason), but those I've tossed chunks with a tiny bit of brown sugar and butter (maybe a pinch of cinnamin), and baked them, with pretty good success.

Beans are a problem here too. The two things they DO like are refried beans (from a can, I get the "vegetarian" ones) and hummus. And sometimes baked beans, but it's hit or miss and mostly miss.

 

mine love sweet potatoes - i just bake them and then put butter on it for them. you could make your own sweet fries maybe by just cutting them into long sticks and baking with some spray or oil?

no advice on beans - mine won't eat them.

broccoli is a staple - i usually just steam it. but the other day i then melted some shredded cheese on it and dd went nuts - she loved it.

looking forward to seeing other replies!

 

I sprinkled some cheese on steamed broccoli once and that is the only time Sarah has ever eaten it. (It only worked once, though....) Sarah also really likes pinto bean dip from Costco, even though (or maybe because) it's a bit spicy. Both girls ate some vegetarian spinach enchiladas that I made (also kind of spicy), which surprised the heck outta me. When I make sweet potatoes, I usually just boil them and then puree with some water, to get it as close as possible to the texture of jarred sweet potatoes. This used to work, but now they're rejecting that....

Have you tried mixing black beans with salsa? Maybe roasting asparagus in the oven? I haven't had luck with either of those, but maybe you would! I feel your pain!

 

I put corn and black beans together and sprinkle with a bit of onion powder and possibly garlic salt. They used to really like black beans now it's hit or miss. They love the corn, so they accidentally get the beans in there too sometimes

Another friend of mine said to put a bit of sugar on peas and they would eat them. Mine ate beets for the first time last week. They didn't love it and glup them down, but they did eat some. They like sweet I guess!!

 

It's not really a recipie, but when I feel like they need some veggies, I break out the Healthy Choice garden vegetable soup. They are guranteed to eat it, even though they otherwise would not eat the veggies that are in it. I do still have to feed it to them, it's just too messy to let them feed themselves. Bea loves it, she's started going "sooooup!"

 

One trick is to add the veggies and beans to spagetti sauce. I make a tiny pasta like pastena, add black beans, sauce, and cheese. Another trick is to make quesadillas - I use cheese, beans, and veggies then toast in the toaster oven. If I let it cool it cuts into strips perfectly with kitchen scissors.

also, I always offer the not so favorites first when they are the hungriest! Good Luck!

 

Our kids like mostly fresh uncooked veggies. I can just put back the ones they don't eat.

Most of our kids have eaten sweet potatoes mashed with a bit of butter.

We also make alot of stir fry. The veggies don't get mushy that way. I guess texture is the important thing for our family. Broccoli is an interesting one--some of the kids like the stem and some like the bushy part. It's easier to pair them up so the entire stalk gets eaten. We have tried differnt cheeses and dipping sauces, but most of the kids don't like salad dressing.