Loves fruit....Will not eat veg

[ilovespinach]

Ds is almost 7 months and gobbles up any mashed up fruit or baby rice, porridge etc with fruit in - mouth open waiting for the next bite, lots of mmmm noises :)

However, he will not entertain any veg. He has taken to making gagging noises, then he keeps his mouth open so you can see he has kept the veg on his tongue an then he pushes it out. Then he will simply refuse any more and get upset if you try to persevere. I usually just stop and then he takes his milk. I'm worried he is getting the message that he doesn't have to eat it. It also means he is going without food.

It doesn't matter what time of day I give the veg, if I make it smoother or anything like that.

So, what do I do? Would really appreciate some advice :) Ds1 was a difficult eater in the toddler years. Well, still is a couple of years later and I can't go through that again.

Oooh, while I'm here when is the best time to introduce breakfast. Ds has no teeth but was really eyeing up my toast this morning :)

[sharond101]

My DS is the opposite.i mix fruit into his veg with more of veg so to disguise the taste.

[Sparklyboots]

My DS (22mo) is a big veg eater, but I couldn't really say whether it's down to him or us. One thing that struck me about your post op is that you say I'm worried he's getting the message that he doesn't have to eat it. That's absolutely our ground rule - he doesn't ever have to eat anything. Some days he eats loads of whatever, and other days he leaves it and we leave that up to him.

We did baby led weaning, and always just gave what we were having, and now he always wants to try whatever is on anyone's plate. BLW is not fine for everyone but I think the basic premise that you allow your child to learn to manage their own appetite can apply whatever weaning style you choose. It takes a bit of nerve, especially when you think you see or hear of others eating 'loads' or eating 'x,y and z' and your child has only sucked the butter off some toast all day, but it has really worked out for us. DS is healthy, energetic and is happy to try any food. He mostly seems to see meals as an opportunity to join in with others - he will eat a bit less if it's just him having something in his high chair.

I was brought up in a household where you had to eat what was given you, and you had to finish etc. etc. and all of my siblings and I have been faddy, and sometimes disordered, eaters. So I was determined that we wouldn't have that tension distorting eating for our kids and developed a steely nerve about food refusal, about low appetite, about apparent weeks-long disinterest. I hand on heart couldn't say what DS doesn't like because I'm so used to ignoring what he does or does not eat - and I have to say that changes week on week. So it may be that your baby doesn't want veg now - but he's only 7 mo and it's probably a bit early to be predicting that he doesn't like it, full stop. If there is one way to make it more likely that he will eat a wide range of foods, it is through providing an emotionally relaxed environment to eat in.

Also re the fact that your baby is so young - I remember reading that for most children, milk is the major food source until they are one - eating before then is more like a sensory education, rather than a nutritional requirement. All the more reason to make it relaxed and try not to worry about what he has or hasn't eaten. I should say that for us it was not until DS was 15 mo or so that he was eating 3 solid meals a day plus snacks and he still is a bit of a milk monster. My rule about it is - is he healthy? happy? developing in normal ways? doing poos and wees? If the answers are yes then there really is nothing to worry about.

Good luck op x

[littlemissnormal]

Will he eat veg in cheese sauce? Could you try mixing the bitter veg like broccoli with something sweeter like parsnip or squash?

[ilovespinach]

thanks - I will stop worrying :)

Sparklyboots - I don't think I explained myself vey well :) Of course I don't expect him to eat everything he is given. And you're right - he's tiny still

[Beth2304]

I have the same problem....I'm just going to keep offering pureed veg and hope he starts to like it. I give ds(6 months) a soldier of toast and he sucks away til its been devoured :) x

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

I have the opposite. Ds will watching any veg but has no interest in fruit. I'm not bothered at the momemt as I think itsbecausehe finds it hard work to eat rather than not liking the taste.

We're doing purees and finger food so he's been having toast from 6 months. I cut 1 slice into 4 fingers and he manages about 3/4 of it, the rest gets stuck to various parts of him and the room. Try it without, humus, cheese spread and eggy bread. Gave him a crumpet for the first time yesterday and that went down really well.

[SarryB]

Mine is going off savoury too...I just put a very small amount of fruit on the spoon, then the next big spoonful is savoury. I alternate like this throughout the meal. Or, I sometimes cover a bit of rice cake or toast in fruit puree which he can feed himself with, and when he opens his mouth I get in quick with the spoon!

He probably has about a tea-spoon of fruit alongside two tablespoons of savoury.

[Mobly]

Try sweeter veg if he prefers sweeter foods. Sweet potato is a good one. Also, the casserole/stew veg packs cooked & blended into a soup are quite sweet tasting.

I'd offer them as finger foods too, so sticks of well cooked carrot, chinks of well cooked broccoli.

Agree with others, don't stress, but offer them every day & he will eventually develop a taste for veg.

[Keznel]

I am having the same problem with DD (7months) I do keep offering savoury foods but inevitably she'll end up eating only fruit at meal times! It is very frustrating especially that wee face when it's all getting spat out, like I'm trying to poison her . It was suggested to me recently to give her a spoon of her own with a little veg on it and continue trying to feed her myself as well. Will try anything at this point. ilovespinach I feel your pain

[MillionPramMiles]

Ilovespinach: have you tried mixing veg such as carrot or squash with pear or apple? Also the Ella's kitchen veg pouches have a lot of fruit in them, you could try mixing in a bit of one of those as well. I've sometimes put a little blob of ellas on the first couple of spoonfuls of veg that I feed dd then not put any more on once she's convinced herself I'm not feeding her something horrible....the things we do...

[skandi1]

Others said this. Mix veg and fruit. Pear and broccoli is lovely btw.

Some people think this is wrong because it supposedly teaches children to love sweet stuff. Well breast milk is sweet and they had that first.

I did this for both DD and DS. Now 3 and 1 they love both fruit and veg.