Comments on: Increasing Fruits & Veggies in Your Diet

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:31:06 +0000

I have had occasional trouble with coconut oil, but if it is soft it is normally not a problem. If completely solid, I melt it in a small saucepan on the stove before adding to the smoothie.

By: Rachel R.

Rachel R. — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:32:46 +0000

What a fantastic idea to use leftover salad in a smoothie! I often add the individual salad ingredients, but it had never occurred to me that I could use up salad leftovers this way.

I have heard that coconut oil in a smoothie can tend to just leave solid chunks, since it’s solid at cold temperatures. Have you ever had difficulty with this?

By: M.I.A in Minnesota

M.I.A in Minnesota — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:39:04 +0000

I too have been putting tons of spinach in all of my smoothies. It’s amazing how the taste is completely disguised! I also have a quick and easy muffin recipe using pumpkin puree. The girls love it. It’s just a box of chocolate, white, or yellow cake mix mixed with a can of pumpkin puree. It makes 12. Bake as usual. I sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar on top before I bake them. I’m sure you could come up with a more natural and healthy version. : )

By: M.I.A in Minnesota

M.I.A in Minnesota — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:34:33 +0000

I’m with you Jamie! It’s amazing what they’ll eat when they’re hungry! : )

By: Christy M

Christy M — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:29:15 +0000

I have also heard that it may take up to 15+ times of trying a food to like it, because taste is simply acquired. So just keep offering it and require that they take at least one bite. We’ve even resorted to bribery on occasion, especially in restaurants, by offering a quarter for taking a bite of a new food. It usually works and most of the time, they will admit that it wasn’t bad. They don’t always fall in love at first bite. It’s amazing the differences in children, even within the same family. My oldest just began to eat and love salads and other vegetables within the past couple of years (maturity factor). My 10yo is very picky, but it fits with his temperament. My 5yo definitely eats more produce than my first two sons did at his age, but has developed some finicky-ness. My 2yo eats everything I give him, even salad. Much of the reason for the changes in my boys’ eating habits have to do with the changes I made about 5 years ago to healthier eating. So set an example and eat what you want your children to eat. They also will copy your attitudes about food, so even if you don’t like something, act like a grown-up and don’t use words like “eww, that’s gross”.

By: Dena

Dena — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:14:52 +0000

If you’re trying to eat healthfully, the MacDougall cookbook is totally healthy and yet I’ve found all of the recipes I’ve tried in there to be delicious.

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:57:35 +0000

my toddler likes frozen peas and corn right out of the bag, not cooked or defrosted. Sometimes he’ll eat a whole pile!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:13:20 +0000

All of my children have gone through a picky stage. We just served things that we knew they liked, and included something at each meal that we made them try. After several ‘tastings’ they eventually come to like it. My youngest would NOT eat salad, and now she loves green leaf lettuce and raw veggies with my homemade ranch dressing. I’ve been trying to get her to drink kefir for over a year, and today I blended it with berries, bananas and sweetener and called it a ’strawberry milkshake’. She drank it all and asked for more! The other two just eat whatever is on their plate now.

By: Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship

Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:33:36 +0000

I am in the same boat! My 4-y-old son used to eat EVERYthing but has grown more “selective”. We’ve found that not pushing too hard is important, and DIPS go a long way! It’s almost psychological with him – a teensy bit of HM Italian dressing on some broccoli, and it goes right down. Sweet potato fries with ketchup. Ranch dressing for raw veggies. I also make cubes of veggies and put them in most tomato sauce dishes and casseroles, plus spinach in our scrambled eggs.

By: Tristan

Tristan — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:54:14 +0000

I read both books and it was the idea I liked, not their actual recipes. I simply add the purees to my own recipes. Our favorites so far:
carrot in bean with bacon soup, butternut squash in mac and cheese, and BEETS in our chocolate cake! Mmmmm. Everyone loves it and I use at least a cup of veggies for each.

We too continue to offer veggies on the plate, and require 1 bite of each item before seconds are served. We make sure to serve less that we think a child will eat at a meal, and often we are surprised by how muxh or little they eat that day.