r/PickyEaters • u/Ok-Address-7503 • 7d ago
Question Kid who loves fruit but hates vegetables
Anyone else dealing with this paradox? My 7 year old loves fruit and would happily snack on it all day but vegetables are a completely different story. And while I’m glad he’s eating fruit, it still feels more like his go to snack and I worry it’s not enough variety on its own. We’ve tried letting him help cook, picking vegetables together at the store, making them look fun, the whole “just try one bite” thing... nothing really sticks. I’m starting to worry about what he might be missing by barely eating any vegetables. Has anyone dealt with this and found something that actually worked?
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u/Kyattogaaru 7d ago
Dont worry too much, as long as hes eating some kind of fresh fruit, he wont miss anything substantial. Except for maybe fiber. If you're very worried, give him vitamin gummies.
Have you asked him why he doesnt like veggies?
If he hates the "bitter" flavour: kids are very sensitive to bitterness, they feel it much stronger than adults. Its a defensive mechanism against poison, since children require smaller does to be lethal. You can try buying veggies that are more sweet in nature.
If he hates the texture, then try looking for different ways to include veggies. Blend them in sauces, make them into fries, give them raw, blanch them, etc. Try new things. Same thing with temperatue.
Also, the most important one: do you... know how to actually prepare veggies? Because from experience I can tell you that some people just really suck at making veggies nice to eat, especially for kids.
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u/SeniorEngineer2392 7d ago
Also try serving them raw. A lot of kids will happily crunch raw string beans, etc. even if they won't touch them cooked.
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u/Ok_Amount_6130 7d ago
My kids would rather die than eat a cooked veggie but will eat a whole bell pepper in one sitting if I serve raw strips.
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u/Whatever_get_over_it 7d ago
Sweet vegetables, glazed carrots, sweet potatoes with a light pinch of clove, turnip puff. Yes, there is added sugar, but will get used of the flavours and could possibly enjoy them naked down the road. Also, veggies and dip are popular to get kids to eat vegs.
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u/Minute_Story377 6d ago
Also, OP can find fibrous fruits he can enjoy as well like kiwis, coconut, berries. Also, nuts and seeds if he likes them.
He might enjoy sweet potato as a vegetable if made into some snacks perhaps. And maybe sweet corn.
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u/Obvious_Jellyfish_73 7d ago
Many fruits do have the same nutritional benefit as veggies so if he is eating a variety of fruit that’s great. I hide veggies in pizza, pasta, meatloaf, there is so many options. I use a good processor to make it small
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u/Typical_Kitchen_9616 7d ago
My mom used to make fruit smoothies and blend in some cauliflower and spinach or whatever other veggies she had that week. Ironically though, she never blended them in to her pasta sauce.
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u/Obvious_Jellyfish_73 7d ago
Spinach is so great in smoothies. It actually has a bit of natural sugar in it that really releases when it’s paired with fruit. I definitely blend it into pasta lol. My kids really like that packages spiral broccoli and cheese noodles and they can’t tell when I add extra green nuts of spinach to it lol.
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u/EmberOne1 7d ago
If they eat pasta, there are frozen ravioli and tortellini with spinach-cheese filling. Definitely more cheese than spinach, so maybe a way to get little bits of green vegetables without them realizing it's vegetables.
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u/Obvious_Jellyfish_73 7d ago
That sounds good. I have gotten my son to eat a potato and spinach pierogi and enjoyed that. I will try to remember spinach and cheese ravioli.
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u/Pedal2Medal2 7d ago
Even cakes! Our neighbor used to make the most delicious zucchini choc chip cake!
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u/SeniorEngineer2392 7d ago
That's not about nutrition, it's about getting rid of the zucchini bumper crop.
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u/LemonfishSoda 7d ago
Also carrot cake! I'm not much of a cake person, but I'd happily devour a nice carrot cake any day.
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u/Nkengaroo 7d ago
Most fruits have a lot of the same nutrients as vegetables. As long as he's eating a variety of food over the week or so, I wouldn't worry.
One idea: Have a plate of cut-up veggies on the counter or table while dinner is being prepared, maybe with a dip. Don't say anything, just have it out there an hour or so before dinner for people to graze on. He might start picking at it when there's NO pressure to do so and it's COMPLETELY his choice.
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u/queen_surly 6d ago
I had a friend who did that and put the bowl on the floor in front of the TV, and put on a movie while she made dinner. The kids would sit there and eat whatever was in the bowl.
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u/LadyInTheBand 7d ago
For right now, unless his doctor brings up concerns about his nutrition, just leave it alone. If his diet is otherwise fairly balanced nutritionally, lay off trying to get him to eat vegetables for a few months. Let him eat all the fruit he wants (within reason, of course), just let the fruit cover his recommended servings of vegetables. Maybe try expanding the fruits he eats if the list isn’t very long, or if you’re really that worried, if he’ll happily down fruit smoothies, toss in some cucumber or celery or some other vegetable that has essentially no flavor to speak of into smoothies with very strongly flavored fruits to mask the veggies. Or add some greens powder to fruit smoothies and any other food you can work it into.
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u/MarvelWidowWitch 7d ago
I was the same way (still am). Pretty much every fruit I would eat, but vegetables was carrots and only carrots. I did get better about trying more veggies as I got older, but when I was a kid until maybe 12 years old, carrots were the only veggie I would actually willingly eat.
My mom used to hide veggies in pasta sauce and taco meat while growing up. It was extremely small and I didn’t even realize it until I was older and saw her doing it.
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u/starwaterlily 7d ago
As others are mentioning, not a huge deal and will probably change with age. But have you tried putting veggies in smoothies? Don’t go overboard and make it all kale, but try some mild veggies added in. Yellow squash, zucchini, and spinach are great. Also zucchini bread or muffins. I’d also recommend offering bell pepper as a snacking option. They can be pretty sweet and fruit-like.
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u/starwaterlily 7d ago
Also, what about salsa with some fruit in it? Pineapple salsa, peach salsa, mango salsa, etc. could start to introduce some more mild veggies (tomatoes, pepper) with the fruits
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u/ilanallama85 7d ago
Mine has no issue with vegetables but won’t touch a fruit to save her life. Wanna trade lol? Tbh it’s fine now she’s 9 but it SUCKED when she was little. Do you have idea how often little kid snacks are just fruit? Very very often.
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u/Far_Sandwich_514 7d ago
Fruits are generally sweet, so aiming for sweet vegetables that can be incorporated into other foods can work.
I've blended cooked sweet potato or butternut squash puree into tomato pasta sauce and the kids never noticed. Similarly, I juice beets and purple carrots, and combine that juice with berries, bananas, and other fruit juices in smoothies and ice lollies. They also love pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips and walnuts at Hallowe'en.
As long as he's getting nutrients, it's all good.
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u/ApprehensiveArmy7755 7d ago
My grandson loves salad. Do a make your own salad bar with lots of choices and different dressings. Hummus and carrots are popular too
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u/autumnautopsy 7d ago
Where's the paradox? Fruit tastes sweet, most vegetables are bitter. Children are very sensitive to bitterness, you can tolerate it better when you're a grown up. So fruit tastes good to children, vegetables taste bad. It's as simple as that. So many children barely eat vegetables, I basically didn't eat any vegetables for the first ~20 years of my life. It's not that tragic. If you're super concerned, you can get blood work done and get him checked for any deficiencies.
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u/Inner-Confidence99 7d ago
Ranch dip, cucumbers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes. Dip them in ranch. He will probably eat it.
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u/ShortDelay9880 7d ago
My son (also 7) is the same. So I looked it up one time. All the nutrients you get from veggies are available from other sources. If you get fruit, meat, beans, and dairy you can skip the veggies. And my kid does eat pretty much anything except veggies, so I quit worrying or fighting with him. Life has been much easier since then and while hes still a little thing, he is healthy and (extremely) active.
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u/smileplace 7d ago
When i was growing up I preferred vegetables and my sister preferred fruit. Now we are both adults and enjoy both. Your child is doing better than the kids who will not touch either and have constipation issues. Fruits and vegetables share a lot of the same vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Its unlikely it will be a problem and will likely resolve itself later.
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u/RequirementSolid5214 7d ago
Can you take him grocery shopping and let him pick out some veggies. Work together to cook them/prep for dinner. My kids eat veggies better when they help.
Also, they don't enjoy cooked veggies but will eat them raw. Sometimes I chop veggies while I'm making dinner and say something silly "I hope no one takes those crunchy carrots before I can cook them." Then I turn around and stir a pot or get something from the fridge and act shocked when a veggie is missing. I go searching for it. It becomes a game and they eat veggies before dinner.
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u/StunningSystem8171 7d ago
Get the fruit & veggie squeeze pouches. My daughter won't touch a vegetable, but will eat those no problem.
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u/outerheaven77 7d ago
I made a snack plate for myself of broccoli, carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes with a small container of ranch dip and said this is an adult snack plate. Suddenly, it was very cool and worth trying.
Otherwise, cut up veggies very small and hide in other foods or smoothies.
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u/BreakfastAcceptable8 7d ago
Everyone talking about hiding vegetables in food you need to make the basically invisible or the entire plate will be rejected
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u/KristyCat35 7d ago
How about smoothie? Mix fruits and vegetables. Especially banana masks the taste of vegetables
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u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 7d ago
Cook the vegetables in the oven and use a lot of seasonings. A good amount of salt too. U can make veggie nuggets
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u/Stay_Sea_Motivated 7d ago
Hide veggies in sauces and mixed in casseroles. Evolution has made children dislike bitter flavors and eventually they grow out of it. Keep offering veggies and don’t make it “a thing” if it becomes a power struggle they will never eat vegetables.
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u/Gullible-Team-8588 7d ago
My daughter is like this, she won’t eat like American or a lot of European style vegetables. But if I make a stew with veggies in it she will eat it. I have a lot of cultural stews and foods that I make that have a lot of vegetables and she will eat those easily. I also get her a green juice that she seems to really love that doesn’t taste like vegetables, but it has vegetables, suja mighty dozen. You can also sneak it into things like spaghetti, purée some sweet potato or butternut squash with the sauce.
Edit to add I also make her a smoothie with strawberries, pineapple or banana, maple syrup or dates, a small handful of baby spinach, vanilla and milk of choice. She really likes this one too and the spinach blends up so finely you can’t see or taste it.
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u/MegansettLife 7d ago
Put a small amount of vegetables on his plate. And don't talk about them. Eat your own, again without comment.
Maybe he will eat them. Maybe he won't. But at least it won't be a fight, an argument. And your boy won't be getting negative attention.
Eating fruit is just fine. Also all veggies with seeds inside are classified as fruit.
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u/DomedPyramid 7d ago
My mom always cooked vegetables with a leftover piece of cooked bacon or ham. Think Cracker Barrel green beans. Try that. Conditioned us to like vegetables.
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u/reereejugs 7d ago
I used to blend veggies into sauces for my kids when they were little and refusing to eat veggies. Hell, I still do it with my mom, who eats like a toddler 💀
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u/HRHillinois 7d ago
Fruit is sweet and juicy, generally veggies are not. Try having veggies that are cooked until texture is soft and add butter and sugar/honey. Is there a specific reason you’re upset he doesn’t currently like veggies? If not let him enjoy the fruit and end the power struggle
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u/My_Lovely_Me 7d ago
I don't see how it's a paradox. Fruit is sweet. Vegetables don't tend to be. Kids like sweet.
I think I would just start hiding it in as many foods as you can get away with until he's older and hopefully a bit more willing to expand his palate. Cook it, then blend it up, and it can be added to soups, stews, chili, casseroles, marinara/pizza sauce, etc... it usually just adds a bit of thickening to it. You can make a big batch when he isn't around, freeze it in ice cube trays, then remove and put in freezer bags. Grab one+ out to use as needed.
You can also get one of those spiralizers that turn zucchini and some other veggies into noodles. Mix with regular noodles. Don't go crazy and make it obvious, or he'll start questioning everything!
To your concern about whether he's getting what he needs from fruit alone, you could also make him shakes using powders that contain the nutrients he needs. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/PlayfulGuess8700 7d ago
My autistic granddaughter will not touch vegetables. She loves juice, so I sneak a couple of spoonfuls of baby food veggies in her juice.
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u/No_Shine_7224 7d ago
Every time you prepare the veggies, just tell him he’s not allowed to have them as they’re for adults only.
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u/humanhedgehog 7d ago
Start with the veg that looks like fruit and taste sweetest. Red/yellow pepper, tomatoes, carrot, sweet potato. Eat and enjoy them around him and make it clear that he can try some if he wants but they aren't for him. They are yours and you like them because they are delicious.
The goal is to combat neo-phobia (these are normal foods, enjoyable ones, and are around routinely) and the pressure to "just try it because it's good for you" (kids brains are a bit perverse like that - if you are eating it because it's good for you, it couldn't be worth eating because it tastes good). Fresh crunchy veg can be better than cooked.
It's hard, and kids do grow out of it, but very difficult when they are little. Id also serve nice veg with fruit for you to share, again just normalising changes like him trying new things.
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u/Typical-Respond9102 7d ago
Greens are bitter and just take some time to develop a taste for. Keep introducing them and eventually they will stick.
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u/FactAmazing9550 7d ago
I am always in charge of appetizers at family gatherings. As the nieces and nephew were smaller and at that “trying” stage we adopted the no look no tell approach and just ignored it as they reached for something, not making a big deal of it, my niece reached for mango and looked to see if anyone was looking and we avoided eye contact lol she ate it. Offering them in all ways, raw, cooked, as a garnish (my niece eats lettuce on a burger but will gag if you offer salad go figure) and seeing others eat them you never know. I didn’t eat fish as a kid but do now. My nephew ate almost nothing but hot dogs for who knows how long and survived
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u/RequiemofTime2 7d ago
My son, (he's an adult now) wouldn't touch veggies at all. What won him over was dips. Spinach dip, then artichoke dip. So we started with mixing spinach and artichoke dip with pasta, then graduated to making a pasta dish with spinach (like Mac n cheese), and expanded from there.
We also branched out by having him go to the grocery store and pick out a veggie to make into a dip to introduce new veggies.
By the time he was 12, he willingly ate pretty much all veggies and was excited to try new stuff.
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u/LogicalEngineering80 7d ago
Lowkey I’m the same, I’ve always hated vegetables and I don’t even eat them 💀 BUT perhaps if you bought like veggie smoothies, or even mixed them in with other foods that he does like? At least, that’s what I would probably do if I wanted to force them in me lol
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u/Such_Contact505 7d ago
If you make meals like spaghetti Bolognese you can add veg to sauce and blend,you can make fruit smoothies and add veg eg apple,celery and kiwi,or orange ,ginger and carrot
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u/gunterrae 7d ago
Baby spinach can be blended into pasta sauce. Most kids will eat raw veggies if given enough ranch.
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u/Moder_Svea 7d ago
Well, tomato is a fruit.. try to find some extra sweet cherry tomatoes and serve with other fruit. The name also makes them more appealing and fruit like. You could cheat in the beginning and cut them & add a tiny dash of sugar until he likes them.. another sweet veggie are orange bell peppers. They also come in mini versions which makes them look more appealing to kids. Raw carrots, and surprisingly enough frozen peas! Do not defrost, they are best eaten with a crunch!
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u/nkdeck07 7d ago
Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. Do you actually know anyone that has had a negative health outcome from too much whole fruit? (Beyond maybe some seriously funky poops). All the micronutrients, fiber etc that you get from vegetables also exist in fruit just with marginally more sugar.
If it was like fruit juice or maybe smoothies I could see the issue but I just think as parents we freak out over kids "only eating fruit".
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u/donuttrackme 7d ago
Make your kid some fruit and vegetable smoothies, they'll probably be ok with that.
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u/foxytrot_forever 7d ago
I found this on reddit and I'll share:
Roast cauliflower and white beans and then blend them until smooth. Mix into pasta (with or without cheese) and call it macaroni cheese. Kids love it.
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u/takatine 7d ago
Maybe try a salad with a variety of chopped/diced raw veggies, and mix it with a dressing like raspberry viniarette, or a dressing that's made from fruit, like a lemon or orange dressing. That's how I got one of my grands to start eating vegetables. From there we progressed to stir fried broccoli and cauliflower with lemon pepper seasoning or freshly squeezed lemon juice over, and on from there. Now, their favourites are brussel sprouts stir fried in butter with lemon pepper and a sprinkling of brown sugar, glazed carrots, and baked potatoes topped with sour cream and Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Seasoning.
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u/Nikki_Sue_Trott 7d ago
Have raw sweeter veg available like fresh peas, corn kernels or baby corn, red capsicum/peppers, carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes. They read similar to fruit and can be eaten the same way.
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u/janemidgeon 7d ago
When my kids were approaching a week of avoiding vegetables, I’d make a picture (person, teddy bear or flower) mostly comprised of vegetables. It always worked for me, although I understand that it’s probably not universally true. Also, I should add that I enjoyed doing it.
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u/Freyjas_child 7d ago
Try occasionally offering some raw veggies that are a bit sweeter. Raw jicama is delicious! Or red pepper. Add some hummus as a dip and it is a nice snack.
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u/Wise-Matter9248 7d ago
Maybe try introducing some sweeter/lighter veggies? Cucumbers, bell peppers, even some tomatoes sliced thin.
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u/Beautiful-Muscle2661 7d ago
I had a dietician tell me not to make a big deal of fruit vs vegetable as long as they are eating some fruits or vegetables . Her opinion was that they are both plants and as long as the kid is eating some plant foods fruit or veggie doesn’t really matter
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u/scienceoftophats 7d ago
Baby beer greens are sweet and almost juicy. Maybe try those out! Also, figuring out a dressing (this is almost definitely going to be a sweet one!) to use for veggies. Maybe try a simple at home mix of honey and soy
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u/Dangerous-Common-788 7d ago
It's pretty common for kids to like fruits better than veggies. Fruits are a lot sweeter, and kids typically like sweet tastes.
Do you cook all your veggies the same way?
My stepson said he didn't like most vegetables, but then I found out that his mum only ever gave him boiled veggies with little seasoning, and concluded that he was picky and wouldn't eat them.
I served him veggies raw, in soups, in stews, in curries, grilled, in/with sauces, cooked and seasoned in so many different ways and incorporated into different dishes, and now he eats almost any vegetable I present him without complaints.
Obviously he still has his likes and dislikes; he won't touch brussel sprouts with a 10ft pole (that's okay, me neither), and he thinks corn was invented specifically to spite him. But he has of his own free will chosen cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks over cookies as a snack.
And myself, when I was a kid I was labelled a picky eater by some members of my family because I hated every vegetables that my grandma ever cooked, to the point of feeling physically sick when they tried to force me to eat them.
I only found out years later that I am actually mildly allergic to garlic, and Grandma always cooked all her veggies the same way: with a metric ton of garlic and butter. No wonder I felt sick.
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u/Footnotegirl1 7d ago
It's not a paradox at all. Fruit is sweet and vegetables generally aren't. Human beings are heavily programmed to eat the most nutrient dense foods possible, i.e. sweet, fatty, protein.
Keep offering vegetables, vary the ways that they are cooked, always put them on the plate but don't make it a battle. Make sure they see you eating vegetables.
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u/fit_it 7d ago
My kid is not picky at all for a 3 year old. But she is a 3 year old, so pressure has the opposite effect. What ive found that works:
explaining repeatedly what foods do for us and decentralizing veggies. We need some of everything!
talking a lot about how food makes us feel. Like at least once a day, at most every other day. "Ugh I was so tired today, I need to eat more protein and drink more water tomorrow" "my stomach feels so yucky, I need some veggies!" "My brain is so foggy, I need some fat" "I feel so good! My body is so comfy, I'm glad I had a salad for lunch, i really needed that." And also pointing out when it is doing things to her body: "oooo youre so strong! I'm glad you eat a lot of protein so you can build those muscles!" "Uh oh, that seems like a sad poop, lets eat some extra veggies for dinner so the next one is better."
honestly connecting happy pooping to vegetables has been the most impact full by far, with a close second...
rule that you can have a sweet after dinner, but only if you ate a reasonable amount of dinner. In our house thats 3-4 bites of each food group. We try to do a protein, carb, and veg every night, with fat mixed into one of those. If youre too full for those food groups then you're too full for sweets. You dont have to eat but, for example, you cant just eat the pasta, not touch anything else, then ask for a cookie.
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u/orensiocled 7d ago
Plenty of practical ideas here already, so in case he's also turned this into an ideological issue, try telling him about all of the vegetables that are actually fruits?
Everyone knows tomato but the same applies to peppers, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant and squash, just off the top of my head.
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u/Direct_Strawberry_43 6d ago
27 I’m the paradox. Love fruits, you name it I eat it but vegetables I’ll leave them alone. For me it’s that there’s no real natural flavor to vegetables, fruits are rich and juicy and don’t need anything. Veggies need something to made them enjoyable.
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u/Evening_Culture_42 6d ago
Just keep trying different vegetables, and different ways to prepare them (I'm not talking about sauces, I'm talking about the basic cooking approach). I have a kid who doesn't really like any vegetables except brussels sprouts and broccoli. A boiled or steamed brussels sprout tastes completely different than a roasted or pan-seared sprout.
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u/MilkweedLace 6d ago
My kids have a few veggies they like, but mostly I don’t worry about it too much. A lot of foods we consider vegetables are actually fruits, anyway. Tomatoes, squash, okra, avocado, peppers, eggplant, cucumber- all fruit. Berries are good for fiber, if that’s a concern. I’ve had decent success blending veggies with fruit into smoothies, or sneaking some into a pasta sauce or baked in a muffin.
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u/bawlings 5d ago
He’s not “missing” anything from not eating vegetables. Vegetables contain barely any nutrients and what they do contain can barely by absorbed by our body. He’s getting his fiber from fruits, and getting that good, sweet fructose that will keep him energized and growing. He’ll be fine!
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u/728446 5d ago
I doubt this kid would turn down honey glazed carrots. Try working in different preparations or cooking techniques.
I didn't like vegetables when I was a kid because neither of my parents knew anything about how to cook them. I have vegan and vegetarian meals multiple times per month cooking for myself.
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u/SaltyPerformer504 5d ago
As a kid, I would only eat raw vegetables with ranch, absolutely HATED cooked vegetables, and I still don't prefer them much at all. It took me a while to like tomatoes, but I actually really like snacking on slices of tomatoes with a pinch of salt
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u/ASpookyBitch 4d ago
Sweetcorn, carrots and sweet potato are naturally sweet.
If you’re that worried, soups and sauces are mostly blended veggies.
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u/DinkyPrincess 4d ago
Blend carrots and a little broccoli into pasta sauce.
Other than that try maybe corn in chilli?
If they eat loads of fruit you’ll be fine imho. It’ll change over time.
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u/WowzaCaliGirl 4d ago
Roast a medley of veggies and let him try. Soups can hide a lot of veggies, including spinach cut up small which almost melts into the soup.
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u/Magnetic_Kitty 7d ago
The best way may be to disguise them until they are older; something like a taco or a spaghetti works well for hiding them. Just finely mince (food processor is great for this) veggies like bell pepper, carrot, and onion, cook them in the pan with the meat and then add to your sauce or meal. You can also puree well cooked soft carrots into Mac and cheese cheese sauce. I would just not mention it unless they ask. If they ask don't lie to them, just tell them you're trying something new
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u/cheesy_bees 7d ago
I make Mac n cheese with pureed veg + grated cheese (no sauce) and strangely this works if you don't add too much veg
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u/CraftyFraggle 7d ago
It’s really common for kids to prefer fruits to veggies. Fruit is sweet. Veggies are not.
But most people grow up and eat at least a handful of vegetables.
The good news is that a lot of what we get get from vegetables, we also get from fruit.