Feeding Picky Eaters Vegetables
and My Quest for the Perfect Squash

Despite my worst fears, feeding picky eaters vegetables wasn't as hard or labor intensive as I thought.

As a child, I ate only peas, green beans, potatoes and carrots, so I didn’t know much about other vegetables.

To keep away some of the monotony that is inherent in motherhood, I once decided to make my own baby food. It was supposed to be healthier for my children and less expensive for me.

After purchasing, baking, slicing, and pureeing the perfect butternut squash, I found myself with ten pounds of baby food.

Basically enough squash for my daughter to eat daily until she left home for college.

I failed at my efforts to channel my inner Susie Homemaker, but I did learn about the existence of other colorful, appetizing vegetables such as yellow zucchini and stringless sugar snap peas.

I am a personal fan of red, orange, and yellow peppers because I can buy them inexpensively at my local vegetable market. I just wash chop and serve them raw. My whole family likes the sweet taste and crunchy texture. I also love baby peeled carrots because they require no preparation and are ready to serve.

Is this the perfect vegetable?

I included a list of vegetables my family enjoys. To get them to eat more vegetables, I employ the same strategy as I would for any new food:

I enthusiastically present it in a small portion on everyone’s plate. I ask everyone to try it. If they do, great! If they don’t, great!

Why does that work?

Because that food will appear at regular intervals on their plate. After about five, ten or fifteen times my family realizes that the food and their enthusiastic mom are not going away, so they try the new food. It really works.

I know that finding vegetables you really like may be hard for some picky eaters, but keep trying. They are worth the effort. I found the greater the variety of vegetables my family ate, the more our bodies’ craved vegetables at our meals.

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