Parenting✓ Follow-up at 6 weeks2,890 views
My kid won't eat vegetables no matter what I try
A gradual exposure plan to get picky kids eating vegetables by hiding them in favorite foods, involving kids in cooking, and removing mealtime pressure.
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Follow-Up Result
6 weeks laterKid now eats 5 different vegetables regularly after the hiding and involvement strategy
The Problem
My 6-year-old refuses to eat anything green. Dinner is a nightly battle. I've tried bribing, threatening, hiding veggies in smoothies — nothing sticks. The pediatrician says they're healthy but I worry about nutrition. My partner and I argue about whether to force the issue or just wait it out. I'm exhausted from making separate meals every night.
The Plan
Week 1-2: Stop the Battle
Remove all pressure around vegetables immediately — no bribing, no "just one bite," no dessert bargaining
Serve vegetables alongside foods they already like with zero commentary
Let them see YOU eating and enjoying vegetables — modeling matters more than lecturing
Start a "food adventure chart" where they get a sticker for trying anything new (not just veggies)
Make portions tiny — one baby carrot, two peas — so it's not overwhelming
Week 3-4: Sneak and Involve
Blend spinach into pasta sauce, cauliflower into mac and cheese, sweet potato into pancake batter
Take them grocery shopping and let them pick ONE new vegetable to try each week
Cook together — kids who help make food are dramatically more likely to eat it
Try different preparations: roasted carrots taste completely different from boiled ones
Dips are magic — hummus, ranch, cheese sauce — let them dip everything
Week 5-6: Build on Wins
When they eat a vegetable, don't make a huge deal — a casual "glad you liked it" is enough
Keep offering rejected vegetables every few weeks — it can take 15-20 exposures before acceptance
Grow something simple together (cherry tomatoes, herbs) — kids eat what they grow
Accept that some kids genuinely dislike certain textures — work with preferences, not against them
Stop making separate meals — serve family meals with at least one thing everyone likes
Resources
"It's Not About the Broccoli" by Dina Rose — reframes the whole picky eating conversation
Kids Eat in Color (Instagram) — evidence-based tips from a pediatric dietitian
Solid Starts app — great for understanding age-appropriate food expectations
Follow-Up Result
6 weeks in: the game-changer was removing pressure. Once dinner stopped being a battle, the kid actually started being curious. The cauliflower mac and cheese was a huge win — they had no idea. They now willingly eat roasted carrots with ranch, corn on the cob, and cucumber slices. Still won't touch broccoli but that's fine. The food adventure chart made trying new things fun instead of scary. Biggest lesson: kids eat better when they're not stressed about eating.Know someone with this problem?
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