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“Hi I need advice on how to get my 12year old son to eat veggies and try new ones. He will be high school next year. I have ran out of ideas?” Do you have and ideas to get a 12 year old to eat veggies?

Posted by anon, 07/05/13

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  • Grate carrot and zucchini etc.into things like spaghetti Bolognese, pasts bake, meatballs, quiche etc. They can’t see them or taste them but get the nutritional benefits from eating them. I do this with my 9yo and then once he has eaten it as how it was and then explain what was in it, next time he is less reluctant to eat the vegetables. Good luck.


  • yeah they should just be eating them by that age and that’s also when they turn into terrible teengers


  • I think that if you don’t start them young on vegies then it’s going to be harder in the long run. My try rewarding him for eating his vegies, eg dessert or extra TV time. Sometimes bribery can be a good thing!


  • Hope you found a way. Try not offering as much carb and protein so he needs to fill up with veg.


  • I hope your child is eating a few veg now


  • I hope everything turned out well


  • Agree with missmilf09 on the needing to start babies on a variety of vegies when they’re young so they grow up with them all as a part of their diet. You could try hiding them, or grow a veggie patch and get him involved with it.


  • I hide them as I have no idea how to get children to eat things they don’t want to.


  • Mixing them n hiding it in foods


  • I always hide veggies. So pureed veg in spag bog etc. Sometimes what they dont know wont hurt them!


  • Good luck. That’s a difficult age!


  • Try using Kraft cheese spread. Pop the jar or spoon into a bowl in the micro wave and melt for thirty seconds or until it is runny. Then pour over the vegies as cheese sauce. It works a treat with my oldest and I have had the problem with her since she was 12. She is now 27 and no better but put cheese sauce on it and those vegies disappear. Good luck.


  • I would personally try a rewards system, for example if he tries 1 new veggie a week he gets to stay up half an hour later on friday or gets a new game after a month or something similar. If you make it a way to earn rewards you put a positive spin on veggies for him


  • We grate a lot of veges into all sorts of things including spaghetti bolognaise. The kids don’t seem to notice. We also grew a few veges (the kids chose) and they loved getting out their and picking them when they were ready. Another idea is to ask him if he would like to cook one night and maybe search the internet for a balanced meal. There are some great kids cookbooks out there that have some good meals. It might just help him take the step needed to step outside the comfort zone.


  • Just mix them with things add a sauce, salt etc or even try creamy cheese sauce through veggies good luck hope this helps


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