I am wondering if my child only eats veggies a couple times a week and not with every meal...but he eats a ton of fruit (loves blueberries) is this a bad thing?  If we have meat he will only eat the meat...he is a carnivore he also loves corn, asparagus and broccoli sometimes. I try to sneak veggies in anywhere that I can but it does not always work. What is the least amount of veggies per week that a 2 year old should be eating. This seems like the hardest feet for me as a mother. He loves to watch me cook and we eat veggies all the time but it is hard to get him to eat them. one time he likes something and the next time you give it to him he hates it...I have tried the whole 20 times thing... some things like asparagus he has always loved. Also in respect to nut allergies i have been reluctant to give him Peas because I have heard that some people who are allergic to nuts (peanuts) are also allergic to peas.  What do you think? - Anna, NY

Hello Anna,

Thank you for writing in!  These are really great questions and definitely ones that a lot of parents have. 

At age two, your son is exploring a whole new world of food flavors and textures.  While it is an exciting time for him, it can also be a frustrating one for you!  Experimenting with what he likes and doesn’t like and changing his mind frequently might drive you crazy, but it’s completely normal. 

The best thing that you can do is what you are already doing!   Consistently offer him a variety of vegetables with meals and snacks and act as a good role model by eating (and enjoying) many different vegetables in front of him.   It’s also important to present vegetables in an appealing looking and tasting way and to encourage, but not force, consumption.  Your job is to offer the right foods at the right time and place, and your son’s job is to decide whether or not he eats them and how much he eats. 

As for giving specific amounts, the USDA’s Mypyramid, which you can find at www.mypyramid.gov, recommends about 1 cup of vegetables per day for 2 year olds.  Another recommendation is to aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.  The amount of 1 serving for 2 year olds is about 2 Tbsp, (a general rule of thumb is to start with 1 Tbsp per year of age) but this could be more or less depending on the child.  It’s important not to get too hung up on amounts at this age because the right amount can be different for different children.    

If you haven’t tried these already, finger veggies like sugar snap peas, baby carrots, and edamame (you can find them in individual packets with cartoon characters like Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob!) make eating vegetables interactive and fun.  Many toddlers also love to dip foods, so offering veggies with a low-fat dip (hummus, bean dip, yogurt with herbs) is a great idea.   Always offers vegetables with meals, but if you wanted to slip more veggies into unexpected places in addition to the veggies you offer whole consider a cookbook that incorporates vegetables into more widely accepted foods (Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Feeding Your Baby and Toddler by Elizabeth Ward, and Baby Bites by Bridget Swinney all have tips for getting toddlers to eat more veggies.) 

For the last part of your question, although peas are in the same family as peanuts (they are both legumes), children that have a peanut allergy are not usually allergic to other legumes.  It’s actually more likely that a child with a peanut allergy will also have an allergy to tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or Brazil nuts.  It is always a good idea to check with your doctor first, but peas are likely to be problem-free for your son. 

Once again, thank you for writing in to Tastybaby.com.  Keep up the good work!