Sneaking in the Greens!

Lily is starting to be a bit of a picky eater. She has, for example, figured out that peaches are more delicious than spinach. At first, she would eat anything I fed her. I'm not sure if that was because I was feeding her from jars and all of that food is more bland (she still eats anything from a jar), or if she was just not yet discriminating in her tastes.

Now that I'm making her food, she has shown a distinct preference for the sweet! She will gobble down the fruit, and tolerates carrots and sweet potatoes. The greens, however, she will not eat alone. I've tried zucchini, broccoli, peas, and spinach. She gags with them all. If, however, I make a blend, say blueberries and broccoli (I know...weird), she will eat it.

I'm not sure if this is a good move or not. Part of me wants her to enjoy the vegetables on their own, for their savory flavors. I've tried mixing them with cereal or yogurt and adding some savory spices (cinnamon, cumin, or paprika), but she still won't eat but a few bites. The foodie in me knows that salt will make them taste better, but they (whoever they are) say not to give salt to babies.

Then there is the part of me that just wants her to get the good nutrients and doesn't care if she has them mixed with sweets or not. This morning she gobbled down her favorite breakfast of applesauce with yogurt and cinnamon without even noticing the spoon full of spinach I added!

Any of you baby food making mom's out there have any thoughts?