Sainsbury have huge long ones at the monent which have extra play value. They are great on the move and not so messy. Corn on the cobs are great toddler finger food. Once the eating has started you can follow up with the rest of the meal. Corn on the cob are also great for older children.
Children do like vegetable soup.
Try adding a little cream or milk in it to cool it down or a dollop of butter. They may start by saying yuk but invariably eat it all up and often ask for more. For the incredulous ones, I beg you to try. These I think are not just issues for mothers but also for fathers. I think that being a parent not just mother IS the most difficult job in the world.