Meals for kids, same as rest or differant?

furrypig

could be right curry queen!

I hate yorkshire puds as I was still trying to eat them hours after everyone else had left the table or I would eat them with something ridiculous like pickled onions/ honey poured on top/ all of the above! to try and make everyone else get the point!!

I tell my kids 'its up to you it's your choice to eat it or not but there might not be anything else/only fruit etc etc' I think if they feel in control (ie their choice) they sometimes change their minds. I say it very calmly as I don't want to have a fight about it (usually!).

swizzlebabe

Have decided it`s now time to take action, thanks to you all for your comments and idea`s. I too remember when I was a child my brother having to stay at the table until he ate mash and carrots- he still dislikes them. I said I would never force a child of mine like that.

Have explained to eldest that as from monday I will sit and eat tea with them, daddy will eat when he comes in from work.

They will have to try 1 new thing at each meal, but if they don`t like it, thats fine. We will be also be introducing pudding, which will be fruit, home made cake or ice lolly etc. They will then be allowed a healthy supper. They don`t have many sweets or much crap anyway.

Told him 1 night we will make homemade pizza, for a child who dosn`t like tomato or cheese this could be a challange!!!!!!!!!!! But he will eat pasta shapes from a tin, so will use that as a base.

Also going to let them pick a childs cookbook at library so here goes.

VixxAnn

swizzlebabe - well done you;) sounds like you have a good plan - I'm sure you will see good results, maybe not instantly but you will !!


I just remembered something else - when my middle son is not too keen on something I let him have apple sauce with it - he loves apple sauce and I figure its a lot better than tons of ketchup (he does have a little of that). He's had some bizarre mixtures in the past but if he eats it in the end then its ok I reckon

PS - do try and get hold of that book - its really interesting without being preaching (sorry but I'm a recent convert!!)

Magentasue

swizzlebabe wrote:

Told him 1 night we will make homemade pizza, for a child who dosn`t like tomato or cheese this could be a challange!!!!!!!!!!! But he will eat pasta shapes from a tin, so will use that as a base.

One of mine doesn't like cooked cheese or the tomato sauce we have on pizza so when I make his, I just put a little of each on one part of his pizza base. On the rest I just brush a little olive oil and sprinkle on some salt crystals, pepper and oregano as this goes on everybody's. The deal is he eats the little bit with topping as well as the rest. Only two of my kids like salad and he's one of them so we always have salad with pizza. He feels this is reasonable and now I think about it, he doesn't complain any more so maybe I should increase it a little!

tiff

Good for you Swizzlebabe, let us know how it turns out

rushnowt

Good luck swizzlebabe, I'm certain you'll do a great job

Edinburghlass_2

Have a look for The Usborne First Cookbook by Angela Wilkes and Stephen Cartwright. Recipes range from the simple sandwich to cheese souffle.

Have had this book for years, the kids at my daughter's primary school used to love borrowing it and we still use it now.

(just flicked through it and its made me hungry)

gingerdad

Just to put my 2p's worth, we when ever possible eat together, my daughters a 2 and 4 and love making their own pizzas, burgers and different cakes and biscuits.

they always eat what we do and we have never really had any issues with them eating, sometimes they won't try things, but as my daughter said to me yesterday, I like cucumber now daddy.... we have friends who pander to their kids every whim and all they seem to do is pick and eat crap.

We eat lots of different things and one of my daughters’ favourites is crunchy chicken, just chicken, tomato sauce and corn flakes. Really easy and they like to make it.

Food should be fun and we have some really good quality food in this country, it's just a shame very little of it comes from supermarkets. But that's another storey

jellyhead

i seem to be going against the general feeling, but i make a separate meal for my son and am happy to do so. we went through all the meetings with the dietician etc. when he was younger and on the health visitors advice i did starve him when he refused to eat what we were having 'he'll eat it when he gets hungry' said she, well he didn't, and got very anaemic and weak. dietician said that while most children will eventually give in to hunger there are some who would rather starve to death than eat a texture they hated.

so, i make his meal for him, he has rules, he has to eat vegetables and fruit, water to drink, no fizzy rubbish in the house and if we're somewhere eating out and he doesn't want anything off the menu he just has fruit/veg and no pudding. if i've cooked what he's asked for he MUST clear his plate. this ensures that he's eating a balanced diet, and isn't just being demanding or fickle. on the other hand my sister sneers at me for doing this - she insists that her children have smaller portions of whatever she's cooking for herself. the result is that her children eat nothing but the bread or potato part of the meal. they fill up on sugary coke and then eat biscuits and chocolate in between meals because they're hungry. her children are 5 and 7 and i have never seen the 5 year old eat a single piece of fruit or veg in his entire life. we eat together once a week and go on holiday together too. no wonder he has toilet problems, he doesn't know what fibre is. during the last holiday the 5 year old only ate garlic bread, noodles, chips, crisps and bread/toast, and that's a typical week.

she might think i spoil my son by cooking him a separate meal (he's mildly autistic by the way, so i do tend to pander to his whims a bit) but surely it's healthier to eat a separate meal as long as rules are followed such as must include at least 2 veg and must clear the plate than to be given a small adults meal and only eat the carbohydrates, throwing the rest away?

Quackers

jellyhead wrote:

but surely it's healthier to eat a separate meal as long as rules are followed such as must include at least 2 veg and must clear the plate than to be given a small adults meal and only eat the carbohydrates, throwing the rest away?

Most definately. Some people would say (definately not me) that you were 'making a rod for your own back' but if it suits you and it works then why change

I said previously we often eat different meals because I'm the only veggie in the house. Its often at various times due to work & stuff but it doesn't bother us, its how we've always done things and it works just fine and we wouldn't change a thing