Do you make alternative dinners for your kids if they don't like what you made?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people without picky kids assume its all about sweets? I can eat candy or sweet and my picky child, would never even think of wanting it or asking. He could take or leave sweets. I can leave candy on the counter for weeks and he would not touch it and take a granola bar instead.

you know a granola bar is no better than a snickers, right

The simple plain chocolate ones aren't not comparable to snickers.

yes they are, eat the snickers it tastes better..your body does not differentiate between the two

I don't like snickers or granola bars. My husband likes snickers, child will not eat them even though he can easily get them from the freezer. They are not comparable. Granola bars are better for you depending on which ones you buy.

wow you are missing the point-both are sugar/simple carbs, your body uses them the same. Even if it is made with "whole grain oats" still a candy bar. For the record I dont care what your husband or your child eats. I am just pointing out that they are indeed comparable. You may not want to hear that but they are. Are one of those parents that think veggie chips, crisps, straws..pirate booty etc are healthy as well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people without picky kids assume its all about sweets? I can eat candy or sweet and my picky child, would never even think of wanting it or asking. He could take or leave sweets. I can leave candy on the counter for weeks and he would not touch it and take a granola bar instead.

you know a granola bar is no better than a snickers, right

The simple plain chocolate ones aren't not comparable to snickers.

yes they are, eat the snickers it tastes better..your body does not differentiate between the two

I don't like snickers or granola bars. My husband likes snickers, child will not eat them even though he can easily get them from the freezer. They are not comparable. Granola bars are better for you depending on which ones you buy.

wow you are missing the point-both are sugar/simple carbs, your body uses them the same. Even if it is made with "whole grain oats" still a candy bar. For the record I dont care what your husband or your child eats. I am just pointing out that they are indeed comparable. You may not want to hear that but they are. Are one of those parents that think veggie chips, crisps, straws..pirate booty etc are healthy as well?

Oats are not a simple carb.

Carbs are not bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is no waste as foods are liked. I don't think it has anything to do with laziness, but with preferences. Our house is very cluttered, that's not a priority. It's also not about training. All my friends have very similar households (including my friends' parents ones when I was a kid), this thread is very surprising to me. I only know one person, who had "one meal for all" growing up, so he learned to cook fast. It is all new and puzzling to me

Pp here. I'm really surprised that people cook all these special meals. What is the reasoning behind it - especially for adults? You cooked steak for your husband and kale for yourself and then a third dinner for the kids? Maybe your husband is a picky eater too. What does that say about how he was parented? I eat and enjoy most foods as does my husband. The only food I can think of off hand that I don't like is papaya and my husband doesn't like strawberries. But apart from that we eat and enjoy everything because we're adults. Both of us are decent cooks so the food tastes good. My older kid enjoys eating almost everything too and the younger one sometimes doesn't like things (for example pasta sauce or potatoes) so she doesn't eat those but eats the other parts of the dinner. We're all normal weight and generally healthy. We waste very little food as we all enjoy eating a variety of foods.

Steak and kale PP. DH is not a picky eater at all, but, as all of us, has preferences. So are kids, so am I. I live with the notion that life has to be enjoyed. Food and physical activities are the easiest ones to make enjoyable (for me). If dinner time comes and I feel like smoothie, I will make a smoothie, I don't think twice about it. I don't eat meat every day, don't want it, but the rest do. DH likes steak on the bone, kids would not touch the bone, thus different cuts (that particular time is because bone in ribeye and pork loin were on sale We are not an overworked household, average corporate people, typical kids activities. We buy what's on sale and what's in season, so meals are never planned.

Sure, everyone has preferences. But it it necessary to cater to them all the time?

I don't love scrambled eggs, but if DH makes them for breakfast, I say "thank you for making breakfast" and eat them.

It's not necessary, it's fun, life's simple pleasure. Our morning starts with "what do you want for breakfast?" or "do you want X or Y for breakfast?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do people without picky kids assume its all about sweets? I can eat candy or sweet and my picky child, would never even think of wanting it or asking. He could take or leave sweets. I can leave candy on the counter for weeks and he would not touch it and take a granola bar instead.

you know a granola bar is no better than a snickers, right

The simple plain chocolate ones aren't not comparable to snickers.

yes they are, eat the snickers it tastes better..your body does not differentiate between the two

I don't like snickers or granola bars. My husband likes snickers, child will not eat them even though he can easily get them from the freezer. They are not comparable. Granola bars are better for you depending on which ones you buy.

wow you are missing the point-both are sugar/simple carbs, your body uses them the same. Even if it is made with "whole grain oats" still a candy bar. For the record I dont care what your husband or your child eats. I am just pointing out that they are indeed comparable. You may not want to hear that but they are. Are one of those parents that think veggie chips, crisps, straws..pirate booty etc are healthy as well?

Oats are not a simple carb.

Carbs are not bad.

did not say they are bad did I? Said they are sugar and most oats are simple carbs, save your eye roll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But I learned to cook first. I don't expect them to eat anything that doesn't taste good.

This. Most people I know who make separate meals for the kids are not good cooks. I have four kids, and none would eat a frozen chicken nugget over aa piece of roasted chicken and potatoes.

I am this PP. And yeah, most of what we give them could probably come out of a decent restaurant. Good food is something that we spend a LOT of time and money on, because I know that it's so important (for their behavior, development, etc). They don't eat chicken nuggets or fish fingers. Even if we're out of the house, they'll eat real food.

And to the subsequent poster who said that my kids must have a limited palate, you're a fool. My kids eat tons of different vegetables and they also eat a variety of good quality meat. We typically don't give them grains or "vegetables" like corn, potatoes and tomato sauce, because they aren't very nutritious compared with the other things that we give them. Their desserts are always based on real fruit (especially fresh berries).

And of course they have preferences. They'd rather eat yams than butternut squash. One of my kids loves scallops and another isn't so keen. They'd prefer bok choy over collard greens. Generally prefer chard over kale, except in certain dishes. So I factor those preferences into our meal planning. But they still get a great variety, just some things more than others.

My preschooler will ask what's for dinner. Lamb rack and sweet potato. Oh yum, what's the other veggies? Asparagus. They know to expect something green in their meal.

I don't give them spicy food though. It hurts their mouth and it's just not necessary. I can make food taste good without drowning it in a spice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is no waste as foods are liked. I don't think it has anything to do with laziness, but with preferences. Our house is very cluttered, that's not a priority. It's also not about training. All my friends have very similar households (including my friends' parents ones when I was a kid), this thread is very surprising to me. I only know one person, who had "one meal for all" growing up, so he learned to cook fast. It is all new and puzzling to me

Pp here. I'm really surprised that people cook all these special meals. What is the reasoning behind it - especially for adults? You cooked steak for your husband and kale for yourself and then a third dinner for the kids? Maybe your husband is a picky eater too. What does that say about how he was parented? I eat and enjoy most foods as does my husband. The only food I can think of off hand that I don't like is papaya and my husband doesn't like strawberries. But apart from that we eat and enjoy everything because we're adults. Both of us are decent cooks so the food tastes good. My older kid enjoys eating almost everything too and the younger one sometimes doesn't like things (for example pasta sauce or potatoes) so she doesn't eat those but eats the other parts of the dinner. We're all normal weight and generally healthy. We waste very little food as we all enjoy eating a variety of foods.

Steak and kale PP. DH is not a picky eater at all, but, as all of us, has preferences. So are kids, so am I. I live with the notion that life has to be enjoyed. Food and physical activities are the easiest ones to make enjoyable (for me). If dinner time comes and I feel like smoothie, I will make a smoothie, I don't think twice about it. I don't eat meat every day, don't want it, but the rest do. DH likes steak on the bone, kids would not touch the bone, thus different cuts (that particular time is because bone in ribeye and pork loin were on sale We are not an overworked household, average corporate people, typical kids activities. We buy what's on sale and what's in season, so meals are never planned.

Food is one of the pleasures of life in our family too, but we're an "everyone eats the same thing" family. Like a PP, I find the alternative exhausting, and it's never been a problem for us to eat the same meal. We also eat seasonally and what's on sale, and I do plan in advance with the farmers market and grocery store sales emails.

If I want to cook salmon, which DH doesn't like, I'll do it when he's out of town in a business trip. If DH wants to make shrimp, which I don't like, he does it when I'm at an evening class or rehearsal. If we want to make something spicy, which DS doesn't like, we do it when he's sleeping at my parents' house. Meals like make-your-own tacos or build-your-own rice bowls are good if we want a variety of things in the table, but otherwise we all eat what's there.

[Anonymous]

Some of you are way too personally invested in what you think your kids' palates say about you.

Much like other aspects of our kids' personalities and personhood, much of this is out of our control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, pretty much every night. Grilled cheese, pancakes, nuggets, noodles.

Sucker.

[Anonymous]

I make food that tastes good and my kids eat it. There are some "weird" things that I grew up on and enjoy but the kids don't like them so I don't make it. Things like tongue and liver I just order at restaurants now.

But if I'm making salmon or rack of lamb, yeah, my kids eat the meal. I don't mind cooking but who wants to wash and clean up multiple meals multiple times per week. In my house, I'm head chef, head dishwasher, and chief evening learning specialist. There's a lot going on at night.

My kids are 6 and 9. Their friends know if they are staying for dinner, they get what is offered. I always have on the table cut up raw veggies. One of my kids will only eat raw vegetables. That doesn't bother me. If I'm making steamed broccoli for dinner, I just put a bunch of raw on her plate.

I have friends that can't/won't cook. They often call me up and ask what's for dinner. I'm known as the house you go to when you want to feed your kid a real meal.

Least you think all is well in my house, I do permit the kids to have soft drinks with dinner.

[Anonymous]

I read this whole thread, because I've been stressed about my picky eater for years. She's now a kid that other parents know won't eat anything and she's refused invitations out of fear that she will be offered pizza and embarrassed when she refuses.

I grew up in a family where one meal was made for all. I can't believe I make my one kid a separate meal. I never thought I would and I worry about it a lot.

My other kid eats everything.

[Anonymous]

No, nobody gets a separate cooked meal. At least nobody with teeth. But if a kid doesn't want to eat the prepared meal, they're welcome to eat other stuff that's around, as long as it is not junk. We usually have leftovers of some sort from a prior meal. And some random ingredients that can be eaten without prep, like avocado, deli meat, or cheese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But I learned to cook first. I don't expect them to eat anything that doesn't taste good.

This. Most people I know who make separate meals for the kids are not good cooks. I have four kids, and none would eat a frozen chicken nugget over aa piece of roasted chicken and potatoes.

I am this PP. And yeah, most of what we give them could probably come out of a decent restaurant. Good food is something that we spend a LOT of time and money on, because I know that it's so important (for their behavior, development, etc). They don't eat chicken nuggets or fish fingers. Even if we're out of the house, they'll eat real food.

And to the subsequent poster who said that my kids must have a limited palate, you're a fool. My kids eat tons of different vegetables and they also eat a variety of good quality meat. We typically don't give them grains or "vegetables" like corn, potatoes and tomato sauce, because they aren't very nutritious compared with the other things that we give them. Their desserts are always based on real fruit (especially fresh berries).

And of course they have preferences. They'd rather eat yams than butternut squash. One of my kids loves scallops and another isn't so keen. They'd prefer bok choy over collard greens. Generally prefer chard over kale, except in certain dishes. So I factor those preferences into our meal planning. But they still get a great variety, just some things more than others.

My preschooler will ask what's for dinner. Lamb rack and sweet potato. Oh yum, what's the other veggies? Asparagus. They know to expect something green in their meal.

I don't give them spicy food though. It hurts their mouth and it's just not necessary. I can make food taste good without drowning it in a spice.

Was with you until you decided to disparage cuisines from entire regions of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But I learned to cook first. I don't expect them to eat anything that doesn't taste good.

This. Most people I know who make separate meals for the kids are not good cooks. I have four kids, and none would eat a frozen chicken nugget over aa piece of roasted chicken and potatoes.

I am this PP. And yeah, most of what we give them could probably come out of a decent restaurant. Good food is something that we spend a LOT of time and money on, because I know that it's so important (for their behavior, development, etc). They don't eat chicken nuggets or fish fingers. Even if we're out of the house, they'll eat real food.

And to the subsequent poster who said that my kids must have a limited palate, you're a fool. My kids eat tons of different vegetables and they also eat a variety of good quality meat. We typically don't give them grains or "vegetables" like corn, potatoes and tomato sauce, because they aren't very nutritious compared with the other things that we give them. Their desserts are always based on real fruit (especially fresh berries).

And of course they have preferences. They'd rather eat yams than butternut squash. One of my kids loves scallops and another isn't so keen. They'd prefer bok choy over collard greens. Generally prefer chard over kale, except in certain dishes. So I factor those preferences into our meal planning. But they still get a great variety, just some things more than others.

My preschooler will ask what's for dinner. Lamb rack and sweet potato. Oh yum, what's the other veggies? Asparagus. They know to expect something green in their meal.

I don't give them spicy food though. It hurts their mouth and it's just not necessary. I can make food taste good without drowning it in a spice.

Was with you until you decided to disparage cuisines from entire regions of the world.

Agree. It's easy to make spicy food that doesn't hurt anyone's mouth and besides bland food is boring. My kids have happily eaten a range of spicy food since they were babies. Older one doesn't like it too hot, four year old can tolerate spicier food than I can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But I learned to cook first. I don't expect them to eat anything that doesn't taste good.

This. Most people I know who make separate meals for the kids are not good cooks. I have four kids, and none would eat a frozen chicken nugget over aa piece of roasted chicken and potatoes.

I am this PP. And yeah, most of what we give them could probably come out of a decent restaurant. Good food is something that we spend a LOT of time and money on, because I know that it's so important (for their behavior, development, etc). They don't eat chicken nuggets or fish fingers. Even if we're out of the house, they'll eat real food.

And to the subsequent poster who said that my kids must have a limited palate, you're a fool. My kids eat tons of different vegetables and they also eat a variety of good quality meat. We typically don't give them grains or "vegetables" like corn, potatoes and tomato sauce, because they aren't very nutritious compared with the other things that we give them. Their desserts are always based on real fruit (especially fresh berries).

And of course they have preferences. They'd rather eat yams than butternut squash. One of my kids loves scallops and another isn't so keen. They'd prefer bok choy over collard greens. Generally prefer chard over kale, except in certain dishes. So I factor those preferences into our meal planning. But they still get a great variety, just some things more than others.

My preschooler will ask what's for dinner. Lamb rack and sweet potato. Oh yum, what's the other veggies? Asparagus. They know to expect something green in their meal.

I don't give them spicy food though. It hurts their mouth and it's just not necessary. I can make food taste good without drowning it in a spice.

newest form of humble brag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But I learned to cook first. I don't expect them to eat anything that doesn't taste good.

This. Most people I know who make separate meals for the kids are not good cooks. I have four kids, and none would eat a frozen chicken nugget over aa piece of roasted chicken and potatoes.

I am this PP. And yeah, most of what we give them could probably come out of a decent restaurant. Good food is something that we spend a LOT of time and money on, because I know that it's so important (for their behavior, development, etc). They don't eat chicken nuggets or fish fingers. Even if we're out of the house, they'll eat real food.

And to the subsequent poster who said that my kids must have a limited palate, you're a fool. My kids eat tons of different vegetables and they also eat a variety of good quality meat. We typically don't give them grains or "vegetables" like corn, potatoes and tomato sauce, because they aren't very nutritious compared with the other things that we give them. Their desserts are always based on real fruit (especially fresh berries).

And of course they have preferences. They'd rather eat yams than butternut squash. One of my kids loves scallops and another isn't so keen. They'd prefer bok choy over collard greens. Generally prefer chard over kale, except in certain dishes. So I factor those preferences into our meal planning. But they still get a great variety, just some things more than others.

My preschooler will ask what's for dinner. Lamb rack and sweet potato. Oh yum, what's the other veggies? Asparagus. They know to expect something green in their meal.

I don't give them spicy food though. It hurts their mouth and it's just not necessary. I can make food taste good without drowning it in a spice.

newest form of humble brag.

Just don't have anymore kids. If I stopped before my last one I would assume that it was my parenting/cooking that created terrific eaters. Last one taught me otherwise.