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I am out of dinner ideas for me + 3 picky kids. Help!
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Anonymous
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I am so worn out from 1-2 of my kids denouncing dinner as "disgusting" that I am about to give up on cooking for them. It's impossible to find a recipe they ALL like and I get so tired of making two choices every night. Granted the other "choice" is a PB&J, but you know what I mean... I've tried quasi "starving" them before dinner to no avail. I also like them to eat a balanced meal, so a PB&J sets my teeth on edge: a "failure" every night. For the most part, they'll eat veggies (peas, carrots, broccoli, celery sticks)
In my house, I have: 2 hate salmon 1 won't chew any meat, it has to fall apart in your mouth 1 (the same 1 above) who won't eat any kind of casserole because the foods are mixed together 1 hates spaghetti sauce 2 won't eat spicy food 1 won't eat Chinese/ Thai 2 won't eat sausage of any kind You get the idea.... there's always one or two who ban certain meats or sauces. Anyone know of a site that has ideas that kids will love, or have your own recipes that you've found to be "winners" with kids? Also, how do you deal with a kid who told you he'd eat XYZ and once it's made specifically b/c he said he'd eat it, he refuses to eat it and asks for ABC instead? ARGH!! |
Anonymous
| make your own pizza / calzone and they can select what goes in /on it |
Anonymous
| make one meal, if they won't eat it, fine. Reading through your list is exhausting. I have three too btw, if they don't want to eat, then I tell them to please leave the table and wait until breakfast until something more to their liking may or may not be served. |
Anonymous
Or quesadillas. |
Anonymous
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I agree with PP. I think you could think of dinner ideas that are "build your own" like tacos, calzones, pizza, etc but providing a second choice (especially if it's only once in a while) will reinforce that they will keep getting away with their pickyness (sp?). If you approach dinner time with a "it's this or nothing -- no questions asked" attitude every night, I think they will eventually get the idea and adapt.
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Anonymous
| We're enjoying recipes from the Six O'Clock Scramble cookbook (see also http://thescramble.com/). |
Anonymous
| Have you tried letting the three of them meal plan? Either by mutual agreement or by each having a turn picking what everyone eats? I think that could be fun for them and empower them and give them an investment in the dinner. Make some hard and fast rules about this -- if they don't eat they lose their turn AND must make their own PB&J. Mommy makes ONE meal. This works in our house. They know I will absolutely not make the sandwich and they only get a dessert if they eat the meal I prepared. |
Anonymous
| Breakfast for dinner can be fun (and novel) once in a while -- pancakes or waffles, a fritatta, etc. |
Anonymous
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how old are your children?
Are any of them old enough to be part of the process? Even if just your oldest can menul plan even if for just 1 night AND help make it. Make that item 1 time a week - for example every Monday you have ravioli with Pesto. Changing the dynamics of "I don't like ..." by removing one voice may be helpful. |
Anonymous
| First-time expectant mom here. Is this the norm now, to "cater" to kids? OP - I promise I'm not slamming you, I'm just intrigued by your post and the answers. I guess I grew up in a house where not only did my mom not give us choices for dinner (main meal or a pb&j), but we also didn't have the choice whether to eat it. You ate what you were served -- you didn't get an alternate meal, you didn't get to opt out of eating altogether. Yes, there were nights I cried or had to choke down something I hated (frozen peas, anyone), but that was life. I don't imagine I'll be a "clean plate club" kind of parent, but I don't foresee myself giving my child multiple choices at dinnertime. |
Anonymous
I think it is the norm for some families but not in others. I only have one three year old currently but our household is is run like yours was. When he was about one and getting picking on his eating I quickly discovered that I was getting into "short order cook" mode. Then I read Ellyn Satter's Child of Mine and that ended that. Now, if he doesn't like what we are eating he can choose not to eat it. If that means no dinner, so be it. (Ironically, we often have this problem when we order pizza on Friday nights - the kid refuses to eat cheese pizza. WTF??) But we figure if he gets hungry enough, maybe he'll try what's on his plate and Heaven forbid - may even like it! |
Anonymous
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Have them help with the dinner. Have them do as much work as possible.
We made these the other day: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2561 They can make these each to their own taste. If one doesn't like spaghetti sauce, he can skip it, or use white or pesto sauce, each can put whatever they want in their "rolls". |
Anonymous
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OP here. My kids are 4, 7, and 14. The 14 y/o leaves next week for a good part of the summer. He was my best eater.
I should also mention I've tried the doing without on my younger two kids, especially my 4 y/o. He won't eat and will go to bed hungry rather than eat a detested item. This would be okay, if he weren't already in the 60%-ile for his age and height. My older two kids are nowhere as picky as he is, and they are also of normal weight. What I normally do with him is offer two healthy simple options; a boiled egg or quesadilla, etc. What upsets me is when I make that, and then he changes his mind about it when it's put in front of him. I am not a mom who bends over backwards to accomodate finickiness. That's what the purpose of my post is all about. The problem is, my STBX husband does allow for extreme pickiness and created this in our youngest two kids. It was hell when we disagreed, as his undermining me about dinner options hurt both the kids in the long run, and my authority. Now that we are divorcing, he is still in the house and takes notes on what the kids ate. (He's never home before 8 pm, but he asks them first thing upon coming home what they ate.) I can't afford to let them go to bed hungry now, even trying for the lofty goal of breaking this habit. I'm just extremely frustrated and looking for ideas of simple things to help fix the picky eater problem. My recommendation for new moms is to 1) agree with your spouse on how to approach this and be on the same page always and 2) insist the kids try one bite of everything before they're allowed to leave the table. If my kids don't eat what they're given, they won't get dessert but they don't have a big sweet tooth in the first place. |
Anonymous
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I am sorry for the situation you are in - there are a few approaches here.
Given there is a STBX - you need to figure out your discipline approach. It will soon be you, and you alone for how to approach all of these things. My husband and I took a positive discipline class from Rene Hackney at Positive Playgoups (here is a link: http://www.parentingplaygroups.com/) One of the things discussed in the class is meals and food choices. We invlove my 3 YO in making meals - he will help scramble the eggs or mix the pancakes - select which shape pasta we are having - help with all steps of making pesto. If we are having something that we know he is not a fan off, we will offer him an alternative. If he is just not eating, we will just take dinner away and he will go to bed without dinner. There are cookbooks out there for young kids, maybe you can purchase one and sit down with the 7YO and pick out some things to try this summer. Good luck! |
Anonymous
OP - what do you do when your four year old changes his mind once you put the food in front of him that he previously requested? |