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

[Anonymous]

If so, what are your easy go tos?

If no, what do you do when they refuse to eat the dinner or don't eat much of it and are still hungry?

[Anonymous]

The rule in our house is that you have to try some of everything on your plate. If you do not like any of it, you can have a peanut butter sandwich (two pieces of bread and peanut butter) and a glass of milk. The other rule is that you are not allowed to talk smack about the dinner being served, period.

I try to have at least one thing on the plate that I know DD (age 7) will actually eat, or modify things slightly so that she will be more likely to eat them (e.g., sauce on the side, steam some broccoli instead of roasting it, leave off the spice) but the only situations in which I will make her an entirely separate dinner is if I really want something that I know she won't eat (something spicy, something using ingredients she hates that can't be separated).

[Anonymous]

I don't make alternate dinner, no, but I make accomodations. So last night we were having baked potatoes and then loaded with veggies and bacon, and kid got to chose his own stuffings and could have everything on the side. If I am making pasta and he doesn't like the sauce I'll leave it off and he can have his plain. I try to have something in the meal that he'll eat, but if he doesn't want to that is his to decide. We always allow dessert (usually ice cream) and he can always eat fruit or veggies or cheese from the fridge if he is hungry. But like the food or not we sit down together with something on our plates and have dinner together without complaint.

[Anonymous]

Then they're hungary. My kids are good about eating most things, but I'll give them a pass if I accidently make dinner too spicy. But generally I'm making dinners that I know they like. I do let them switch out the vegetable for peas or corn from the freezer.

[Anonymous]

no alternative meal, but i ensure there is at least one food kid will eat per meal. kid knows if he is still hungry, he can have nuts (which he doesn't really enjoy but will eat if hungry) and/or a banana (another food he doesn't really enjoy but will eat if hungry). We always have some nuts around...they keep for a very long time, are easy, and have protein in them.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

I make sure they like something on the table.

[Anonymous]

No. But my son likes cold red sauce out of the jar so if I make or heat up elaborate or meaty red sauce for DH and I, I pour cold jar sauce on DS's. Same pasta, same salad, same bread.

If we have coconut curry noodles I take his out before mixing and give them plain. All the same veggies, all the same chicken. He gets bbq sauce on the side for his.

Stuff like that.

[Anonymous]

LOL, no.

DS eats if he's hungry. If not, we always offer a cup of milk before bed, and then he'll eat a big breakfast in the morning.

[Anonymous]

I also have at least one thing on the plate I know DD likes. She can have applesauce, yogurt, cheese stick or nuts after dinner/before bed if still hungry. I dont make a separate meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL, no.

DS eats if he's hungry. If not, we always offer a cup of milk before bed, and then he'll eat a big breakfast in the morning.

+1

We only eat what everyone else is eating.

[Anonymous]

I offer:

scrambled eggs, quesadilla with grilled chicken. Sometimes in extreme cases grilled cheese or pbj.

No sugary cereal though, I am firm on that.

[Anonymous]

We always have something that everyone in the family likes, and if you don't want what everyone else is having you can make a sandwich.

[Anonymous]

Nope. Sometimes dinner will be your favorite, and sometimes it won't. I have four kids. Nobody ever refuses to eat unless they're sick. Maybe they take a smaller piece of salmon and a bigger sweet potato because they're not a fan of salmon.

[Anonymous]

Don't really cook a separate meal but there is usually a leftover or alternative that anyone is welcome to in the fridge. DD is very selective if we are having something with noodles she usually chooses plain noodles with cheese. I put fruit out as she does not eat many vegetables. If chicken was ok last night it is ok tonight too even if I happen to be serving fish.