Anonymous wrote:Homemade chicken tenders - I use fresh chicken tenderloins, dip in egg, dip in italian bread crumbs and flatten a bit when pressing in crumbs, Sautee till crisp in olive oil. Or, use Shake n Bake (pork kind) instead and bake them on cookie tray

Another hit - cheesy chicken pasta. Cook chicken breasts in crock pot plain till they easily shred. Cook spaghetti. For sauce, it's 1 1/2 or 2 cans of Campbell's Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soup (that's title of can). Can substitute cream of chicken. Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Mix pasta in that, add enough chicken broth to have nice consistency. Add shredded chicken.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. They won’t eat much of anything and my sister will leave and go to fast food or they’ll eat on the way. She won’t say what you said…I’m left trying to figure out what to serve that her girls will maybe eat, but also isn’t just their limited items. I also want to serve food for my parents and sister and us.

I suppose I was asking for plain foods that would appease the kids and my family…? But I don’t know. I’ve been doing this dance for years and it’s really hard.

It’s not your job to figure out how to change her kids’ diet. It’s your job to respect her parenting.

Serve a nice meal for the adults have plain white bread and peanut butter and goldfish, or chicken nuggets if you can ask what brand and have a peaceful meal with no judgement.

+1 this is the only answer op. It’s not your job to figure out other foods. Even if they are going to try other plain foods it WONT be at your house on a holiday in a new environment, kids tend to be MORE picky in those situations. I really feel like you’re making this hard than it needs to be. Think about it as you are going to serve the meal you want to serve to your family while also including some safe foods for your niece because you love them and know that Christmas isn’t the time to make a thing (which I think is what you’re saying and want! So if so, then just feed them what they like). Serve your soup and bread. On the appetizer table have a bowl of goldfish out. Along with your soup throw some chicken nuggets in the oven and serve them next to the soup. It’s really pretty simple I think! That will be perfect for everyone. Your sister is trying not to ask you to specifically accommodate which is kind and appropriate of her and it’s kind and appropriate for you to offer the options that they like even so since you know what they are.

French fries

Anonymous wrote:Those girls are crappy eaters. Bad mom parenting skills. If they are hungry, they will eat healthy food.

Not your choice to make or your battle to fight. or OP's

And that is the gist of the issue. OP's sister has said not to bother catering to her children. She will get the kids fast food on the way or on the way home. But OP is fretting over what to serve. She wants to serve food, but she wants everyone to eat. She doesn't want to put out the food that the kids will eat, but she wants them to eat. She has a choice, serve foods that the kids will eat, or let her sister take care of the kids either before or after. She doesn't want to do either and is upset.

OP needs to realize that she can't change her nieces and she can't change her sister. She can only change her own reactions. She can either add foods that the kids will eat to her spread or just be satisfied serving everyone else and letting her sister take care of her nieces.

I personally would just add white bread, peanut butter and chicken nuggets to the spread that I serve everyone and call it done. It just seems to be unnecessarily antagonistic and inhospitable to do otherwise.

Anonymous wrote:Those girls are crappy eaters. Bad mom parenting skills. If they are hungry, they will eat healthy food.

Clearly you don't have picky kids. Mine would go days or weeks without eating even if we gave them what they liked.

Anonymous wrote:They eat fast food, plain white bread, chicken nuggets, and peanut butter, and goldfish. That is all.

But I’m not comfortable setting those items out because it’ll look strange. I will have a bowl of goldfish. My sister insists anything is fine but no one will eat anything anyway, but I need to have something…

I like the grazing idea.

Here is your answer. You set out a separate tray/plate for them with PB sandwiches on plain white bread and chicken nuggets. Ask about brand of bread, PB and nuggets. Done.

Homemade chicken tenders - I use fresh chicken tenderloins, dip in egg, dip in italian bread crumbs and flatten a bit when pressing in crumbs, Sautee till crisp in olive oil. Or, use Shake n Bake (pork kind) instead and bake them on cookie tray

They eat fast food, plain white bread, chicken nuggets, and peanut butter, and goldfish. That is all.

But I’m not comfortable setting those items out because it’ll look strange. I will have a bowl of goldfish. My sister insists anything is fine but no one will eat anything anyway, but I need to have something…

I like the grazing idea.

Anonymous wrote:It’s my sister, her 2 kids, my parents, and us: 2 adults and 3 kids.
My go to a big pot of soup and bread and salad, but that leaves nothing for her girls.
Chicken nuggets might not work, because I’m not sure what brand they will eat and I do not want to ask.
Snacks seem like a good idea…or a roast chicken???

SO, may your go to big pot of soup and break and salad. Put the bread you want to serve in a basket and put some slices of plain white bread in the basket, so that it's mixed bread. Put some peanut butter in a small bowl or condiment dish on the side, so they can help themselves. Or just put the peanut butter container on the table with a knife.

When you have time, stop and get a 10-piece chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A and store in the fridge. Put them in the toaster oven or oven for about 10 minutes on 375 to reheat. Put them in a small serving dish on the side.

There you go. You are serving your go to meal and you've put various things that the kids will eat mixed in with the rest of the food. You aren't featuring the foods that they will eat so you aren't going to look like a bad host for the other guests, but you'll look like a good host for everyone, accommodating everyone nicely.

Those girls are crappy eaters. Bad mom parenting skills. If they are hungry, they will eat healthy food.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. They won’t eat much of anything and my sister will leave and go to fast food or they’ll eat on the way. She won’t say what you said…I’m left trying to figure out what to serve that her girls will maybe eat, but also isn’t just their limited items. I also want to serve food for my parents and sister and us.

I suppose I was asking for plain foods that would appease the kids and my family…? But I don’t know. I’ve been doing this dance for years and it’s really hard.

This is really the issue. She's enabling terrible eating habits. No one "just naturally" only eats fast food.

Do something like taco, pasta, or baked potato bar. That way they can pick what foods they will eat. Many picky kids won't eat soup or a casserole with so many foods mixed together but allowing them to keep it simple and plain will probably be more appealing. Or get cold cuts, breads, cheeses and condiments so they can make their own sandwich the way they like.

Anonymous wrote:It’s my sister, her 2 kids, my parents, and us: 2 adults and 3 kids.

My go to a big pot of soup and bread and salad, but that leaves nothing for her girls.

Chicken nuggets might not work, because I’m not sure what brand they will eat and I do not want to ask.

Snacks seem like a good idea…or a roast chicken???

Serve your big pot of soup with whatever bread you would usually have. Also slice some baguettes pretty thinly and have them out as well.

Have a loaf of plan white bread and peanut butter handy for the girls if they are hungry. Your sister doesn't want you to go to any trouble, because she knows the girls probably won't eat whatever you make, and she doesn't want to feel bad that you tried to make something and the girls don't like it. Let your sister bring or get fast food on the way.

Put out a simple veggie tray that your own kids will like, with a few dips or spreads. I recommend celery sticks, baby carrots, sliced cucumbers and peppers, along with ranch dressing and a creamy peanut butter dip - no chunks or anything fancy. Add a bowl of goldfish crackers and a bowl of pretzels to the side. You could also do some apple slices or orange segments. These are all foods that in my experience some very picky eaters may enjoy especially if they aren't pressured.

Now the girls have plain bread and peanut butter, and goldfish crackers to eat. If they want to try to nibble on something else, there are some other options, too.

I might also do a platter of salamis and cheeses, too, but not necessarily for the girls, who may not try any of it. But I have seen picky eaters start nibbling a thing or two at holiday events, if they aren't pressured.

If they like bread, do your soup/bread idea, maybe a couple different breads including a white baguette. Have any grocery store brand of nuggets in the fridge that you can pull out if need be. Do they any fruit or veggies, even picky eaters usually have a couple fruits they’ll eat, grapes, mandarins ( peel and just put in a bowl) Font overthink this too much. Your goal is for them not to be hungry and let them enjoy their time at your house. If all they eat us bread then that’s what they eat.

If they eat pasta, you can make pasta and keep some plain for the kids but give the adults a choice of sauces, meat, veggies, etc. pretty easily. Then have a salad and some bread on the side.

Really though, having white bread, peanut butter and goldfish on hand and then making whatever meal you had been planning is fine!

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. They won’t eat much of anything and my sister will leave and go to fast food or they’ll eat on the way. She won’t say what you said…I’m left trying to figure out what to serve that her girls will maybe eat, but also isn’t just their limited items. I also want to serve food for my parents and sister and us.

I suppose I was asking for plain foods that would appease the kids and my family…? But I don’t know. I’ve been doing this dance for years and it’s really hard.

The point is that you will not get her kids to eat anything off the approved list. You can serve things from the approved list and maybe they will eat it. Or you can serve what you want and then just know that they won't eat it and she will get them something else to eat. That's it. That's the whole thing. There is no dance.

I would serve whatever I wanted for the adults but have white bread, peanut butter, and goldfish on hand. Those things are easy and if they don't eat them, you have not gone to the trouble of preparing food they will not eat.