Question to those with young kids

emmabeckemeyer1

No offense to anyone at all, but I am really suprised that so see that people who care about their own bodies are feeding their kids crap food. That is not to say that Easy Mac or Spaghetios should be forbidden, but having it as a daily source of "nutrition" is nuts. My husband and I both work full time and my daughter still eats home cooked meals. She does eat mac and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken nuggets, but *I* make them and I can control what goes in.

If you are eating chicken breast, you can cut it up into strips and make your own chicken fingers - 15 minutes

Mac and Cheese - Boil whole wheat pasta, make your own cheese sauce and hide some veggies in there - 15 minutes

Spaghetti and meatballs - Whole wheat spaghetti, tiny turkey meatballs cooked in a few ounces of canned chunk tomato - 15 minutes

Mashed potatos - no brainer. YOu can also mash cauliflower and turnips, but you'll have to be creative with seasoning the turnips if they don't like the taste

I also make rice and beans every other day. This takes me about twenty minutes, and they are foods that I don't have to watch while they are cooking. She really loves her rice and beans and I make sure to add peas, carrots in the beans. When everything is mixed together, she doesn't know the difference. Sometimes instead of rice, I'll make her quinoa, which is also super easy and quick to make and healthier as well. I put very little salt into her food. With picky eaters, you just have to get a little creative. A lot of people are not willing to do that, but it is totally worth it!

I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

josaleigh

We keep a stock of Gerber Graduates for toddlers lil' entrees for my FH's 2 yr old daughter. That way if what the family is eating is too tough or something she won't eat we can pop it into the microwave and know shes getting a balanced meal also.

KelieHerrera

I refuse to make two meals, so they eat what I make, or they don't eat. Eventually hunger wins. My kids are a little older (6, 8 and 10), though. I wouldn't be so harsh with a 2 year old.

But seriously, a little creative coddling never hurt. For instance, my 10 year old daughter was easily swayed into eating a lettuce wrap by being told that's how mermaids eat their food. Now anything wrapped in lettuce is dubbed "mermaid style".

For younger kids there is a great episode of Yo Gabba Gabba that deals with trying new foods with a catchy song that repeats, "Try it! You'll like it!" over and over. I highly recommend it, it's a really cute show.

amygibson82

Im going to sound like a mean parent here but when I make dinner....thats dinner. If you don't like it you don't have to eat it but you won't get anything else. I used to give my son whatever he wanted if he didn't want what I was having but I make things that I feel he should at least try. And what do you know? He usually likes things once he has tried them. So that is the rule in our house. You might go to bed hungry one night but the next night before you say I don't like it, I bet you'll try it.

On the other hand if I know it is something he TRULY does not like and I really want to make that for dinner I will make him a baked potato with a turkey sandwich and he is happy as can be. He LOVES potatoes in any way, shape or form. So baked potatoes are my saving grace

AlyRoseNYC

I refuse to make two meals, so they eat what I make, or they don't eat. Eventually hunger wins. My kids are a little older (6, 8 and 10), though. I wouldn't be so harsh with a 2 year old.

But seriously, a little creative coddling never hurt. For instance, my 10 year old daughter was easily swayed into eating a lettuce wrap by being told that's how mermaids eat their food. Now anything wrapped in lettuce is dubbed "mermaid style".

For younger kids there is a great episode of Yo Gabba Gabba that deals with trying new foods with a catchy song that repeats, "Try it! You'll like it!" over and over. I highly recommend it, it's a really cute show.

Good tips! My daughter will eat carb-friendly crab cakes, since I told her that they were Krabby Patties and Spongebob gave me the recipe! lol

Fat_2_Fit_Mommy

bump. My kid is really picky I will fix some thing healthy for dinner which my husband will eat but my daughter wont on some of it.. so I make her some thing else like eggs, or I give her some fruit, yogurt, make a sandiwch some thing she can eat. But she loves dressing so if I put dressing on her plate with little veggies like carrots she will eat it.

fionarama

Although I haven'et read all the posts, I agree, its not right to feed your child junk in order to eat healthy for yourself.

I try to modify what I am eating so we both have the same, for instance last night we had brown rice and chicken and beans, I knew she wouldn't reallly like the chicken and beans that much so I also put some baked beans on her plate which she demolished. I gave her youghurt for afters.
Baked beans on toast is a great standby in our house if I am eating something really child unfriendly, also proper organic child ready means spag bologniase etc are usually pretty good. I am lucky as my daughter eats her main meals at nursery so really just needs a light supper, but she does feel left out if i eat dinner at night and don't give her a proper dinner.
Another one is boiled eggs and toast, but really in general I try to give her pretty much what i have.
There are plenty of healthy meals you don't have to have a salad to be healthy, and I don't think it fair or very kind in reality to focus dinner jsut on what you want and then think of your childs meal as secondary.

knittnponder

I'm kinda mean I guess since I won't make a separate dinner. If we're having salad, they're having salad. We have a one bite rule where they are required to take at least one bite of everything served. After that if they don't want it they aren't required to eat it but the kitchen isn't open for them to scrounge. That said, I try to make sure there are things involved with dinner that do appeal to them. As someone else said, if we're having salad and they aren't fond of lettuce they can eat all the other things in there and skip the lettuce (provided they eat their one bite!)

We've had nights where they will sit and stir their soup around rather than eat it. They won't starve to death if they choose not to eat their dinner and breakfast is free choice so they'll eat then. My kids are now 17 on down to age 7 and all of them eat a variety of foods, many of which they didn't want to touch when they were younger. We have abundance here and can afford to be picky but that's not the case for all of the world. I grew up with times of very little food and remember opening the fridge to see nothing but some ketchup in there. My sister and I watered it down and warmed it up so we could pretend it was tomato soup. It's probably why I'm mean when it comes to food.

I know not everyone will agree with our methods but I'm okay with that since I have kids who will ask for broccoli or brussel sprouts for their special birthday dinner and actually cheer when I tell them we're having salad for dinner. Oh, and they hate mac n cheese if you can believe that!

tmacs

On nights like this...chicken nuggets, hot dogs, or grilled cheese...add a veggie and a piece of whole wheat bread and butter...VOILA!

tmacs

My son also loves pita and hummus which is super easy.