So what do the kids eat...?

carakirkey

I'm doing well with the healthy eating. Went shopping yesteday loaded up with fresh veggies, beans, quinoa. prepped a bunch of healthy recipes and then thought... And now what are the kids going to eat?! (and my husband remarked-where are the chips?) Sure they'll eat fresh veggies and fruit, but probably not Quinoa or Niciose Salad. So how do you integrate the family eating with your own?
2 seperate meals? And keep buying those snacks?

mdelcott

If your making the decision to eat for your health, why would you not feed your children healthy as well??? My kids eat what I eat if I eat salad so do they, they may have some snacks that I dont eat but as for their main meals we all eat the same. Why make myself a healthy meal and then make them a meal thats less healthy???

Im_NotPerfect

We all eat the same thing. The only time we make anything different is if we have fish, but then we make fish sticks for the kids. It doesn't hurt for the kids to learn to eat healthy too!

cgarand

Kids are so adaptable. Feed them what you eat. Kids don't have all the preconceived ideas about what is 'good food'. They get their cues from us. When my son was little I would serve him whatever we were having, and if it was something he wasn't sure of I would give him a 'No, Thank you' helping. Just a spoonful. A lot of times he would go back for more when he realized the scary looking food was actually pretty yummy!

BeachIron

We eat family meals together. We do make some minor changes for the kids if there is a particular issue (our oldest hates tomato sauce), but we keep those pretty minimal. And to be honest, when our kids start commenting on a particularly "healthy" dish tasting gross, they're usually right. I just gave up on my many attempts with protein pancakes for this reason. IMO, food is meant to be shared and enjoyed and healthy doesn't need to taste bad, or require strange modifications to recipes.

DebbieLyn63

My son has Aspergers and is a very picky eater. single ingredient foods, no veggies, very limited. His diet consists of chicken nuggets, fries, fish sticks, vienna sausages, flour tortillas with cheese melted in them, pepperoni pizza, plain hot dogs, chips, and grapes or oranges, or watermelon. And scrambled eggs, ham and cheese , or peanut butter sandwiches. All very easy to fix meals. So yeah, most of the time I fix him a separate dinner from my husband and I. But it has been this way for most of his life, so no difference there.

We do supplement his diet with multivitamins, and he is extremely healthy.

notworthstalking

My eldest (6yearold girl) is pretty fussy. The nights I am home and we all sit down together we make things we all like. The lasted addition is a pasta bake. She has minor sensory food issues that get worse if we push her. We have a policy that if we like a food we let the cook know. If we don't particular like something, we let the chef know how much we like the food we like lol. Really the food shouldn't need to be that strange. Remember that depending on the age and activity level of your child they might need more or less than you. Extra carbs and fat if they are in growth spurt. For all her fussy eating, my six year old knows how much food to eat. She has never over eating in her life and as mum says, she doesn't walk she dances every where. I think we offer food, kids eat what they think. My 3 year old is a good eater, and we have to say no a lot more. Normally that means have an apple or carrot instead of a biscuit or chips. But being little, she asks for the 'yummy' stuff first.

chasetwins

Definitely serve the same as you - the only exceptions I make to that rule is Order out night. I and my husband get a grilled chicken salad and they get pizza..if I make pasta I use Shirataki noodles for me and the kids get real pasta (sometimes whole wheat pasta) and sometimes I will give the kids bread / butter and I will not have any.
Other than that..98% of the time..what I make for me...they all get! I run an in home daycare...and usually make extra dinner for the kid's lunches..again the DC kids get the same as well.

There maybe some things on their plate they will not eat - but that is fine as long as they try it I am happy.

cleotherio

Same thing as us. If it were up to them, they would eat cheeseburgers, pizza or mac & cheese for every meal. So I make that stuff a few times a week, but it's a healthier version. Burgers are made with lean meat and served on a whole grain bun with a side of vegetables instead of fries. I make pizza on thin wholegrain crust or on pita breads with a little cheese and turkey pepperoni. Pasta bakes have tons of vegetables in them. And they also eat quinoa and beans.

I decided to end the chicken nuggets/grilled cheese kid dinners a few years ago. My son was about 6 at the time. Two or three nights in a row he went to bed without dinner because he just put his head down on the table and moped about having to eat something new. After a few days he gave in and I rarely have a struggle with getting him to try something new now. I was tough about it, but I'm the parent and I was sick of making different meals that weren't healthy.

MsipiGRITS

I am the shopper and the cook, being a single mom, so my kids eat what I make. My oldest is very picky so sometimes it is a struggle. I make things they like (shells & cheese, hot dogs, etc.) on occasion and sometimes I pick up pizza. However, they know that when we are eating at home, they eat what they get or go hungry. I always include a veggie they will eat so they have a better chance of getting some dinner. I also make common meals healthier. Sometimes they choose to eat and sometimes they revolt and go hungry, but most of the time they will eat... It's a habit, just like most things. Once they get used to the new routine, they will adjust fine... My youngest knows what is "good, healthy food" and what is not now and will tell you quick! hahaha Best of luck!

MCLA4mom

I made two seperate meals when I was losing weight and being very strict about it. They really will eat Quinoa. You just have to disguise it I have a Pinterest board full of recipes that my kids will actually eat too!
Hope it helps

http://pinterest.com/HeathCoach/food-for-my-clients/

marsellient

I was kind of picky when I was a kid, but there was never a separate meal made for me. That said, I grew up in a farm community where meals were a meat, a starch, usually potatoes, a green vegetable and a yellow vegetable, and often a green salad or coleslaw. I learned to cut all the fat from meat (yuck), and take what I wanted from the rest. With our kids, I have done something similar. Of course, you will tend to make what they'll eat easily, but it doesn't mean you can't eat together. It's easier to prepare simple food anyway, and most kids who are picky prefer that.

dogo187

are you a short-order cook?

if not, feed the kids what you eat...they might surprise you...

my kids love everything that I cook and its all healthy, wholesome food...

in the beginning I had a rule that they had to have three bites of anything that was new and they could make the decision from there but they also knew that dinner was on their plates and if they didn't eat it they wouldn't be getting anything else...

they might find something they don't really like but I still serve it and they still have to try it...sometimes it takes up to 10 times of serving up something before they like the taste...

who has time to make two meals? I know I don't!

_kannnd

I'm doing well with the healthy eating. Went shopping yesteday loaded up with fresh veggies, beans, quinoa. prepped a bunch of healthy recipes and then thought... And now what are the kids going to eat?! (and my husband remarked-where are the chips?) Sure they'll eat fresh veggies and fruit, but probably not Quinoa or Niciose Salad. So how do you integrate the family eating with your own?
2 seperate meals? And keep buying those snacks?

I used to fix my kid a totally different dinner than we ate because she was so damn picky. But then, when my husband and I got really serious about our eating habits, I started making her eat what we ate. I slowly worked it in with her. Instead of processed chicken nuggets, I would use fresh chicken breast cut up and coated in panko then baked. I worked in fresh veggies too. She still eats a lot of jasmine rice, but now she eats the other stuff I make as well...even if she doesn't like it. She just knows that she has to eat it. It helps when I find something that she really likes, like zucchini, then I'll find different ways to fix it for her. Her favorite way is for me to make zucchini ribbons with my veggie peeler and then saute them with a little olive oil and feta. My kid actually loves quinoa as well...as long as I use either chicken or beef broth to cook it.

Mine didn't like it at first, but we had to explain a few things to her. She's 7 and in an advanced gymnastics class. She has two classes a week for a total of 6 hours. In order for her to build the muscle that she needs for class, she has to eat what we eat. That got through to her more than anything else. And if I do say so, her body has completely changed since changing her eating habits. She's total muscle now for which I am completely jealous.

amymt10

i totally understand and have the same problem!! My kids are 4 & 7yrs old. Both are VERY picky eaters!!! they never used to be when they were babies/toddlers, but as they've gotten older there isnt much they like. They only like 4 vegetables- corn, broccoli, carrots (raw) and green beans. I get tired of eating those same 4 veggies all the time. My 7 yr old will eat any meat I give him but not my 4r old. I am not a short order cook and refuse to fix 2 different meals!!!!!! Its just not going to happen. I fix alot of casseroles (with ground turkey or chicken), grilled chicken, meatloaf (1/2 ground turkey 1/2 hamburger), turkey burgers. I'll just eat a small portion of it then have veggies & a salad w/mine. I will fix a veggie they like then some other veggies I like or add fruit as a side.

_kannnd

are you a short-order cook?

if not, feed the kids what you eat...they might surprise you...

my kids love everything that I cook and its all healthy, wholesome food...

in the beginning I had a rule that they had to have three bites of anything that was new and they could make the decision from there but they also knew that dinner was on their plates and if they didn't eat it they wouldn't be getting anything else...

they might find something they don't really like but I still serve it and they still have to try it...sometimes it takes up to 10 times of serving up something before they like the taste...

who has time to make two meals? I know I don't!

Ha...we do the bites thing too. She'll ask how much she HAS to eat. If she likes it, she'll eat what's there and ask for more, if not, at least she ate some of it.

amymt10

Oh and if there is a new recipe and they refuse to try it or dont like it I dont fix anything else.... once dinner is served that is it. Eat it or go hungry, there will be no snack 1/2 hr after dinner becuase they refused to eat. They are learning to eat what is served. I will allow lite ranch &/or ketchup to dip if they need to "disguise" the taste. Having dip for their food does help. Kids are funny!!

AlexBoBalex79

We all eat the same thing. There's no way I'm cooking two meals.

TavistockToad

If your making the decision to eat for your health, why would you not feed your children healthy as well??? My kids eat what I eat if I eat salad so do they, they may have some snacks that I dont eat but as for their main meals we all eat the same. Why make myself a healthy meal and then make them a meal thats less healthy???

this! i have never understood people who feed their kids stuff they wouldnt eat themselves.....

TeachTheGirl

Sometimes there's just stuff I wouldn't want my kids eating. I like a lot of spicy food and I wouldn't make them eat with me if I'm cooking something with a lot of spices. If I can serve some up before I put the spices in, I'll generally do that.

I pick apart parts of my meals and make something for the kids. With a new diet my trainer wants me to try, I've taken the parts I know they will eat and made little meals on my shopping list specifically for the kids. So whereas I might be having a stew which they wouldn't like, they'd be having leftovers from the previous day of turkey burgers with dipping sauce and vegetables, etc.

Dianescraps

I cook one meal, the kids eat what I eat.

My husband is a fussy eater, he either eats what I cook or makes his own.