My kids eat my food....

My kids are 11 and 15. They eat what I cook or they cook for themselves, and when they were little, they did without.

Don't make separate meals for the kids. Feed them what you are eating. If they want to be stubborn and skip a meal, fine, but they won't do that often.

You are spoiling these kids by giving them what they want. It will be a big problem for you when they are older if you don't stop doing this now.

This is what I did from the start. They quickly learned to eat what I made or do without (which rarely happened).

Just tell them no. It's not like you're refusing to feed them.

I just say no. "This is my breakfast. You have your own." End of discussion.

I'm thinking the "just say no" people have never had a 4-year-old that wants to try their veggie omelet or other healthy dish. :laugh:

Or a child, for that matter.

I would give them bites freely. It comes out in the wash when you inevitably eat bites off their food. :happy:

I have 2 - 19yo boys in my house, and I prepare all my food for the next day the evening before..... It used to be if I told them a certain shelf of the fridge was off-limits they would leave it alone, then they "forgot" which shelf it was. So then I put labels on my food.... that slows them down a little! UGH. I swear they eat everything that doesn't bite them first, and sometimes I wonder if they would eat that too!

I eat mostly spicy foods so I don't have this problem at all. Add a little hot sauce to your eggs and they'll stay clear. Unless, of course, they like spice too.

If you don't want to try my hot sauce theory, you could always tell them no and growl at them. That ought to work.:laugh:

I love my kids and are glad they are interested in my healthy food, but.....

It's like they know that I have a pre-portioned meal (usually breakfast) and always ask for a bite (or 2, or 3....)

Makes it harder to track....

Is good they are trying and eating good foods, but sometimes I am sad I don't get all of my breakfast - and don't want to buy anything to make up for it...whioh lowers calories - but makes me hungry :grumble:

Does this happen to you?

You know what.. this is amazing. The reason its amazing is you wont have to struggle with the rest of the family getting on board with eating the same things as you. There is no need to buy separate foods now. Just make and buy what is healthy and good to eat. Some people have to stuggle with the family or their husbands (like me) not wanting to eat what I eat. I learned a long time ago that you cant maintiain that forever especially if your food budget isn't that high in the first place. I would take this opportunity to embrace this and get rid of the other stuff or just let it run out and then you can make a whole makeover for your entire family. It would be a great way to teach them now how to eat right so they don't have to waste half their lives eating wrong and them trying to learn the right way later. That is my advice.

edit: I stopped buying and preparing separate foods months ago and I don't regret it all.

I put sticky notes on my food that say stuff like "if your name begins with the letters O, L or M, you are not allowed to eat this" , "if this is gone when I get home from work, someone will have a broken hand, and it won't be me", "eat this and feel my wrath", "if you want some of this, get a job and buy your own", etc.. I tried nice notes. But then they would just eat it, leave the empty container in the fridge and write "sorry" on the note.

It always tastes better off mommy's plate even if it's the same thing. My 3 yr old I tell him to eat his own now that he's getting bigger my 1yr old I usually measure out my stuff then add some of his precut small stuff just on the side of my plate. He won't eat anything unless he thinks it's mine little turd...

I share about 90% of my meals with my daughter. What's the worst that can happen? You log slightly more than you eat. Oh well. That measn you've created slightly more a deficit. Yay.