How do you deal with your picky eaters at home?

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  • lolly2414
    lolly2414 Posts: 186 Member
    edited July 2018
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    Thankfully my husband and two oldest kids aren't super picky. They all are willing to eat a lot of healthy foods, but my youngest daughter (age 5) is super picky. It's so hard to get her to eat anything that isn't junk food, cheese, peanut butter, or bread. She won't eat meat, fruit. or most veggies. I've had to get creative with mixing veggies into the few meals she will eat so she doesn't realize she's eating them.
  • lolly2414
    lolly2414 Posts: 186 Member
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    VUA21 wrote: »
    Momma's menu selection:

    1) What I make
    2) See #1

    I'm momma.

    That's the rule in our house. I'm willing to be flexible with breakfast or lunch a bit (during the summer), but dinner is whatever we make. If you want something different you better make it yourself. My picky 5 year old has went to bed without dinner quite a few times (and no snack after dinner if you don't at least attempt to try the food you claim you don't like).
  • rikkejohnsenrij
    rikkejohnsenrij Posts: 510 Member
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    Sounds familiar :) As I have a husband who prefers fatty, cheesy stuff and two kids who doesn't like the same things
    I wish it was easy to toughen up, but that might not fix everything right away.

    I usually ask the family for input when i make the meal plan for the week...and often add their ideas. If they dont like the meal, they can have something that doesn't have to be prepared instead. (we always have rye bread and oat meal in the cup boards)

    I dont cook special orders, what I have done, is to serve most meals split up, so you have protein, starch, sauce, veggies, condiments (chili oil, pesto, mayo, ketchup) seperately. And I almost always serve vegetables with our dinner

    For example:
    Today we are having hot dogs. I'll have 1 hotdog and some salad/ carrots. Had my daughter been home, she would have tuna in her hotdog as she doesn't eat sausages

    Yesterday we had buttermilk desert for dinner (Danish summer tradition)- I had apples in my portion to get it ore filling for less calories

    Monday we had pulled pork burgers...I had a small bun, some meat and an extra large serving of slaw (mine isn't very fatty). My son doesn't like pulled pork or coleslaw, he had some salami in the burger, and carrots next to it.


  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,969 Member
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    rikkejohnsenrij wrote: »
    Sounds familiar :) As I have a husband who prefers fatty, cheesy stuff and two kids who doesn't like the same things
    I wish it was easy to toughen up, but that might not fix everything right away.

    I usually ask the family for input when i make the meal plan for the week...and often add their ideas. If they dont like the meal, they can have something that doesn't have to be prepared instead. (we always have rye bread and oat meal in the cup boards)

    I dont cook special orders, what I have done, is to serve most meals split up, so you have protein, starch, sauce, veggies, condiments (chili oil, pesto, mayo, ketchup) seperately. And I almost always serve vegetables with our dinner

    For example:
    Today we are having hot dogs. I'll have 1 hotdog and some salad/ carrots. Had my daughter been home, she would have tuna in her hotdog as she doesn't eat sausages

    Seriously curious, not snarky. Is this "tuna in her hotdog" like the other recent thread in which those of us in the U.S. learned that in Britain, if it's in a burger roll, it's a burger, even if it's chicken? Or is just a typo and you meant "tuna in her hotdog bun"?

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    VUA21 wrote: »
    mutantspicy wrote: »
    VUA21 wrote: »
    Momma's menu selection:

    1) What I make
    2) See #1

    I'm momma.

    Lol. That's how it worked in mom's house!

    Yep! My grandmother raised me, she taught me well. Oh, you don't like what I made...starve, eventually everyone will get hungry enough. Grandma doesn't mess around, even Grandpa acknowledged that while he was the man of the house, he was not the boss.

    I seem to recall 3 rules or so

    1. You have to eat at least one bite-IOW, if Mama serves your plate you don't have to finish your plate
    2. If you take seconds, you finish them (sometimes for breakfast)- IOW, if you serve your plate, you will finish your plate
    3. If you don't like it, fix something different-Obviously applies to older children


  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
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    Apologies if this has already been said:

    Option 1: you decide what's for dinner and everyone eats it or goes hungry. Rotate favourites throughout the week so everyone gets their fav at some point.

    Option 2: You cook for 2 people, your husband cooks for 2 people. If he likes his spice then he adds it at or near the end. It sounds like you and daughter are similar in taste so that's you sorted - your husband can step his game up and be part of the solution not part of the problem.

    Option 3: there is no option 3. Be stronger about this, you have a valid arguement and you're valued in your household - have the strength to make this happen for your own health and wellbeing.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
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    bufger wrote: »
    Apologies if this has already been said:


    Option 3: there is no option 3. Be stronger about this, you have a valid arguement and you're valued in your household - have the strength to make this happen for your own health and wellbeing.

    Not just her own well being, the well being for everyone in the house. Not liking vegetables or fruit and only eating processed foods/simple sugar is a recipe for a very short life.

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