Question of the day: Are any of your family members picky eaters? What affect does it have on you planning meals?
I’ve moved to the monthly menu plan (see March’s menu plan here) for this very reason. The darned kids have some serious eating issues. One day minute they love it and the next they are repulsed by it. It isn’t just my kids either … the day care kids are getting in on it too now! I am no short order cook so I’m cooking dinner and then they can have it for lunch the next day (toddler-ized with appropriate top-ups of fruit or veggies, yogurt or cheese, and bread). Having the monthly menu also let’s me be more flexible on days when I KNOW they aren’t going to even consider a lovingly prepared meal and they would prefer a box of macaroni and cheese. Gotta love toddlers.
5 Comments
I feel your picky-eating pain! Just as soon as I find some amazing deal on, for example, 50 of a certain type of organic cheese stick my daughter loves, she spurns it and I am left eating cheese sticks for weeks.
I don't have any answers. I've tried so many tactics and none have worked!
My oldest daughter wouldn't eat ANYTHING besides hotdogs for lunch for almost a year. Kids are weird like that. Luckily they are super cute too so we deal with it, lol!
Oh, I have been there. My son doesn't seem to like ANYTHING, yet my 1 year old daughter will each everything in sight. I have learned that he likes shrimp, so we eat a lot of it. I have also learned that making a game out of it works. Chicken makes him bawk when it hits his belly, beef makes him moo etc.
Aren't picky eaters fun? 😛 Both my girls (8 and 4) are picky eaters. One will eat what the other won't eat. It makes dinner time so much fun. And like you, I am no short order cook.
Here are the survival tips I learned over the years:
1) My girls have to be served a meal 3 times before they decide they like it. In other words, if I make a new recipe, then I have to cook and serve on 3 separate occasions before my girls will decide they like it.
2)I have my girls help plan the meals for the week. We go through foodie magazines and they pick the meals they think look good. They never fight about eating it then. I guess it's a control thing.
3) This is a tip/dinner time rule my friend shared with me- They have to eat as many spoonfuls or forkfuls as their age and then they can have something else, like fruit, yogurt or a veggie they like.
Now you've inspired me to write a picky eater post for my blog. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Visiting from Harriet and Friend- Great stuff here! 🙂
Don't want to worry you, but my daughter is 14 and she is STILL a very picky eater. I cannot get her to put anything green in her mouth. It's chicken nuggets, pizza, fries, mac & cheese. Corn is the only vegetable she likes & that is a starch so it's not the best. I still waiting for her to grow out of this phase.
Stopping by from March Comment Challenge.