My kids just won't eat the meals I cook!

[mbear]

Mmm i dont know any kids that like lettuce (i.e salads), so i wouldnt worry about that.

Great idea with the grated veges...zucchini slice is my secret for that. They just think the 'pie' has egg in it...little do they know its full of carrot, zucchini, and potato...LOL...

TBH....i wouldnt get too hung up about them not eating an array of veges...my DD#1 only eats corn and carrot....and sometimes snow peas. Thats it. So if we're having them, i serve them. If not, she just has a plate of pasta for dinner. Im like you, my DH does night shift, and im not cooking 4 different meals at night. So if we're having spag bol...she just has pasta. If we're having stir fry...she just has rice. I got over the 'OMG your not having 5 veges a day' thing. She eats fruit, she drinks water, she's generally a a healthy girl....youve got a lot of years up your sleeve to try out the veges...if i were you...i would stick with what they like......introduce other things slowly....like really slowly.
GL!!!!

[anney]

Lilias, I agree with mbear. but would go a bit further and a few nights a week forget about figuring our what the kids might like and just make stuff that you and DH like and work around that for them. It will be less frustrating for you and you might be surprised at what they will try.
We have never made different meals to us, for our DD. she is not great with veges but we persist and she is getting better.

[MrsFabuloso]

Lilias, I agree with mbear. but would go a bit further and a few nights a week forget about figuring our what the kids might like and just make stuff that you and DH like and work around that for them. It will be less frustrating for you and you might be surprised at what they will try.
We have never made different meals to us, for our DD. she is not great with veges but we persist and she is getting better.

I do regularly cook meals just for DH and I when I get bored of the basic meals. I made some yummy lamb shanks the other night in the slow cooker. Naturally the kids had nothing to do with it! DH isn't fussed with what he gets to eat though, so he's pretty easy to please! I usually cook meals I feel like when DH isn't home unless DD asks for something which she is occaisionally starting to do.
I don't cook meals especially for the kids either. They get what I cook. I do try to make at least one thing each night they will eat, like we had sausages pumpkin/potato mash and corn on the cob yesterday (sausages and mash at DD's request!). DD ended up only eating the snags, mind you she had 2! DS ate a small cob of fresh corn and 2 bits of sausage. That was it though. But better than usual! Tonight I thought they'd at least eat the pasta, but no luck
Tonight I caved and gave DD some apple and carrot before bed becasue she was crying she was hungry. I tried to convince her to eat her dinner but she was adamant she didn't like it. I try not to make it a regular thing to give them more food every night, but DD went to preschool today and she's often more hungry after that. And when she ate her apple and carrot peices, she told me 'Mmm, mmm, mummy, deeeelicious, all in my tummy!! Now my tummy is happy!' so I think she was pretty geniuine in saying she was hungry!

[sneakysparkle]

Mmm i dont know any kids that like lettuce (i.e salads), so i wouldnt worry about that.
GL!!!!

haha well my 3 yr old DD LOVES salad! Before her birthday I asked her what sort of cake she wanted and she said that she didn't want cake. I said "But what will we put your candles on?" Her reply - "A salad!"

both my girls are fairly good eaters, but they don't eat everything, so I just work with what they like. One thing they both love is sushi - great for lunch - and full of veg!

[Nelle]

Ahh it's a pain hey! I was going to suggest limiting snacks and eating early, but 5:30 isn't that late really!

Some of my other tricks are to eat the dinner meal at lunch time, or (probably a bad habit in the long run) to sit them in front of a movie/tv while eating (I set up little ikea stools as tables and have little chairs) - then they're not focussed on the food and it gets eaten while they're entranced. That's usually a trick for if they haven't eaten much all day.

But yeah really, mine tend to eat the most at breakfast, moderately at lunch, and then seem least hungry at dinner time. Crazy kids!

[sirenz]

I think everyone has pretty much covered everything.

Just wanted to say, have you thought of keeping a food diary? I think you might be quite surprised as to how much healthy stuff your kids actually eat.

You did mention they like sweet potato mash, carrots, lettuce potatoes, cutlets, chops, spag bog etc.. well IMO i think this is pretty good for kids their age and you do grate veggies into most things so i really don't think you have anything to worry about, sounds like they are a couple of healthy normal children

Just keep cooking meals you and dh like and the kids will eventually begin to learn to taste new things. The worse thing you can do is stress about it and make a big deal over them not trying things, cause this will prob make them less inclined to try things etc.

Your doing a great job

[*Ali*]

Have you tried giving them 'dipping sauces' for their veggies etc. My 2 love having gravy in a small bowl and they dip in their veggies and eat them like that. I found them much more willing to eat when there was some kind of sauce available, gravy, mayo, tom sauce etc.

I am pretty lucky in what my kids eat, but we go through days when they won't touch their dinner, and I havve just learnt to let it go. We found really cutting back the afternoon snacks makes a difference, they usually have a snack when they have finished resting about 2:30ish, and then generally they dont eat again till dinner time- this has made a huge difference in what they eat at dinner time.

[Daydream Believer]

The other thing you could try is not giving them fruit after dinner but to put what they dont eat back in the fridge & if they ask for something after dinner reheat that for them.

[Vixstar]

Kids eh?! lol

My DS#1 is 3 years old and eats a great breakfast, normal morning tea, good lunch, good arvo tea and small or no dinner.

My DS#2 - who will be 2 in April.......small breaky, normal morning tea, reasonable lunch, good arvo tea - massive dinner!

I used to carry on like a nazi with DS#1 but he is healthy, lively and in a good weight range.

Hope that helps.
xxxx