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

[MrsFabuloso]

I didn't know if I should put this in the food area, or here, but I'm thinking it's more of a behavioural issue than a food issue. But move it if needs be!!

As the title says, my kids just won't eat the meals I cook. I ensure they are healthy so yes there are lots of veggies, usually meat and pasta or rice, nothing terribly fancy or spicy. I tend to use similar ingredients regularly, so its nothing unusual for them. But most nights DS just doens't even try it. He will just upturn his bowl and throw it everywhere. He will not eat much meat or veggies. DD is slightly better and will sometimes try the food, but regularly won't eat a meal. I don't serve alot for them. The only meals I can guarentee they will eat is spaghetti, home made fish fingers and chips and ham and bean soup. Occaisionally they eat sausages. DD will eat lamb chops or cutlets and homemade chicken nuggets (as will DS sometimes).

Tonight I made chicken with pasta and veggies all mixed up with a cheesy sauce. They barely touched it. I manages to convince DD to try some chicken and a few bits of pasta but that's it. As usual DS just threw it everywhere. I sit and eat with them and take about the food being yummy and what it is etc. We don't sit for ages to eat, usually about 20-30mins. If they don't eat I don't make a big deal. They will get fruit is they ask for it, but I won't offer it. DS is still BF so I'm not terribly worried about him he has a big feed to sleep and 1 overnight and one in the morning and maybe 1 through the day. They often help me cook. I feel like I have tried everything and nothing is working.

What can I do? are your 3 and (almost) 2 yr olds the same? Do I just ride it out and be confident they are ok because they are healthy, and just persevere and eventually they will learn to eat it? I'm just getting so frustrated making these time consuming meals for them to turn their noses up at it.

[~MummaBear~]

i have no advice for you but thought i would let you know that sometimes i feel your pain!!!
I have been told that no healthy child will starve themself, as long as you continue to offer them healthy balanced meals they will be right ( soooooo much easier said than done!! lol)
Good luck!

[krisp]

My 2 are extremely fussy as well. A favourite for them is a pasta dish with the following sauce. Chop 1-2 apples, onion, 2 x carrots, some sweet potato, some garlic and add a big spoonful of tomato paste and about half to 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook down untill everything is mushy and then add some zuchini, cook for another few minutes. Blend and cook some pasta - my 2 love gnocchi (the fresh stiff in the deli at the supermarket). Cook the pasta and then add some sauce, mix it all up sprinkle with some grated cheese and that's it.

It's a winner! And full of vegies too.

[avribr]

My DS1 who is now 6 went off my cooking around the 3 year old mark, he will eat spag bol till it comes out of his ears but he pretty much eats everything we eat now and if he doesnt he will at least try the food. Before he would only eat fish fingers, chicken nuggets and spag bol, that was his diet and no matter what I did, I never won the battle with him. DS1 eats different food now like paw paw salad, laska soup and the hotter the better, he loves chilli, he will also eat a salad sandwich with the lot, onion, tomato and all. DS1 will only eat apples and grapes though wont eat any other fruit. I am currently dealing with my DS2 who will only eat fruit and yoghurt for dinner he is 3 1/2 I figure DS1 came around so I'm hoping DS2 will aswell. Good Luck.

[Early Kids]

Not sure if I can be of any help because Brendan (3) has never been a big eater. He will eat just about everything just not a lot of it.

[indie24]

My DD who is 18 months is the same. She will eat Spag Bog, most pasta meals I make, anything with mince and nuggets. She doesn't eat anything else I cook. I always offer what we are having.

[MrsFabuloso]

Thanks everyone, seems like it might be fairly normal then!

We don't give them snacks after about 3.30/4.00 because we eat early, at about 5.30ish. Then it's the bath, books and bed routine. Between 6.30 and 7.30 they are in bed and asleep. They do eat all day, particularly DD who is a mega grazer. I guess in the grand scheme she is eating well. It's just that she won't eat veggies, the only veggies she will eat is raw carrot, occaisionally lettuce and potato. I make potato and pumpkin or sweet potato mash and she will eat that. I sneak grated veggies into everything I can, like grated carrots, zuccihni, mushies, pumpkin, onions...anything I can grate really!! Salads are very unpopular inour house, lol! Except if it's my potato salads with tuna, which DD will eat (also has grated carrot and corn niblets in it). I make sure I put in bits they can see too though so that they can get to know what tastes like what. I hate that I'm making a nice meal every night and having to throw half of it out because they just don't eat. I feel so 'Why bother' most nights. Especially when DH is on arvo/night shift, which is half of the time he's working. And especially if it's something I know they just won't even try, like a baked dinner.

Kris, thanks for that recipe I will have to give it a try!

[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.

[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!

[aussienic]

Do they have any snacks in the afternoon? We and try limiting any snacks after 4pm.. and drinks except water

My kids love to eat the veges raw as I am chopping them up for dinner.

I can't really offer any other advice as I don't have any food issues in this house..

Spag bol with grated zucinni and carrot is a great way to hide veges..

Also have you tried them on salads?

[JellyBean]

mmm.... it can be so hard sometimes, can't it?

My DS1 eats his veg - but not if it is paired with 'yummier' food like pasta and chicken. I have to feed him the veges on their own first, then when he is finished that, he gets the pasta, and then the 'yummiest' - the meat. Its such a pain when I just want to dish it all up and eat.
I would maybe try vegies or nothing for a while (at dinner, that is). Maybe some grated cheese on top or a natural herb seasoning to make it a bit tastier. They are unable to grasp the concept of vegies being the healthiest food for them, so i think when they are grouped with pasta and meat they just think, "why would you offer me this not so tasty stuff when there is this better tasting stuff? Just give me more of the better tasting stuff!"
I would also replace fruit snacks with vege snacks ie - carrot sticks, celery, cauliflower, etc. Fruit is full of goodness but also very sugary, so it can bring their taste bar up quite high - and subsequently everything that falls beneath this level of tastiness becomes bland and boring.

Just a suggestion! Sometimes kids are a science that no philosophy seems to work for!!

XX