9 Responses to “One meal for 4”

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  1. Codi

    Hey there! Fellow Rhodey Girl here 🙂 I don’t know much about getting kids to eat food, or what “they” say is right, but in regards to that – who said that you have to make family style presentable every night? What about plopping each component down on the dining room table on top of pot holders in the same vessel it was cooked in? I bet Ali, Raffi, and Trig won’t mind, even if it’s not magazine-shot worthy 😉 just a thought!

  2. Lydia

    I stress over this every day! We all eat the same meal, every night, no other options given. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it, but this is what’s for dinner” … and “You need to try one bite. if you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat the rest, but you do have to try one bite” (however small it is) are phrases we stand by (and honestly, rarely have to say at this point). Our 3-year-old eats most everything but is getting pickier, and our 17-month-old eats most things… but if he doesn’t want to touch it, it ain’t happening.

    Last night was pasta + meatballs and green peas, a meal requested by older son. Tonight it’s bean+cheese quesadillas and spanish rice with veggies. The other night was mac+cheese, (slow cooker) barbecue chicken sandwiches and steamed broccoli. I actually separated the chicken out for the kiddos and both of them then wanted to eat it like we did, as a sandwich. Sweet chicken sausage and couscous and veggies are also a big hit. Grilled cheese + chili nights, tuna fish sandwiches, make-your-own pizza nights… chicken parm. All wins in this house.

    Sometimes it’s easy for me to get overwhelmed… and I have to remember that I’ve been feeding my family for years. Like you, I can’t be out of ideas yet! I just have to remember them. 🙂

  3. JW

    This sounds exactly like my house! My kids eat mostly what we eat and if they don’t they eat leftovers usually. My kids are 4yo and 10 months. What I have found that helps is leaving food in its components and not mixing it together. For instance tacos. My daughter won’t eat a taco, but she will eat the meat, shell, cheese and veggies separately on her plate. So I just deconstruct it for her. She still eats what we do, just in a different format 🙂 my kids are weird eaters. They love falafel, hummus, feta cheese, but they wouldn’t eat a hot dog to save their lives. So we just keep exposing them to new foods and trying new things. Or we re-expose them to foods 🙂 Sometimes they will eat it one week and not the next. It’s getting better as they get older, but they still have picky phases. It sounds like you are doing everything right, just keep trying. I know I eat a lot of foods now I would have never touched as a kid, but my parents just kept exposing me to different foods my whole life.

  4. If the kiddos love the raw veg and fruits; what about dinner salads? My niece loves making her own “kid salad” she puts her own veg in, adds her own dressing etc. A great way to sneak in non-animal protein (olives, edamamae, chick peas, etc) and easy to grill chicken, steak, fish to put on top (for you/your husband?)

    Good luck – it can’t be easy!

  5. Stacy K

    Graham is becoming increasingly harder at dinner. What frustrates me is he eats amazing when we are at my in laws but eats hardly anything for dinner at home. He also eats a snack on the way home from daycare at 5 if he doesn’t he will get home and snack until dinner. There are also nights when hubs is home late and we don’t eat until 7:25 which I hate for g. I implemented a few things.

    If I know hubs will be home late I will offer graham leftovers from the night before or some frozen meatballs I easily reheat.

    He loves choices so while preping dinner I let him get involved and choose our vegetable or side. He eats what we eat. Has to try one bite and if he’s still hungry I offer 1 piece of fruit. Other than that nothing else

    I do like to keep a few things on hand I know he will eat like frozen peas, canned green beans, beans etc so I am guilty of offering a few other items if I know he’s hungry.

    Getting a well balanced meal in your kids is difficult! I hope you report back on what works for you! I refuse to let him eat chicken nuggets or yogurt (his dream) every night for dinner

  6. Melanie

    Meal times became easier at my house when we cut out all other food options. The kids, 5 & 2, are required to try everyhing, and if they dont eat it, it goes in the fridge. Later that night when they decide they are hungry, i pull their dinner back out and warm it up for them. Or they can choose to go to bed hungry.
    It’s ok for them to say they dont care for something, but using words like disgusting, spitting food out, etc is disrespectful to me and gets them an immediate timeout.

    Sounds like it’s pretty easy for your kids to say no to the soup and whatnot because there will be cereal, etc later. You may just need to be more of a hardass.

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