If your kid doesn't eat what you serve for dinner, what do you do?
Offer something else? Like what? Don't offer anything else, with the feeling of "if he's hungry enough, he'll eat"?
Andrew has been super picky when it comes to dinner. We are much better at breakfast and lunch, but that's generally because those consist of foods he likes. He is a bear at dinner. Hes in the 50% for weight, so I know hes getting what he needs ( I think at least!)
Re: picky eaters
My son eats very few things and no meat at all. Usually I make something for him. I know many people say eat what's there and I'm sure that works for some kids, so it could be worth a try. Is it a new thing for him? Are you bothered by giving him something else? I don't expect other people to accommodate him and I don't do backflips if we're eating out, but it doesn't bother me at home to have something separate for him. None of the methods we tried (eat nothing, you must try one bite, etc) felt right to us. But I think he has a texture thing going on. He gets better by degrees.
Just to add - he will eat any kind of fresh fruit so I know he isn't holding out for potato chips. lol
I could have written this myself. I'll add that if I'm making something they've never had before and they don't care for it, I'll make a little sandwich after they've tried it.
C 7.16.2008 | L 11.12.2010 | A 3.18.2013
DS1 can be picky, but we also try to make versions of food he will eat. As in, keeping some things separate for him, or putting sauce on the side, etc. It doesn't add extra work for us, and then we avoid battles over eating, too.
Ellyn Satter has great advice about feeding kids. She has a few books about it.
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
But just pickness I just approach it like hell eat if hes hungry, no biggie. If he won't even try it then he must not be hungry.
If he tried it and seemed to not like it and its a dish with no other things to eat (like a casserole with no sides) I may give him a snack later since he just dd not like it. But usallyif he tries it and gives it a fair chance he likes it.
Unless it's something spicy or no way no how is that going in type food, I just leave it at what we're having, take it or leave it! I'm not a short order cook. Which can be a challenge when you've got two kids with different tastes and pickiness..
That said, it's a royal PITA to have a picky eater! At some point there's the realization that constantly adjusting to their needs takes away the life lesson of adapting to the situation and learning to cope since food is one of the first ways kids learn to control their environment..
This.
I give him some of everything (sometimes slightly modified) even if I know he won't eat it and I always make sure his plate contains at least one thing (usually more) that's a sure thing.
*My Blog*
10/50 Read
my read shelf:
Generally, if he doesn't it what I serve, he doesn't eat. Then I'll offer a hearty snack before bed.
However, if it's something we've never had before and he gives it a try first or if he's not feeling well, I'll cut him a little slack and give him yogurt or PB toast.
ETA: He gets an after dinner snack whether or not he eats dinner.
Now when DD was that age, a cheese stick or some crackers in place of something was probably not a huge deal. But I don't get making a whole separate meal of "kid food" to combat the problem. But, I can admit that I've always been lucky because DD will eat all proteins.
DS is really picky.. If it were up to him he'd have a pb&j sandwich for every meal.
He picks at his meals and goes to bed hungry plenty. Sometimes I will present his food differently than ours. He won't eat a salad, but if I seperate the beans, certain veggies and a hard boiled egg he will eat them individually. Or whatever it may be. The only time he gets something else is if I make something too spicy, although we've been getting better at taming it down and adding to our own plates.
I figure eventually, he will start to eat more. Maybe.
W : 01.11.13
#3 : due 11.02.15