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Stacyc625
member
Do/will you make separate meals for your LOs
Stacyc625
member
This is especially for moms with multiples and moms of older kids (not necessarily the ones who still are eating baby food obviously).
I was talking to a SAHM friend today who says she makes three separate meals (each meal time) for her daughter(almost 4), her son (2yrs) and then them.
I guess i was just dumbfounded- because growing up my mom (who SAH) made what she made- if you didn't eat that was your problem. She always said she was a mom not a short order cook.
I am pretty blessed with a kid who will eat just about anything and will TRY everything (at least for now)- so she eats what i make. Of course I won't let her starve and will give her another choice of something- however I willnot make separate menus for kids.
What are your thoughts on meal prep and eating?
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Re: Do/will you make separate meals for your LOs
Well, my answer is a combination of the two options:
Emily has an egg allergy so, I can't feed her the scrambled egg whites DH & I normally have for breakfast AND she eats so much earlier than us so, she always gets a separate breakfast. Waffles, pop tart, cereal, yogurt, fruit, cottage cheese with fruit mixed in, muffin, granola bar, nothing I actually have to cook.
She & I eat lunch together every day, normally sandwiches (ham & cheese or PB&J), leftovers from the week or something at a restaurant if we are out to eat. So, I guess my answer to lunch is: no separate lunch.
For dinner, she eats hours earlier than DH & I and about 75% of the time it's whatever I am making us for dinner as she likes a lot of the same stuff we eat: meatloaf, spaghetti & meatballs, mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, chili, taco meat, chicken parmesan, grilled chicken, fajita steak meat, roasted vegetables, cornbread, etc. However, she doesn't like soups, fish/shellfish, spicy foods, and things hard for her to eat like enchiladas and lasagna. On those nights, I make her something else and try to put things on her plate that I am cooking that she will eat, like a vegetable or some sort of side dish. So, my answer to dinner is: sometimes a separate dinner.
As far as any picky-eating behaviors, I NEVER EVER give in to her resisting to eat what I've put on her plate and make her a different meal. She eats what is on her plate or she goes to bed hungry... period! I'm not a short-order cook but even at 3 years old her palate isn't fully developed and while I encourage her to try things on our plates when we are eating something different from her, I would never just give her an entire meal of a brand new food. Hope I'm not just rambling and some of this makes sense!
eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11
i was just saying last night: 'i'm not a short order cook!'.
oh boy, looking back to when my LO was 18 months old, he ate like a CHAMP! veggies, casseroles, soups, fruits - everything. Now? it's a struggle to get him to eat anything!! i swear he's been living off of apples and gold fish for 2 months. it's so hard to sit down for dinner and night after night he leaves the table barely picking at his plate. some nights i tell him 'tough' when he wants a late night snack, othertimes i cave and give in.
but picky eating aside, with some meals i've altered toward a toddler. we might be having tacos but he'll have a quesadilla, for ex.
i hope your little girl continues to be a great eater! i sure was proud a year ago myself.
Totally makes sense MrsS.
That is exactly what i would do. i would never make a totally brand new meal and say, eat it or else. Of course- that wouldn't be right or fair.
totally don't expect a 3yr olds palate to be full on par. ~
I hope my question wasn't taken that way by anyone-
I guess i should have stated that my friend would make chicken nuggets and mac & cheese for her daughter, spaghetti and meatballs for her son, and say meatloaf for them. -- i guess that is where i was going with getting thoughts on. (and for those of you who would make all different menus- not saying you are wrong- just getting different perspectives.)
Not at all, I totally understood your question and it's a GREAT one as making separate meals for whatever reason is a problem most parents I know deal with, regardless of if they SAH!
I wonder when (or if), exactly, kids start developing a taste for more complex, seasoned foods and the separate meal-making ceases?!?!?
eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11
I am lucky to get one meal made
?DD normally eats what we do, I started feeding her our dinners as soon as she could self feed. ?I think if you start them eating your dinners as soon as they are able they get used to it. If you always make them something special they get used to that. ?If she refuses and has not eaten much that day I'll make her a veggie chicken nugget. Sometimes she eats a HUGE lunch and just isn't hungry. ?
I remember a couple of months when I think she did live on Goldfish crackers
?
hmm my inital response would be that it is influenced by how often it is offered. obviously kids in other parts of the world eat TONS of spicy foods because that is what they are accustomed to eating. So i say- keep offering tastes of it to Ms. Emily. And exaggerate your yummy responses when you are eating the desired foods- and see what she does. If i make a big deal about ANYTHING being yummy- gisele will take it right out of my mouth if i let her.
Noel - August 2010
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DD meals differ from ours a little right now because often times, it's getting close to bedtime before I get our dinner cooked. She's ready to eat at 5-6 but dinner's not always done by then.
Oh, and breakfast and lunch DD and I eat the same thing. The kid I babyist is picky and really only eats if you feed him french fries or gerber snacks. I don't cater to him, either.
I don't intend to make separate meals for different kids. At this point, DD sometimes eats different because of *my* time issue. It's not because she demands different and no way would I be catering to 3 kids.
The only time she eats a different meal is when DH works late (and I choose to eat with him after she goes to bed). This is usually 2-3 times a night.
She doesn't eat everything that we offer, but there is usually at least one thing that she likes each night. Personally I would rather her eat a whole plate full of mashed potatoes one night, than have to make two meals.
I do make her peas on the nights that our green veggie is salad. She really hates salad and I am alright with that.
In general DS eats everything we. The only real exceptions are when we eat soup. (Even then if it is a vegetable soup I drain out most of the broth and let him eat the rest.) He's not at all picky, which I think is a mix of luck and lots of exposure to foods.
I was a really picky eater growing up. My parents solution was that I could make myself a PBJ or grab something else like yogert to add to the meal.
(m/c 1.17.07, m/c 5.15.07)
DS - 03.15.08
DD2 - 12.03.09
DD3 - 3.28.11
Excellent point, Stacy, this definitely gives me something to think about when making future meals! I guess I don't give her enough credit and need to offer her more of our meals... who knows, she might LOVE fish!
eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11
It will be one meal in this house. I make one meal for myself and DH and that will not change. However, thinking about what we eat it would be perfectly acceptable just served differently.
For example, tacos might not be child friendly, but sliced avocados, lettuce, cheese, rice and a scoop of meat taken before the seasoning is added can go on a plate next to a cut up tortilla.
Spaghetti with garlic toast (don't put garlic on the child's) with salads (just give the child the salad toppings - carrots, mushrooms and craisons.
I just don't see it as that difficult...I guess I'll know when it's my turn.
Totally give it a shot. FWIW- gisele loooooooves fish. we usually eat it at least two to three times a week. who would have thought. then again she also eats my jalapeno poppers. the kid is strange.
In general, breakfast and lunch are fairly flexible. If it's easy enough (and healthy enough), I make what the girls request. I prefer it's the same thing but if it's zapping some pancakes for one and a bowl of cereal for the other, I don't mind too much. Snacks are small and healthy but I give them some choices. Dinner is what I serve. We have dinner as a family at 6:00ish and it is one meal for everyone. I try to make sure there's at least one thing on the menu that the girls eat (or at least have eaten in the past). DD#1 is a very picky eater and DD#2 is getting pickier by the day. There are plenty of nights when they don't eat anything or any more than a bite or two. Other nights, they have two helpings or more. It just depends. They girls are tiny (3% and 12%) and I was worried about weight and growth, but our pedi actually told us to do all meals this way. He said, they'll eat when they're hungry. I will say there are meals they now love that they never would have tried if they were given an option (like potato soup, baked chicken, etc.). They eat if they're hungry enough and are getting a fairly balanced diet even if/when they don't eat.
ETA - We don't make the girls eat or even try anything. They just have to sit at the table with us for meals. If they don't want to eat, we don't force it. Not worth the fight or the powerplay. Either they eat or they don't. We're fine as long as they sit at the table for meals and chat with us.
Unless there's a medical need, or special occasion no I do not make separate food for the kids. I'm not a short order cook. Like my mom used to say to me, our food is made with love, and anything that's put on the table is edible. Eat it or don't, it's their choice, but I won't make a separate meal for one person unless there's an absolute need. I'm not opposed to small modifications such as sauces, dips, cheese, etc.
I used to be a picky eater. I have one kid who is a picky eater and one who'll eat anything, so I do understand and have experience with picky eating, but it doesn't mean I need to encourage it.
DD#1~8/17/96------DS~10/24/05
This sounds kind of like us, although DD is only 10 months old. I am not going to be the type of mother who makes the children numerous meals to get them to eat. No way. Right now she simply can't eat every single thing we do (steak, spicy food, etc.), but I do try to make things that she can eat so we are able to sit down and eat together.
She has baby oatmeal with blueberries or applesauce almost every morning for breakfast, so obviously she is eating a separate breakfast. However, about one or two days a week I'll make us both eggs and toast.
For lunch she has leftovers or some chopped up sweet potatoes and peas, but sometimes I'll give her turkey and cheese while I have a turkey and cheese sandwich. So sometimes a separate lunch.
I love when all three of us sit down and eat dinner together, but it only happens a few nights a week. DH brought home steak 'n' cheese last night and DD ate leftover spaghetti from the night before and some banana. I'm making spinach lasagna tonight for DH (I can't handle tomato sauce right now), so DD will eat that with him.
When she's a little older she will eat what we eat or will not eat at all. That's why I'm so good about experimenting with her now and giving her all kinds of foods. I want her to be an open-minded eater.
DD is not a big eater, never had been. Breakfast and lunch are something i know they will eat and usually their favorites, we very rarely eat these meals together.
Dinner I make one meal, but will always make sure there is something DD likes to eat. Usually I add applesauce, fruit, or yogart. At least there is one thing she will eat. That being said DD rarely eats dinner, I would say she wants dinner 2 out of the 7 nights a week. I don't push it. I don't believe in making meal time a battle, or forcing kids to eat.
Right now DS will eat anything.
Very rarely. I expect them to eat what the family eats and I think that is why I have such good eaters. They will eat most anything. My three year old likes everything she's ever tried so far except mustard. lol.
My only exception to the rule is if I make something super spicy for us. For example if I make buffalo chicken sandwhiches I'll make them some grilled chicken not done in the sauce and serve that. That's about it though.
Nope she eats what we eat. The only time she wouldn't is if we had breakfast for dinner (she hasn't had eggs yet) or if I make something like italian that has no veggies and she hasn't had any veggies yet that day, then I will open some up for her.
Other than that, no! I don't believe in making separate meals for picky kids, because that's what makes them even pickier!
Noel - August 2010
Crazy about Christmas? Check out our blog!
My good, old, rarely-updated toddler food blog
I always said I wouldn't be that mom - a short order cook. But, now actually having a super super picky toddler I always cave and make him something else jst so he'll eat and I don't have to make something for him later =/
I know, shame on me....
It seems that dinner is the main topic of this entry.
DD eats pretty much what we do, however there are some things she just doesn't like and so I make an alteration or separate thing. This is only IF she has tried it before. For example, she hates baked ziti- I think it's the ricotta cheese, but will eat noodles w/sauce. So when I'm making ziti I reserve some plain pasta and give that to her.
There are always chicken nuggets in our freezer and cheese cube in our fridge. That's my go to separate meal in a pinch. However, DD surprises me. Last night I was eating leftover chinese, and she ate 3/4 of a wonton from my soup and a small bowl of lo mein!