How do you feed a family meal when they all like/dislike different foods?

[2712]

That's about it really. One doesn't like something the others do, etc, etc, so mealtimes are a real pain and there is lots of waste.
Help!

[pinkpanther79]

I do a simple ratatouille (whatever combination of aubergine/onion/old toms/courgette/mushrooms with tin of toms, herbs, seasoning and half a teaspoon of sugar). This can then be used as a base for pretty much anything e.g. puree with pasta/pizza for fussy toddler, with pitta bread and fresh mint for lunch, poach salmon in it with pots for adults and for vegetarians I serve without pureeing on pasta with parmesan or mozerrella and fresh basil, with jacket pot for easy supper. Can be frozen and lasts for about 3 days in fridge.
Especially if people can cook themselves it is a healthy base at least.

[BadRoly]

Is this your family and a daily thing or an extended family one off thing?

[BadRoly]

I get round it by doing basics that they will all eat then tweaking, so:
Pasta - with cheese for dc1&3, with bog sauce for rest of us. Garlic bread on the side.
Sausage & jacket pots - skin off (so mash) and gravy with veg for dc3, skin off with beans for dc2, skin on with cheese and beans for dc1&4, any combination for me and dh
Roast dinner - each dc chooses a veg so at least they all have at least one they like.

[Madamecastafiore]

I just cook one thing. If they are hungry they will eat it, if not they don't. DS went from being a pain in the arse picky eater to a child that eats everything except olives very quickly.

I do substitute kidney beans for baked beans in chilli as he really hates those bit says he doesn't like baked beans either. Gobbles it down though.

[trice]

Just serve one meal and ignore moaning. They can take it or leave it. If they are hungry they will eat. If not then it doesn't matter. Kids don't have to eat at every meal.

[trice]

Serve tiny portions to reduce waste.

[busygirl]

this I don't run a restaurant,what's on the table is lunch/dinner,don't like it,go to play.apart for a couple of things,even then they can pick them off the plate(eg cheese or boiled eggs)

[retiredgoth2]

I'm with Trice.

...used to bugger about with everyone's preferences. Then gave up and just cooked same for all.

Was tricky for a few weeks but they are used to it now..

[busygirl]

Meant to be
This

[SacreBlue]

Occasionally I fancy eating something the DS doesn't like or vice-versa, in which case I just make both and freeze any left overs if I can (or bung 'em the fridge for the next day if I can't)

For big lunches with lots of people and potentially different tastes I make several things, put out a variety and again freeze what I can (or send home takeaway boxes of left overs with guests if they want)

With so many different foods available I am sure you could find at least a few things that everyone can/wants to eat for when you don't feel up to making more than one thing - and having portions frozen means you can also just pop some of them out for convenience to save cooking on other days too.

It helps if you know in advance so you can plan ahead - so why not get each one to list a few of their favourite things and see what you can do from there?

You can also encourage them to try more things because our tastes can change and widen if we are open to giving something new a go, which might save you a lot in the long run.

[mikkii]

I make one thing, although I might give DDs baked Beans and substitute salad for DS as he hates beans.

If I make stew DD1 has to eat the meat, but can leave some of the veg.

I don't run a restaurant.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

It's a pain! I only cook one thing, or one thing with variations - but across the week I make sure that nobody has to eat anything they detest completely. Eg: dd1 won't eat anything in a cheesy sauce, so we'll have that when she's not eating with us / dd2 doesn't like baked potatoes much, so if we're having baked potatoes I'll make sure that there is stuff she does like to go with them.

Things everybody is currently happy with -

roast dinner or variations of eg with roast vege, or with mash, lots of different side vege (except we have nut cutlets instead of meat)

big pan of roast vege with veggie sausages and green vege

dhal and rice and salads

chickpea, sweet potato and spinach curry
vegetable and paneer curry (with these last 2, dd1 gives dd2 her paneer and dd2 gives dd1 her sweet potatoes!)

New potatoes and salad with 'something' eg: a homemade caramelised onion quiche, or they have chicken and I have halloumi, or so on

Wedges, vege or salad and 'something' - eg wedges, eggs, peas / wedges, salad, omelette / wedges, veggie sausage rolls, homemade baked beans

Rice and stir fry plus protein element - eg cashew nuts, omelette strips, tofu

Puff pastry tart with a different topping for each corner!

[SEWannabe]

Unless there are medical reasons for a family member not to be able to eat what I serve, they don't get a choice.
I am not a slave, and would never think of making separate meals. Teach them not to be so picky.

[Olivo]

I disagree that if they are hungry they will eat it? I wouldn't, I'd not eat it and wait for days until I was fed something I liked. I just give them things that I know they will eat, the basics if the meal are the same, but one prefers plain pasta, one with pesto, one likes sausages, one prefers fishfingers. no big deal if the oven is on.

Each to their own however, I can see this may not work for e very one.

[Olivo]

Btw, my decision came precisely because I was made to eat everything and that made me a picky eater

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I also disagree with the, 'If they are hungry, they will eat it.' I couldn't make myself eat tinned tomatoes, even if they were the only food I had. I just couldn't. Obviously, if I was actually starving, my views might change - but I don't think anybody is going to take it that far with their children!

DD1 is naturally very fussy, but she has trained herself to be able to eat lots of things that she previously wouldn't. However, mushrooms, kidney beans and creamy/cheesy sauces remain beyond her at the moment.

When they were younger, the girls had the option to eat what had been provided, or to have peanut butter on toast plus fruit. That way, I knew they were getting something healthy enough and nobody had to stress about either 'going hungry' or trying to force down something they didn't want/couldn't eat.

[Nospringflower]

I'm with Olivio - I was made to eat things I didn't like as a child and I don't want to do that to my children. I don't really see why children should be made to eat things they don't like. If a friend cane round you wouldn't serve them up something you knew they didn't like ...

[busygirl]

But if its only one or two things its different to refuse to eat/try many foods.I don't make them eat something they don't like but they have to try some.

[Startail]

Much using of an extra pan to cook fry mushrooms and peppers or other DD2 unacceptable veg.

A lot of serving DD2's food before sauce is added.

Eating far to much sweet corn and carrots.

Chopping loads of apples, DD2 'salad'

[insanityscratching]

I cook one meal, they all eat either all or some of what I have cooked or they make themselves a sandwich/toast/cereal etc.
I don't make a fuss, someone will always eat leftovers for lunch the next day and no one has starved yet anyway.

[Ashoething]

I cook one dinner for all and if they don't like it they can have fruit. Actually dh is the fussy eater in our house

[OutragedFromLeeds]

Cook the same meal for everyone, but make sure there is at least something that everyone likes.

Skew portions so that everyone has most of what they like e.g. if DC1 likes the veg choice, but not the fish and DC2 likes the fish, but the veg, DC1 gets loads of veg and tiny piece of fish, DC2 get big bit of fish, small mouthful of veg.

Make sure to mix it up so that over the week everyone has a good mix of protein/veg/carbs etc.

Avoid the few things that they really hate where it involves being mixed in and they can't pick it out e.g. no chillis in pasta sauce.

[Justfornowitwilldo]

There's a big difference between 'isn't my favourite' and 'hate'. If it's something they genuinely can't stand I work around it but I'm not doing different meals because someone isn't in the mood for X that particular day or would always prefer sausages and beans.

I've seen someone post on here that they allowed each person 3 things they genuinely loathed and agreed never to serve them those. It sounds sensible. Obviously being a veggie would be accepted too.

[2712]

Well here goes.....
they don't like cheese, eggs, fish, curries, roast dinners, (DD will only eat the potatoes and gravy), chicken unless it's in a nugget!!! peas, carrots, tomatoes, salad stuff, pasta bakes, lasagne, phew.
ATM we usually have
sausage and mash
shepherds Pie (DS2 refuses this)
Jacket pots with cold pasta salad
chips and burger
spaghetti bol
That's about it really.
I love cooking curries and caserolres and homemade meat pies but they pick at it then leave it. Makes me weep!!!
I keep trying to introduce new foods but it never gets eaten.
All the usual meals you see folk on here posting sounds delicious but my lot won't touch it.

[BellaVita]

I serve one meal and that is it.

When Ds1 was little he didn't like bolognaise but would eat cheesy pasta with cucumber, pepper and tomatoes on the side, so I just left off the sauce, but I wouldn't actually cook anything separate.

When I do a roast, Ds1 doesn't like gravy, he just leaves it off his dinner.