Children’s food: reality versus dream

[Lampshadylady]

I’m browsing some of the Ella’s cookbooks trying to find new meals for my 3.5 year old - and every page I’m turning over just thinking, ‘she won’t eat that.’, ‘she won’t try that.’

We eat well, and broadly, and always assumed she would too but we now seem to rotate about 6 meals which isn’t ideal!

I have no health concerns as she eats loads of fruit, veg, meat, dairy. It’s just the same things over and over.

Does anyone have young children who do eat more broadly than spaghetti bolognaise or meatballs or similar? And if so how do I get her there? At the moment if I cook other things she just won’t touch them so it feels pointless.

Yep those books make me laugh- mine are good eaters, but it’s pretty much sandwiches, pizza, pesto pasta, bolognese, fishfingers, jacket potatoes, cheese on toast, sausages, beans, eggs, broccoli, corn, carrots, cucumber. None of this ‘super tasty aubergine bake with fennel bunny rabbits’

Just keep at it - as babies mine ate lots of things they then wouldn’t eat at 3 or 4, we stuck at it, compromised etc and now in teens both will try new things often and make themselves delicious healthy food. My tips

• cook ‘seperates’ mainly as young dc often hate mixed foods (so on the plate you might have pasta, chicken, sweetcorn and then a veggie spicy sauce) (also means you and dp can have a variety of tastes
• have a ‘try a little’ before you leave the table policy, not a ‘clear your plate’ one
• try a ‘tablemat’ star chart or five a day chart for ‘little tastes’ or a ‘food ladder’ of new things for them to try one by one (let them choose the new things)
• allow them ‘three dislikes’ but it has to be an item not a foodgroup eg carrots, not veggies. Don’t put those things on their plate
• either grate veg small in sauces or leave it chunky so they can tell what it is, not in between (but mostly do seperate things)

Interesting advice to cook separates. I agree that these are often more popular but it just rules out so many dishes.
I find that cooking mixed up things is fine if you only encourage them to pick out the bits they don’t like. Takes the pressure off the kids, keeps the menu more varied and over time they learn not to be daunted by unfamiliar food and eventually pick out fewer and fewer things to leave.

Give her the recipe book and ask her what she’d like to try. Together stick post it notes on the pages of the things she likes. Then, when you make something that she’s expressed an interest in, show her the book to remind her that she chose it.

I did the choosing from the recipe book thing with my Dc and they chose stuff like tuna burgers, sweetcorn fritters, enchiladas etc...

I found that when they cooked it they'd try something more adventurous. Mine have always eaten well thankfully. We have one meal, no choice and you must try something new but you don't have to finish it if you don't like it.

Oh also I find they go in phases so as babies they loved mushrooms, then they stopped eating them, once they hit 10 they ate them again! So don't think they'll always want the same foods

I think it depends partly on the child.
I seem to have produced 2 that just eat whatever (including such delights as chicken feet. Big one tried an oyster, but didn't manage it sort of adventurous), but I dont think it's anything I did, just luck of the draw.
Some will eat a wider variety if you do the expose them to it several times, and some stick to a limited repertoire whatever you do.

If it makes you feel better, I've yet to meet a child that is widely adventurous with food, and sleeps well. Mine were, and are, horriffic sleepers.

luck!
I have one that eats everything and one that eats very little variety.

Thanks for all the advice. I’ve picked a new meal for tomorrow and am trying to get her pumped to cook it with me. Will let you know how it goes!

@winterheatwave she is in fact a prolific sleeper!

damn, DS once asleep sleeps pretty well - is this why the only thing with sauce he will touch is baked beans?

(I wish I could "blend in" stuff, but he likes his food separate, and solid.)