Do your children eat a full traditional Christmas lunch?

[Babieseverywhere]

I was looking at my Facebook (I know) and I was amazed at how many children were sitting down to a full traditional Christmas lunch with no fussiness.

So are our kids, the only fussy ones out there, who turn their noses up at lovely turkey and roasties ?

Mine (5) refused to eat anything so ended up eating a cheese sandwich at 7pm. I cooked a basic roast dinner with lamb, veg & gravy.
I haven't eaten a traditional Xmas dinner in more than 15 years as my DH won't eat much of it either.

I thought he'd at least eat the peas and sweetcorn as he does sometimes, but no. He hadn't stuffed himself full of chocolate either.

My DH is annoying with his fussiness and sweet tooth and this has clearly been picked up by 5 yr old. Today, DH toasted sweet pancakes with popping candy on top and gave it to 5 yr old for breakfast FFS, saying it's Christmas.

I ate toast. I'm sick of fighting with DH over this and hope 5 yr old will gradually increase his range of foods in time. He was a great eater as a baby and never refused anything so I'm sure it's a control issue rather than simply taste.

My son(15 months) ate his yesterday. It was his first christmas dinner and he loved it. He is a very good eater thou and loves all his fruit and veg. Generally he will go for the veg on the plate before anything else. It's meat that we have to encourage him to eat for some reason. I think he sometimes still struggles to chew it all fully.

My DD1 (13) as a toddler ate everything/anything (and I was smug!) - definitely everything in a christmas dinner - as she has got older she has got more and more difficult/fussy ...this year she had a small slice of turkey, a couple of roasties, a few carrots (complaining they were cooked - she prefers raw) and two small springs of broccoli and lots of pigs in blankets (used as bribery to get her to eat any veg)
DD2 (7)- was also not very fussy but now copies DD1 so a similar story.
Both refused gravy - DD1 'because', DD2 cos she saw me put the turkey carcass in the stock....should have just used bisto best...
Neither will eat pudding ...
Dp likes cooking roast dinner - beef or chicken - but they don't like the meat or veggies - just roasties and yorkies and 'fake' gravy...
I would despair - but then I was awkward ...still am (Can't eat fish/seafood, tomatoes (unless cooked and strained), courgettes, aubergines, peppers...) but then that's an improvement - as an older teen I also didn't like sausages, bacon and .....ice cream ...

JadedAngel, your pudding sounds delicious.

yep, they all eat and have always eaten christmas dinner. We don't insist on sprouts and they have added the chestnut stuffing etc over the years, but turkey, potatoes and gravy is pretty basic.

We had 3 young dutch cousins here, who have never had christmas dinner, but they ate meat potatoes and veg (no gravy)

My 3 dc (8, 5 and 3) ate everything (they love sprouts too)

Their favourate meal is a sausage dinner so they will obviously love a xmas dinner.

They are rubbish at eating 'sauces' though such as curries/chilli/pasta sauces

We had goose and apart from the ham he ate everything (won't eat any form of bacon or ham -weirdo lol)

No. My 2 (aged 4 and 2) were served left over pasta bolognaise with some turkey and veg on the side of their plates. The little one ate all of her turkey and some broccoli but rejected the carrots. The 4 year old piled the turkey and veg neatly beside his plate and ate just the bolognaise, which was fine by me. I served the bolognaise in the first place so that everyone could have a relaxed, enjoyable meal as part of a relaxed, enjoyable day (which we did).

I'll save veg-related standoffs for the other 364 days of the year.

dp's exw insisted that dsc's wouldn't eat a proper roast dinner with veg...

they (and dd) had;
turkey
boiled ham
roast potatoes
roast Parsnips
carrots
Cauliflower
Broccoli
pigs in blankets
Yorkshire pudding

they did refuse the sprouts however!! was very tempted to send her a picture

we did have chocolate cake for pudding as neither they nor I like xmas pudding which dp and his dad scoffed.

My 8yo had the full works. Tried and left the carrot and swede mash, and the roast parsnip but ate everything else - chicken, stuffing, mash, roast, brocolli, cauli, cabbage, gravy, pigs in blankets and a bit of my veggie pie! He has always loved a 'gravy dinner'.

Oh ansd shredded sprouts in herb butter (yum)!

We had chocolate pud in lieu of xmas pud as He doesn't like it.

I was lucky with my children and they ate anything put down to them expect my son who is very severely on the spectrum and had massive food issues.

My grandchildren are fabulous eaters and had everything going yesterday, even the smelly Cheese. Im really happy we can take them anyplace and they'll eat really well. I think being such a cross cultural family helps - they've been introduced from loads of different things from a very early age.

We're in France, so typical dinner a bit different here. DSS (9) wolfed down the smoked salmon and oysters, but turned his nose up at the foie gras and venison/roasties/brussels. We tried a little gentle persuasion but ultimately just let him off.

Ironically at his age you couldn't have paid me enough money to eat an oyster but I've always loved a roast dinner. He's the opposite, he'd live off oysters if he could. With a few happy meals thrown in from time to time

They both had at least one of every item on their plate but only polished off the roast potatoes, cabbage, carrots and Yorkshire Puddings. The golden rule in our house is they have to have one mouthful of everything.

We do a Quorn roast as DH and I don't eat meat. DS1 can't eat Quorn as he's allergic to egg so he and DS2 had a Bird's Eye crispy chicken thingy. They both tried the roasties but didn't like them; wouldn't try stuffing, sprouts or gravy but had carrots and peas.

Given that as non-meat-eaters we only ever have this kind of meal at Christmas (we live off pasta and pizza most of the year!) Then I think they did quite well. Everyone sat up nicely and was polite. DS1 used to be an appalling eater (multiple allergies leading to much fussiness) and will likely never be adventurous but I will settle for everyone enjoying what they do have.

DD eats it, roast dinners are her favourite. DS (ASD) eats the meat if he's in the right mood and snatches Yorkshire puddings from random plates (he doesn't 'do' sitting at the table)

My 19 year announced yesterday that he wasnt adult enough for sprouts yet. When he was little he happily ate them

Both of mine eat everything apart from red cabbage and roast potatoes. Neither like any form of potato however polish off the sprouts

Yes my 8yo dd loves a roast dinner - as do I

I wouldn't pander to fussy eating and I say that as a very fussy eater myself!!

Put the food down, don't make a comment or fuss - take away after a reasonable amount of time without comment or fuss.

3 do..... including sprouts and red cabbage.
5 yr old did not.... He isn t that fussy but he hates roasts (crazy child). Normally he would pick at some meat and eat the veg... However as it was a special occasion. I made him a cheese sandwich on seedy bread as it's his favourite. I think it made his day :)

Dd2 did. No chance of dd1 eating it.she had something different to the rest of us.

I have to agree with girliefriend but perhaps we've just been lucky that our two will eat everything they're given. It's the same philosophy at their schools so there's no doubt that has helped them resist any temptation to become fussy eaters.

My 3 ate it too (aged 13, 10 and 7 - 5mo dd is obviously too young) and Ds asked for a second helping - they love a good roast dinner. The only thing they wouldn't eat is the sprouts but most kids don't like them do they, I don't force the issue, they ate the rest of the veg.

They didn't eat the Christmas pudding though, to be fair neither did I as I don't like them so we all had a cookie dough cheesecake with cream instead.