Oh, he/she'll eat anything

[Enb76]

Bit of a rant cos I have had a shitty day. When asked what my child eats I say "everything except courgettes, cucumber and melon". I am quite specific. When I ask, I get, "oh, they eat everything". I do my shopping safe in the knowledge that they'll eat everything, or at least give stuff a go.

I don't cook 'kid' food, no nuggets for example, no fish fingers, no baked beans. Mostly this is because I am a single parent and eat when my child does so we eat food that I like. That said, when other peoples' children come over, I play it safe, no lamb shanks, no Thai-style salmon parcels, no curry but I thought I'd be safe today with prawn stir-fry to discover that actually, the child who eats everything, doesn't eat noodles, doesn't eat peppers, doesn't eat prawns, doesn't like onions.

I'd like to think that I would say 'she's not particularly adventurous yet, she'll be happy with...' if my child had a limited palate and someone specifically asked what they ate.

Am I being unreasonable to expect people to actually tell me their child's preferences if I ask?

Well, I think a well mannered child would have a go at what was put in front of them. Shame the parent was so blasé, and you had a waste!

Ive never ever believed someone who says "oh my kid eats everything". Its all lies. Lies I tell you!

Yanbu.

But it's easy to get so used to your child not eating a very few specific foods and adapt the way you cook constantly, that it doesn't even come to mind when someone asks what they'll eat. I've done it a couple of times. It does just slip your mind.

However if my child was extremely limited in what they'd eat it would be the first thing I'd mention, probably.

I had a friend who boasted that her kids "ate everything". What she really meant was that they devoured everything she served them total crap because she simply didn't cook anything she thought they wouldn't eat
Mind you, this is the same one who claimed her one year old had given up her bottle with no problem at all, when I was struggling to remove my two year old's
Turns out she had bought sippy cups, then replaced the spout with the bottle teat... She wasn't known as 40 watts for nothing, bless her.

Prawns can be a bit hit and miss so on play dates I always stick to very generally well liked foods or help yourself foods. Jacket potatoe with variety of toppings, make your own pizza, pasta bake, etc.

If that kind of meal isn't even on that parents radar they may not have considered it.

I always play it safe with a plain meat, plain rice or potatoes and carrots, tomato and cucumber. Or bolognese with the option of plain pasta!

I would be surprised if someone was as specific as you tbh as I would always double check before serving anyway

How old?

I think it depends on the age of the child in question. Serving a five-year-old prawn stir-fry is a gamble; if they're thirteen, I'd expect a bit more adventurousness.

Mine would have a go at whatever was served. Wouldn't it be rude to dictate what you should cook? I like that mine tries stuff I don't cook on play dates!

I normally do pasta/pesto or pizza/ chicken nuggets at play dates though! But I like that other parents don't!

I do say my children eat everything because I expect them to eat everything.

There might be the odd thing they don't love, but I don't expect them to refuse things on a playdate.

By and large they do eat everything though.

The toddler doesn't if he isn't hungry but then he isn't hungry.

I said to a friend recently that mine eat anything. She served a venison wellington with potato fondant, creamed spinach and onion puree, admittedly they were the only children at a lunch party.

Now that is not the sort of food they get at home... And I was a bit but I had said they'd eat anything!! To their credit, they gave it a good go (spinach aside!) and they lived to tell the tale - they even ate extremely rare meat - so I guess when asked next time, I'll say "they'll try anything"

Yanbu , but...

Maybe they don't eat stir fries at home, stick to meat and two veg, shepherds pie etc.

Maybe the DC liked prawn stir fry last week but has decided they don't like it this week.

I find the easiest thing to do is ask if there's anything they don't like, then say how about ...(insert specific meal).

How old was the child? I would probably have offered a few suggestions to the mum first to make sure I was giving them something they'd eat. I love prawns but it's one of those foods that many dislike

Mine don't eat everything.

But if they go to someone's house, I don't expect them to be catered to. In fact I'm more than happy for them to be offered new stuff to try.

So I usually say "whatever's fine, they'll eat if they're hungry".

My approach is usually to do whatever I'd normally do, but make sure I include something universally liked- mash, garlic bread, chips, rice etc. I don't think I've ever asked what a child likes, check if they're veggie or have dietary issues, but not preferences!

It is a bit annoying. I elf probably suggest a couple of meals that I was planning and ask if they'd be ok with that of if they'd prefer something else. As others have said, they may eat everything their parents cook but their parents may not be that adventurous!

I'm not sure prawns are a safe bet. I eat pretty much everything but I don't eat shellfish. A lot of people don't like seafood.
My children would happily eat lambshanks, salmon fishcakes or curry though. Its just different people's normal is based on their own preferences isn't it.

I also hate this, partly because my kids really do eat anything. Honestly wizzywig
I've yet to find a food item my older boys (age 10) don't like, my younger girl was a little less adventurous but is getting much better and hasn't turned her nose up at something in a long while but as she is only 3 I do expect things to change several times (She also has a background of late weaning due to no interest in food, then a seeming sensory issue in regards to foods)

I ALWAYS ask what a child eats before they come to eat at my house, and so many times I've been told 'oh, anything' so I'll say 'great, I'll cook up a big batch of lasagna then' 'oooh, only if there's no onion in it' or 'Oh, they don't like lasagna' Always follows. Gah!

I come from a family of fussy eaters, I have no problem with fussy eaters, I don't even mind cooking separate meals, or weird concoctions, so long as your child gets a meal they like in my house! I just want to know what I am dealing with first? Not so hard is it?

I also hate this, partly because my kids really do eat anything. Honestly wizzywig
I've yet to find a food item my older boys (age 10) don't like, my younger girl was a little less adventurous but is getting much better and hasn't turned her nose up at something in a long while but as she is only 3 I do expect things to change several times (She also has a background of late weaning due to no interest in food, then a seeming sensory issue in regards to foods)

I ALWAYS ask what a child eats before they come to eat at my house, and so many times I've been told 'oh, anything' so I'll say 'great, I'll cook up a big batch of lasagna then' 'oooh, only if there's no onion in it' or 'Oh, they don't like lasagna' Always follows. Gah!

I come from a family of fussy eaters, I have no problem with fussy eaters, I don't even mind cooking separate meals, or weird concoctions, so long as your child gets a meal they like in my house! I just want to know what I am dealing with first? Not so hard is it?

DS1 would eat anything from being weaned - and I mean anything. I would always tell other parents / hosts that too. I lost count of the times he would be returned by people exclaiming "gosh, isn't he good, he'll eat anything!" as if they hadn't been told beforehand.

When PiLs first got to know him he was 6, and they absolutely loved taking him out to restaurants just to see what "anything" actually meant . They were thrilled to find that he didn't love oysters, but gave them a good go.

I think as a PP said upthread, that a lot of parents mean "they eat everything I give them" and the reality of that is 5 ways with chicken, 5 ways with pasta and chips as a fallback with everything.

They're 7. The reason I am specific is they are literally things she won't eat, it's a texture thing. She also doesn't like aubergine much but will eat it in a moussaka. I've not found anything else she won't have a go at and we eat lots of stuff people would consider 'grown up'.

Admittedly, I am used to my child, the stir fry was a recipe that she originally made from a children's cookbook so totally thought I'd be safe.

I usually go for 'I was planning on making xyz, will your DV eat that?'

My DS will eat anything, but I haven't given him oysters, so there is a chance he wouldn't eat them.

However I would be quite surprised if they were served up at a play date...

i always run a couple of options past a parent to ensure the child will eat what i serve. i would usually stick with something safe - lasagne, spag bog, roast dinner, chicken korma, cottage pie

I would say a chicken curry is a much 'safer' option that prawns to be honest.

also what a child may be happy to eat at home may taste very different made by someone else. i like my mum's bolognese but one of my friend's mums used to put parmesan on it (in the days when the only parmesan on offer was dried and grated in a pot like a pepper shaker). it made me feel sick

I've fallen foul of this before

now I've stopped asking what people don't like, and just say "I'm planning to do pizza/sausage and mash/fish fingers - will that be ok?" as that tends to produce more specific and honest answers