to just feed him Pot Noodle?

[Cookandbook]

My 11 yr old ds is the worst eater. He claims to be vegetarian but hardly eats vegetables. He doesn't like any quorn type foods, doesn't like 'fake' burgers or sausages. He eats maybe 4 bites of something or will dip bread in soup but not actually eat it with a spoon.

He's healthy enough and very active so I'm not worried about that, he's obviously getting what he needs from somewhere but I haven't a clue where.

I'm just thoroughly sick of making meals he turns his nose up at. He's the only vegetarian so I have to make something different for him. And I am a really bad cook anyway. It's not something I enjoy.

He has weetabix for breakfast, takes a vitamin tablet designed for vegetarians and he eats lots of fruit. So he's not totally without nutrition I guess.

So wibu to just make him a pot noodle every night and save myself a whole load of stress? Feeding him is honestly the most stressful part of my day.

I am so tempted to just go to the cash and carry tomorrow and buy 48 pot noodles.

Not entirely relevant, but did you know that even the meaty Pot Noodles are vegetarian? So he could still have plenty of variety in his diet 😀

Have you ruled out an eating disorder? 2 bites of something that he does actually like, and choosing to leave the rest would leave me quite worried.

Have you taken him to the GP? I would be doing that next. Or threatening to, at the very least.

Doesn't eat baked beans or cheese. Or dried fruit like raisins. Or peanut butter.

He will eat a baked potato and butter.

I cant decide if it's a power struggle thing or if he doesn't get hungry. He never seems hungry, he's never especially grumpy before mealtimes as if he's hungry. He is a decent height and weight for his age, is in a running club, in a football team......

I don't understand him. And I'm sick to death of cooking specially for him then he doesn't eat.

We used to have a pot noodle every Friday night - it was our treat and we loved them. Not every night through! I have to confess that dd seems to really love batchelors pasta n sauce and I have been known to feed her the occasional one when I'm feeling lazy, I do garnish it with veg though which she does it to make it a bit less nutritionally void! 😳

Yesterday he complained that his vegetarian pizza was boring with just vegetables. I nearly threw it at him.

Yeah, he's being a little shit.
So cook and if he doesn't eat it that's that.
Some nights let him make his own thing. Keep the fridge stocked with whatever he might need.
He won't die of starvation, and he might appreciate a homemade pizza more after a few weeks.

Omelette?
Or baked potato with baked beans and a salad?
Both would be quite easy to adapt for the meat eaters too.
Also stir fried veg, with chicken or beef added to those who eat meat.
Eggy bread for lunch.
My veggie DD has mushroom paté occasionally, if he would eat that.
You can also get veggie pesto, if he would eat pesto pasta.
You have my sympathy - what you describe would drive me round the twist! But, if he chose not to eat what I had made, I wouldn't be letting him snack.

You're not sick of it because you keep doing it.
You are giving it too much focus and energy and he gets attention from it. It's like being a star in a drama. He moans and you fuss... Why would he change?
He will change when you do.

So, why DID he become vegetarian if he doesn’t actually like veggie food? did He just refuse to eat meat and fish? did he like meat and fish before? Was it a moral decision or did he just go off meat and fish?

Jacket potato with egg mayo? And some veg/salad he likes?

I have to say I don't really pander to him, it might sound like I do.

I try twice a week to think of a veggie thing that's interesting for everyone. I think that's fair. The rest of the time he either eats or doesn't. Tonight he chose not to eat the soup he had asked for, apart from dipping some bread in and eating the bread, so he didn't have anything else. And he won't get anything till the morning.

Yes he has been checked over by the gp who said that kids can actually thrive on what seems like surprisingly little.

And I actually can't think of a single thing he would eat in a sandwich apart from nutella.

I think I need to change my thread to say

WIBU to make him plan his own menu and prepare (with support from me) his own meals?

Then maybe he will realise how ridiculous he is being.

What does he eat all day at school? If he doesn't seem hungry is he stuffing his face during the day then not hungry in the evening?

i wish i had a pot noddle right now. a brown one with ketchup. not had one since i was a student

I reckon he should think up and cook his meal three nights a week. That gives you only two more to plan for after the pizza and pasta with garlic butter.

He will obviously eat soya mince if he eats pot noodle (they have soya mince in them). Most supermarket own brands of vege mince are soya mince - batch cook a veggie slag Bol and pull a portion out of the freezer when the rest of the family are having a meaty one? I make a lush one with celery, carrots, green pepper and mushrooms. (Also veggie). I much prefer soya based veggie mince than Quorn.

Sockunicorn - chow mien was the best. Think you're thinking about beef and tomato

I reckon he should think up and cook his meal three nights a week

That sounds like a good starting point.
I'm going to get him to do that tonight for this week.

I am genuinely curious to see if he can think of 3 meals he will eat. Maybe this will give him a taste of how shit feeding him actually is.

No, provide a meal. He eats it or he goes hungry. No sweets, crisps or toast, nothing! He'll eat when he's hungry

I agree with this. I had a great eater who became fussy and fell into your trap, OP (every meal time did my head in). Then I gave up. Here’s dinner. Eat it or don’t. Once he knew I wasn’t getting into a dinner debate every evening, he began trying foods he’d turned his nose up and will now eat everything and enjoy it. I get your temptation but honestly, he’ll just become worse and it’s not fair on him either.

I'd suggest Falafel - haven't met any child that doesn't like that.

You can cook plain noodles with vegetable stock - that'll be cheaper than pot noodles.

If he’ll eat jacket potato then I’d give him those frequently. You can put different veg with it too to keep it interesting.

Offer him bread and water. He will soon appreciate good home cooked meals once he gets hungry enough.

Quorn gives me a sore tummy as well, but soya mince doesn't and most supermarkets have it in the frozen section

But yeah. to second a PP's suggestion, make him come up with and stick to his own meal plan.

And NO SNACKING

Does Pot Noodle have soya mince in? I didn't know. I thought it was just noodles, bits of freeze dried veg and some very artificial tasting sauce.

And tbh pot noodles are not the worse thing in the world. Some protein in the form of soya mince, carbs from the noodles, and some veg, albeit freeze dried. More nutrition than pasta and garlic butter which is basically carbs and fat and no veg/protein at all.

If he likes baked potato and butter, that's one more thing you can give him then.

Will he eat pasta in a plain, smooth tomato sauce?

Yabvu. At 11 I was running my own restaurant, why are you molly codling him? He should be cooking for him self, his family and the local community.
As for the pot noodle, I despair, I really do.