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 😀

He's 11!

Get him to start cooking himself.

Once a week he can feed himself.

Once a week he can cook for the whole family- supervised at first if he is a complete novice. If he watches other family members turn there nose up at his food he might start being a bit politer when things are cooked for him.

Once a week you make pizza.

Once a week pasta and garlic butter.

Once a week jacket potato and whatever veg you are doing for the rest of the family.

Once a week try making him something new.

Once a week a pot noodle :)

I'm vegan, with fussy kids. I'm good at veggie-friendly nutritious snacks

The weetabix and lots of fruit are great! If he eats a lot of whole fruit then he should be getting a lot of fibre, which tends to make you feel fuller for longer.

Doe he eat nuts? Pistachios, peanuts and almonds are all quite protein-rich (almonds are around 20% protein; pistachios and peanuts are higher) so they are a good source. My kids guzzle them! He needs 0.8g of protein pr kg of body weight, so if he weighs 50kg he only needs 40g protein daily. He'll prob get that easily between milk, bread and nuts IMO.

My overall advice would be not to worry, basically. He sounds very fussy but that's his own problem!

Beef and tomato pot noodles are the best ones btw. They even have peas in so you can tell yourself it contains one of your five a day.

Also, frozen broad beans/edamame beans are easy to have around and go nicely (once boiled) mixed up with curry paste in a jacket potato....

Nothing useful to add but PMSL at slag bol

OP, are there any sensory issues for e.g. going on because if there are it will completely change how a person approaches your question.

😳😂

My iPhone autocorrect is a slut shaming misogynist

“At 11 I was running my own restaurant”

LMFAO only on mumsnet.

If you don't want the salt in a pot noodle, then leave out the sachet. Other alternative is a cup a soup with an instant noodle broken up into it. Not as many dried veggies in it though, but you can leave out the sauce powder (salt) that comes with the noodles as the soup gives the taste.
Get him cooking, though, this is what my MIL did to DH when he went veggie and she couldn't cope. Made DH a great cook - the best one I know. (Difference being that DH will eat everything generally - no longer veggie, BTW!)

I'd do

Pizza (he can make)
Pasta and garlic (he can make)
Baked potato with whatever meal I've cooked for everyone else
Boiled eggs and soldiers (he can make)
Pot noodle
2 meals everyone else is having.

I wouldn't be commenting AT ALL on what he did or didn't eat.

Chicken & Mushroom pot noodle sandwiched between 2 slices of thick white buttered bread.
Food of Gods.

I have never eaten a pot noodle in my life. I had no idea at all you could have one in a sandwich!

Hooray, that's just doubled the variety of sandwiches he will eat. Thanks madonnasmum .
Who knew Madonna was raised on Pot Noodle sandwiches.

I understand your pain! Would your DS try any of these?:

Jacket potato with beans and a side salad
Omelette
Egg and beans on toast
Tortilla wraps
Asda and Tesco both do a good range of own-brand frozen vegetarian products (soya not Quorn)

Will he eat hummus? Good on a jacket spud.
Sainsburies do veggie fingers (freezer) that are easy to cook.
Lots of none quorn quick options now that are tasty.
Lots of fruit and raw veg for snacks.

Do love a pot noodle!

But no, it 's not an every day food unfortunately.

I'd get him cooking noodles and adding things he will eat- sweetcorn, peas, any veg at all? He can experiment with what he likes. He needs protein- will he eat egg fried rice?

Just keep doing what you're doing, encourage variety, talk about how we need to eat all of the different food groups and a variety of fruit and veg in order to grow properly. It should sink in eventually.

Quorn gives me horrible tummy pains too. There's a warning about it on the pack!

Is he eating a lot of fruit before tea? Maybe he's full from snacking?

Agree with your post regarding him doing a menu and helping to cook it. I think this is a good way forward, maybe 3 days a week as someone suggested.

Some ideas for a fussy veggie:
Plain pasta with peas, sweetcorn, cheese and salad on the side.
Bagel with baked beans and cheese on top.
Rice with green beans, almonds and raisins.
Scrambled eggs on toast

After 20 painful minutes he came up with baked potato and coleslaw, pizza, wraps with baby sweetcorn, boiled eggs and pasta with chilli oil and kale. He says he loves kale and I never buy it for him. Wtf? And he loves coleslaw? I've never seen him eat coleslaw in his life.

Anyway, I've sellotaped the list up in the kitchen so we'll see how this week goes.

Thanks for letting me vent a bit, and making lots of suggestions.
(And not making me feel like total shit for thinking about raising my child in Pot Noodle)

on Pot Noodle obviously. Although I have been tempted to drown him in it

That's a start, OP. Good luck with it all.

If he likes wraps and kale could you make/adapt this recipe? I got it in a veg box years ago and is a staple in my (vegetarian) household. It is really good.

Woohoo! Successful start, that's fantastic OP!

Just do the pizza and pasta more often if you have to. The occasional pot noodle wont seriously harm him but they are very unhealthy so I really wouldnt suggest he eats that every night. It would probably be better for him to eat nothing than a pot noodle every single night. They are a treat not an actual meal.... you wouldnt give your son a mars bar for dinner and pot noodles are of that ilk... they are a snack/treat food not actual nutrition.

But im with you on not bothering to go out of your way with him. Just ignore him or say 'well you cook yourself dinner then' if he complains his food is boring.
I hate wasting food personally. And im vegetarian so is my DS. If my DS doesnt eat something he doesnt get a replacement and I save what he hasnt eaten to eat later or for one of us.

good idea with the list! Then he cant complain at you at least. Because you can just point to the list and show him that it was his suggestion!

I saw a recipe for a 'home pot noodle' which was essentially a kilner jar, fine noodles, selection of barely need cooking veg like baby sweet corn, peppers, spinach, flavoured with soy, chilli etc, add boiling water and seal jar for 10 minutes.
We enjoyed the novelty and also tried with cous cous.