If your kids are fussy - just say!

[GoldenWonderwall]

Grrrr. I can’t be the only person that has asked visitors what their kids eat, to be met with an airy ‘Oh, they eat anything!’ and then it turns out said children only eat one brand of fish finger or just cheese on toast, but hold the cheese.

My dc are fussy so I’ll tell you they’ll eat fish fingers, pizza and nuggets before we come so you don’t spend loads of time and money on food they won’t eat and get really pissed off with us. You might judge me with my fussy kids who won’t eat a coq au vin, but we all know that is infinitely preferable and much more fun than watching the giant paddy and incessant whining brought on by the inclusion of a single slice of lettuce on a ham sandwich.

So say! Say your dc are fussy buggers before you come and we can all be happy

Just to add, I have had some success with new foods by sitting down to meals without him. He is then curious and usually gives the food a go.

LimonViola some adults don't like mushrooms. We invited a couple from our church for lunch once, I recall I'd cooked a casserole with mushrooms in it. The wife pointedly removed the mushrooms saying 'I don't like mushrooms.' I was very unimpressed.

Lizzie48 yep, and those adults need to use their words before accepting a dinner invitation when asked about their dietary requirements!

I don't care how much someone doesn't like a food item, if they haven't specified when asked they don't like to eat it, showing up at someone hosting and announcing 'I don't like it' like a two year old is just rude and wouldn't warrant a second invite

I think I forgot to ask it there was anything they didn't like actually. But that's because I always eat whatever I'm given at someone else's house. But I'll remember in future to ask in future.

And we never did invite them back again, not surprisingly.

To me, even if someone hasn't asked what you don't eat or do eat, you either raise it yourself if it's that big an issue to the host, or you just eat it. I'd be mortified to go to eat at someone's home and respond with anything other than 'this is delicious, thanks!' and eating it!

I quite agree, I'm always just very grateful for the invitation, it's an opportunity to spend time with friends or family. And it's also nice that I don't have to cook the meal.

Mushrooms are very much a hated thing for lots of people. If they are chopped up in food I’ll force myself to eat them but if I was served up a mushroom based dish I don’t think I could eat it (mushroom soup, risotto or stuffed mushrooms). I’m really not fussy, it’s the only food I dislike.

Yeah, mushrooms are a flashpoint for lots of people aren't they, I wonder why. Also, in my experience, shellfish? Or maybe fish at all. We eat all those things a lot in this house though, especially mushrooms and wouldn't think not to serve them to guests unless they specified. If there's nothing you wouldn't eat I think it's hard to remember that other people aren't the same.
Re children, I do agree with pp that sometimes they may not 'warn' you because they may not know - my daughter's only 2 but if asked I would suppose I say she eats almost anything... The only things that spring to mind that she doesn't are salad leaves and pepper. But, some days she eats nothing. Randomly. Doesn't want anything except milk. And this is slightly more likely to happen if we're not at home, I suppose she's unsettled.
Re 'sensory issues'... What exactly does this mean? Is it a diagnosis? Linked to another diagnosis?

TotHappy my DD1 has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder as well as Attachment Disorder. That means that she can be put off certain foods because of how they look, texture etc. It's totally changed the way we handle her issues with food, whereas I used to think she was just being awkward now I try not to make mealtimes a battleground. I also stick to cooking food that she likes mostly whilst expecting her to eat a little of the food she doesn't like.

For example, she likes plain pasta/spaghetti, so I always let her have that, with a little bit of the sauce - bolognese, tuna or whatever it is. (She loves cheesy pasta though.)

Completely agree. Child came to ours whos mum said he eats pizza but mum didn't say he basically only eats very middle of slice so then ate 6 slices with basically three bites out (stopped him taking more) and poor dc was left with 2 slices.

Re 'sensory issues'... What exactly does this mean? Is it a diagnosis? Linked to another diagnosis?

In my ds's case it is one of the difficulties associated with the syndrome he has. He is sensory seeking in some areas and sensory avoiding in others.

I also work with children who have additional needs, and many of them have sensory issues linked in with their varying disabilities.

Sensory issues - for my son it’s things like loving snuggly clothes (soft fleeces etc) but hating the seams on clothes or socks. It’s being hyper sensitive to noise & being able to smell things most of us would filter out. With food it’s having such a heightened sense of taste he can tell the difference between different brands of fishfingers & having a strong aversion to various textures of food.

Thanks! So by the sound of it it's und of like super senses, but leads to problems because most people don't see/hear/taste/smell/feel as sensitively as you.