About a different meal to the one that's been slaved over?

[breakthepattern]

Person A thinks that's what's been served for dinner (2 adults, 2 DC under 7) is what we're eating. End of. If you don't like it, you don't eat it, that's your choice. It's delicious and not "out there" or very unusual.

Person B thinks if you've never had it before, try it a little and then say you don't like it, it's ok for you to be made an alternative just for you, so you don't go hungry.

Who is BU?

For further info it's one of the DC refusing the food.

It's squash risotto with sage and pine nuts so quite "adult" depending on your perspective / diet.

And the replacement alternative was a ham and cheese wrap, no cooking involved.

Make the leftovers into little rice balls (arancini). Lush.

Stuffed with the pasta sauce you y made too much of the night before.

To be honest, the idea of risotto and pine nuts sounds gross to me. If you want me to try it that’s fine, but if I don’t like it, I wouldn’t expect to starve. Plus if there is easy wrap that sounds good then I’d have that.
So defo B.

I would go with B. The child should be asked to try a few mouthfuls, to make sure that they're not just saying no mechanically; but then they should be allowed to have something else, so long as it's not something that requires masses of effort. Especially with a child under 7. I would honestly not 'slave over' food for a child that age and then get upset if they don't eat it (tbh, the meal you mentioned, though probably quite delicious, is not the sort of thing that a young child would usually care for.) Young children often prefer something quite simple.

A child has to try a food a number of times before they may like it B has the right idea.

The thought of squash risotto makes me heave, and I’m not a particularly fussy eater. I pity your poor children.

I'm going with B.

I eat anything that doesn't run away from me but squash risotto and pine nuts is NOT for me and I'm an adult.

Sage can be really soapy if you use too much and ruin a whole dish and "too much" is down to personal taste.

Wow. I do many Bs. I am totally a, as long as they hydrated and have eaten other meals that day, it’s fine, fwiw my eldest would eat fine, my youngest less so!

That isnt something anyone in this house would eat but if your family has previously.like risotto and squash it is not unreasonable. Ds1 is 10 and will try anything. If it is something new and he doesn't like it he will tell me what he doesn't like and if he would be happy to eat it occasionally so if he really wouldn't eat it I would be happy for him to get a sandwich instead. Ds2 complains about nearly every meal I give him. He has the option of sotting at the table quietly (eating or not eating) getting fruit or going away so we can eat our tea in peace. Saying that I make massive effort with every meal that everyone can eat a protein, carb and veg element.

I have four kids with very different tastes and over the years, it’s been a struggle to find one dinner that everyone will eat. Even now, all teenagers I frequently have to make two or three options every mealtime.

Something such as the mentioned risotto, would have been flatly refused by 3 of my 4 without trying. What I have done is tended to have grown up meals, do the kids blander more basic meals, but always encouraged them to try what I’m eating. This has helped expand the accepted list and now they eat most things. There’s still limited dinners that they will all eat though, but that’s the price of a large family I guess.

Person B, IMO, has the right approach.

I’m amazed how many adults wouldn’t eat this. It’s a classic dish, not weird (objectively) at all.

I make this sort of thing for my kids a lot. DS always eats everything. DD is much fussier so I tend to do nice bread and salad with it (for us all) and she has a tiny helping of risotto and plenty of bread and salad. I think it’s good to strike a balance between giving children what you know they like and pushing their boundaries a little (without ever forcing them to eat anything or to feel anxious that they’ll be unfed).

I wouldn't order that at a restaurant, it's very adult and out there for a lot of people I'd expect! That said, if it was dished up to me at a friend's house, I'd eat it whether I liked it or not, but if I served it to my children, I'd make them something else if they tried it and didn't like it. If I cook something I know they like and they don't eat it, they go hungry. Works for us

I wouldn't order that at a restaurant, it's very adult and out there for a lot of people

I really am surprised at how many people seem to have this view. What’s ‘out there’ about it?

I am definitely with person B. You cannot shame someone into liking something they don’t like and it’s unkind to try. My kids have to try something and if they don’t like it they can have a sandwich or a piece of toast or a bowl of weetabix or something similarly easy and reasonable. Why fight about food when you will not succeed in getting them to like it and will only pass this form of hazing down to another generation?

for anyone above 8yrs old: Honey, there's the kitchen, go make yourself a sandwich. End of story.
For a picky teenager who won't eat something he loved a week ago: don't you dare get up! You will eat this or nothing else! :)

Wow, glad none of you were my parents. As a kid I refused to eat fish - turns out I'm allergic to seafood. Personally I prefer to eat nothing than eat something I find repulsive.

I wouldn't order that at a restaurant, it's very adult and out there for a lot of people I'd expect!

Oh please.

Lòl at risotto being an out there adult meal.
It's wet rice ffs, perfect weaning food.

It's wet rice ffs, perfect weaning food
It was our 'go to' toddler food!
Some of it would be kept fairly plain for the kids and the more adult version would have wine, parsley and other ingredients in until their taste buds developed.

Same here.
A chicken risotto is a lovely comforting meal too, Dd is 17 now and I'll often make it for her when she's under the weather.

It sounds revolting lol chuck them on some nuggets

I have always been person A with my dcs, however, i always make sure there are options that I know they like if I'm trying something new. So, I would probably like the risotto, but would pair with salad, bread, etc so that the dcs would have something if they weren't keen, without having to do them something totally different.

It sounds revolting lol chuck them on some nuggets

Are you for real?