Aibu to try to get my kids to eat more foods?

[KindergartenKop]

I'm not sure if I'm expecting too much of them. They regularly turn their nose up at most foods. Aibu and should I just give up and feed them what they will eat? They are 7 and 4. 7 year old used to eat anything, 4yo has always been a bit fussy.

Things they will both eat:
Spag bol
Chilli
Coconut milk based curry
Sausages
Chicken breasts that I have fried
Fish fingers
Chicken/quorn nuggets
Plain rice
Plain pasta
Noodles
Wraps
Bread
Cheese
Salad leaves (DS2 needs persuasion)
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Raw carrots
Olives
Eggs (ds1 won't have them scrambled and both avoid yolk)
Yorkshire puds
Crackers
Pancakes
Tinned tomato soup
Tinned beans

So should I continue to battle to expand their palates or should I just feed them the above?

I think the whole issue is that you’ve turned it into a battle and it’s one that will just cause you lots of stress and wasted food.

I think that that's not a bad list actually. Enough meals to get a week out of. Most kids I know don't have a very wide repertoire.

Yes you need to carry on they're not going to get good nutrition via that stuff,at 13 I'd say give up not 7.

You shouldn't make it a battle, neither should you just give them what they want, unless you want to create picky eaters.

If my kids don't want to eat what's been given to them, then they don't eat. It's as simple as that. No need to fight. Of course I take into account foods they really don't like.

That list seems pretty good, I would continue giving the foods you know they will eat and take off the pressure!

They don't get anything else if they don't eat dinner. I'm not be falling into that trap! So as a result we do sometimes battle over things and I hate that. So what should I do? Battle or not? DS2 is so skinny and he really will just eat what he likes and leave what he doesn't. He only weighs 16kg at 4.5 yrs old.

That's not a bad list. I have 2 that eat virtually anything and 1 that eats only beige food and cereal!

My 6 year old will only eat half the stuff on that list. She’s always been fussy but is better than she used to be. We keep trying!

According to this website, 16kg at 4.5 yo is totally average and fine.

www.practo.com/healthfeed/growth-chart-for-children-17576/post

My plan for this week is to get ds1 to plan a dinner.

The list is fine except you could use more veg and fruit. I’d occasionally just give them something new on the side see if they like it (tastes change). But it’s a broad range they’re eating do wouldn't sweat it.

You are doing amazing. High five yourself not question if you are doing enough. Just try the odd new thing when opportunity presents or you can be bothered. Some things surprise me with mine. They are way more picky than yours but will eat ANY seafood including muscles, squid, smoked mackerel??!

There's always someone to point fault! This list is amazing! I always buy something new a week. A fruit, vegatable.

You may think its a trap offering a dessert but dont make it dessert. Offer it as part of the meal. Stop having hangups on good food and bad food.

Good list I reckon!
We struggle with dinners. Our 3yo has taken to only wanting beige (which is odd as beige happens once a week at most)
Still, I feel a bit stuck. Do I let him go hungry 6 nights a week or let him have heinz soup/porridge/cereal for dinner sometimes.

Oh I didn't list fruit because they eat all sweet foods. It's just veg we struggle with. And DS2 hates potatoes except crisps and chips and waffles.
Thanks for reassuring me. I'll chill a bit!

Oh and cereal for dinner is no worse than cheese on toast nutritionally. Unless it's cocopops.

I have pushed through every "I don't like..." I continued to serve everything and anything and if ds didn't like something he left it. He went through a stage of picking the tiniest pieces of onion out of everything when he was about five. He has a couple of things he doesn't like now at 11, and they are things he has tried a few times and definitely doesn't like them. We all have dislikes, and I try to not serve these things as I know it is no longer just a phase.

Actually cocopops contain less sugar than most cereals and has a good range of vitamins! Sorry. Learnt this recently when my kids kept asking for it. Turned out its one of the best fun cereals! Kellogs that is.

We have a rule that everyone gets 5 things they can refuse to eat, just 5, every other food is fair game (and these have to be reasonable, some foods eg onions in the case of my dd were vetoed by me!) keep at it, by secondary school they should be eating a full adult diet - that's a good adult diet not a fussy one!

Yes you need to carry on they're not going to get good nutrition via that stuff

I don't think it's that bad. Loads of kids mine are far more fussy than that.