To offer toast instead of uneaten dinner??

[FusionChefGeoff]

I'm usually hardline - have one very fussy DC and don't want to make it worse.

Tried something new today - just a gnocchi tray bake thing, nothing too risky but still, no technically 'safe' food apart from broccoli as a side.

Both have refused after 1 bite.

Nooo as DS would much rather eat toast than virtually anything else.

I'd offer something perhaps simply because he doesn't tend to ask for food even if he's hungry 🤷

I wouldn't immediately. I would probably offer a bit of supper or something, but we are a supper family so we have a snack before bed every night anyway.

I've noticed that supper takes the pressure off dinner as my son can eat if he wants to, but he won't go hungry if he doesn't eat his dinner, as there will be some cereal or a yoghurt before bed. This means he's fed but doesn't get his way if he's being fussy.

(I always eat my dinner and supper because I like food. Also my supper is usually ice cream after my son has gone to bed. )

WonderTweek, but doesn't knowing Supper is available just mean he won't bother with dinner because he knows he doesn't always have to? We eat dinner, have fruit and a yoghurt and that's it. No need to snack or supper if a good dinner has been eaten?

Nope.

They can have it for breakfast.

Gnocchi is quite an acquired texture so if they had 1 bite as a taste and then didn’t like it
I would give them toast instead.

People are allowed to not like certain foods and certainly shouldn’t be force fed them or be made to feel uncomfortable.

I always offer 2/3 vegetables with a meal and if DS doesn’t like the main element after having a decent taste then he just eats the vegetables and I do him some milk and toast before bed.

Yeah if mine don't want dinner then it's a bowl of cereal instead but I don't make a big deal out of it. It's frustrating but I don't want them hungry and don't force them to eat - I was made to eat when I didn't want to and it caused a vicious circle of anxiety and panic attacks that I still struggle with now. Don't want to sound dramatic but that was my experience as a kid and I'm trying not to repeat it.

I think given that it's a new dish and neither of them like it you wouldn't be unreasonable to offer an alternative

I wouldn’t do toast as my middle one started a toast instead of dinner as it’s just too nice.
Instead I’d roll out ‘supper’ of cheese and crackers or banana and yogurt.

Potato gnocchi is not very nice imo, has a very odd texture which sets off my gag reflex. 1 bite was enough to make me go no thanks. Maybe though, they’re just not hungry?

*habit
He started a toast instead of dinner habit.

My rule was, if trying a new food and they didn’t like it then they could have something else(I tried gnocchi the other day -yeuch), but if they were just being awkward and they normally ate it, then they had to eat it.

MiniCooperLover, good point! I think mine doesn't connect the two as he's still quite young (2.5 years). Our dinner is super early too and supper right before bed so there's around 3 hours between the meals, so even if he ate well he'd probably be peckish later. I reckon this will all change when he's a bit older as I would like to push dinner back to a more "normal" dinner time, so maybe the supper will have to go (for him, I mean. I'll probably still be having my I've cream ).

I think save it and if they’re hungry later they can try it again, it’s not a particularly exotic thing (sounds lovely but you know why I mean, your not asking them to eat anything weird!) I wouldn’t offer toast or cereal, here it’s dinner followed by fruit and yogurt and that’s it. None of mine are fussy eaters either so I think that approach works, I have 7 by the way!

Mine would want toast or breakfast every day! I'd offer fruit.

Mine are 3 and 4.

If they chose not to eat their dinner I will give them a slice of toast and a yogurt or a bowl of porridge to them.

They're pretty good with their dinner and trying new things! Love their veg etc so when they TRY something and really don't like it I don't mind giving them something simple instead. (They have to have tried the dinner)

I always default to fruit. They like toast too much.
Banana, orange or apples. Nothing else. If they eat the fruit I know they are serious!

I always offer leftover dinner as supper (DD nearly always leaves most of vegetables and then eats them as supper) unless I am sure it's something she really really doesn't like as I have bad memories of being forced to eat food that made me feel sick as a child. I would offer the dinner again first and if they try it and still don't like it then give toast. I keep high fibre toast that DD is not keen on in the freezer as the alternative so I know she'll only pick it if she REALLY doesn't like the dinner.

Mine would have toast over any meal ever (as would I) so I would offer fruit or nothing.

WonderTweek, thanks for explaining, that makes sense.

It's not a competition on whom is the better parent or cook ffs! Some posters really like to shit stir.

Anyway OP I'd give them toast for supper or a bowl of weetabix.

@sonicshoegazes agree lol.

I don't know how anyone deals with fussy eaters :( Nightmare. I'm lazy and slapdash, so mine didn't eat what they got there was slim pickings in the fridge. I cooked a lot of sloppy food, which goes down easy - soups, spaghetti, stew, mince, very basic stuff. Never things like chips or nuggets. Food that could be poured down the throat

I must admit I wouldn't eat baked gnocchi myself, or sweetcorn.

Also I don't think I'm particularly draconian but I would never offer cereal in lieu of dinner, unless people are talking a bowl of plain porridge or something?

I'd give them something before bed so they sleep through.

Gnocci is quite an 'adult' food. Especially with 'adult' herbs in. Children are pre-programmed to dislike bitter things to protect them from being poisoned.

I'd give them some beans on toast. It's fine not to like things, I hated loads of stuff as a child and I'd eat anything now. My parents never forced me to eat anything (except sprouts for some reason, which I still won't touch!) and as I got older and hungrier as a teenager I stopped saying no to things.

Don't make food a battle ground