Support thread for JenumGeranium - help her kids to eat healthy food!

[CountessDracula]

Here we go JG

Just think soon you will only have to prepare ONE meal!

You can record your battles and triumphs here and it will be an inspiration to all mumsnetters.

Thank you so much!

Looking forward to your posts!

OK my first tip

Don't give them smiley faces or potato waffles etc. Cut a potato (old not new) into wedges, put in a bag and put a small amount of olive oil in and shake it til they are coated. Then cook for 25 mins at 200/400/mark 6 or a bit higher turning a couple of times. Yum

Make faces from things

Mix peas in with mash

Pretend broccoli is little trees, carrots are gold coins etc.

And don't let them know if you're stressed by them not eating if they're a bit reluctant. They won't starve themselves. Stand your ground.

If you are firm at mealtimes, and worried that they're really hungry at bedtime, then perhaps let them have something really really boring to put in their tummy - like bread and butter. But this is a favour you do them later, not something they get to choose, iyswim

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Switch from nuggets to "proper chicken" goujons. This introduces them to the texture or real meat rather than minced.

I make spaghetti bolognaise - as a first step I pureed the veggies into the sauce, then I grated most of them and then I moved on to chopped-really-small. Again, gets them used to stuff gradually.

Introduce one new thing at a time

Great stuff!

Keep em comin!

Yes, and at first marinade the chicken in natural yoghurt for 24hours to make sure it is really soft

Good chicken nuggets substitute - marinade the chicken (or turkey) if you want, chop into chunks or burger sized bits and roll in flour then egg then paxo stuffing mix, fry briefly until browned tthen bung in warm oven for a bit. Soooo good

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Give them stuff that THEY think is crap but isn't ie cod or haddock fillet fish fingers or breaded fresh fish, home made fishcakes, home made burgers (made from really good lean mince) on wholemeal rolls with salad and those wedge chip things I mentioned earlier

Excellent! Thanks everyone!

Sounds quite easy really!

Waitrose do lemon sole goujons which DSs are happy to eat. Although I have nothing against fish fingers it means they eat something that "looks" grown up

you must keep daily diary of what they eat now on here!

LOL and you dh will say "oh you are only doing it cos of mumsnet, you will be wearing dungies and eating sushi off the barber's shop floor next" which is what mine says when I implement changes at home as a result of convos on mn

It is easy. Sort of! I've hit a brick wall with DSs now when it comes to vegetables though - they'll both eat visible peas, broccoli and sweetcorn and DS2 will eat mushrooms.

Fruit is a huge sticking point though - not got them to eat that reliably! DS1 will eat bananas, golden delicious apples and raisins, DS2 will eat nothing.

Good luck JG - it'll be worth it - honestly - just think of the favour you're doing them for their lifes when they're throwing wobbly's at you because they want the OLD junk food.

Very true! Its for their own good I can see that!

DS2 tried some of our spag bol and liked it!!!

DS1 wouldnt even try it!

there you go - one small step in the right direction . If DS2 continues to try the meals - DS1 will soon follow suit.

DS2 (nearly 5) always whines "I hate basgetti bolognaise!" I tend to shrug and tell him that that is his dinner, we'll be having it regularly and he can eat it or not but he won't be getting any dessert if he doesn't eat it. Oddly enough, he usually eats it...

Really? lol

My ds1 (6) has just informed me that he doesnt like any adult dinners!

I am going to give it a try!

It sounds easy to do and so much healthier!

Don't buy the junk, if its not there they can't eat it and will have to try something different. Also expect to be suprised, turns out what DS likes is fish and green veg, still can't get him to try cake but I suppose thats not all bad more for me

Hey JG if ds2 liked the spag bol and ds1 didn't, easy one there - say LOUDLY "oh well mummy and daddy and ds2 are having grown up food, now you two are old enough to eat the same as us, funny how ds2 who is YOUNGER than you is into it, you must be the baby" etc