So fellow lentil devourers - feeding Other Peoples Kids who only like crap... what do YOU do?

[Piffle]

ds is 12 his friend is here
According to his mother he likes beans and chips, the usual boy things no veges ta.
Today he announces he detests beans in actual fact
this leaves weetbix or egg in my house
Do I compromise my principles and buy some junk

Yes, offer bread and butter, or bananas, etc

There are tons of things I could be served at someone's house and simply be unable to eat and I am not a fussy or faddy eater. I wouldn't expect to go hungry because I happened to dislike the first thing that was on offer - nor would I expect something else to be cooked specially. A sandwich or fruit is a fine alternative.

Agree about 12yos being different. I have 5yos for tea and my stock favourite is sausage and mash and then ask the guest which veg he likes out of the selection I have in and cook at least two of them. I do sometimes do a pasta bake type thing. But I only serve something that I am a) happy for my kids to eat on a weekday evening (eg if they go to a birthday party at soft play the eat chicken nuggets and chips but not a weeknight at home) and b) am happy for DH and I to eat because I only cook one meal.

As a family we eat together usually but on playdates DH and I eat later.

All our guests so far are 5 or so. I probably would be a bit different about a 12-year-old ... that being said, I'd probably offer alternatives to an adult, but be a bit miffed.

(Franny, what don't you eat?!? I am meant to be feeding you tomorrow!)

NQC, I thought I had said

no meat, fish, goats cheese, olives or anything too spicy please

Do none of you have things that you can't eat? I am not being fussy, I just couldn't eat anything with goats cheese in (believe me I have tried).

oh no blue cheese also please NQC! I can make my own sandwich if necessary

I always check with the parents and cook something the children will like - seems like the courteous thing to do to me

but then my ds1 is very fussy (will eat healthily, but only a limited range of food)

Oh god I can't eat rice pudding either

that one is not my fault, I was forced to eat it by an evil dinner lady at school and haven't been able to touch it since

NQC I am sorry I am evidently the picky arsehole guest from hell

foreign kdis here i give them sausages and chips

kids i know? i giev them what we are having

No, don't buy junk, offer him something else but if he doesn't want it he goes home hungry imo. Even toast will do, surely?

Fran,went to very posh engagement do once.As tray bearing canapes was passed around (by uniformed staff) cousin of the bride bellowed

'Wot! Wot! Let me see them.Oh good grief,blue cheese! Absolutely not! I would rather suck my husband's dick than eat blue cheese.'

Noone batted an eyelid.

Franny - just to make you feel better, I will eat almost everything except....

runner beans
broad beans
butter beans (do you see a theme emerging!)
Soggy cereal
Fish with the eyes still in.

Piffle, just noticed your children had prawns. tbh many people (kids & adults) are not sure about prawns so I def. wouldn't have served them.

NQC - just give Franny the alfalfa sprouts and a plate of mashed yeast and she'll be fine

Don't buy junk - you never know, he might actually like your food!

Speaking as a lentil devourer whose DS1 only tends to like junk-ish type stuff I wouldn't expect other people to pander to him at all -maybe give him bread and butter if he's really hungry but not change what you would normally have

In answer to your question F&Z, there's not really anything that I really truly couldn't eat except probably a few things in the offal line. I would manfully wade my way through anything I was served if there was no choice and I was a guest. Allergies obviously different.

Sorry, that sounds a bit po-faced .

cos oyu arent a fussy pita
youa re welcome chex cod whenever

You serve what your serve for your child. If they don't like it - fine. They still get offered fruit - they still get offered wicked pudding (after eating at least half of the fruit). Your poor child still has to eat its main course, all the fruit pudding before he/she gets the wicked pudding - Thats how it works in my house. If under 18 months - prepared to make some exceptions - not usually necessary provided the portion sizes are adjusted accordingly

I am an evil bat but people keep bring their kids banck - so hey!

Mercy - I'm not keen on prawns - can force them down if covered in chilli sauce or Marie Rose sauce and lemon juice.

He had sausage
I scrambled him an egg (oraganic free range of course) and he had some of my hand made spud wedges
So feel at least I did not have to go way out.
It's so draining
I had nothign much organised tbh, pregnant, low appetite, tired, headache...
Lucky they got fed at all come to think of it

prawns - people are suss at PRAWNS?

Ah, nothing planned in that line, Franny. Maybe some bread and butter pudding? Not sure.

What wouldn't I eat as a guest? I would struggle with offal, but would probably manage it (does anyone serve offal to guests?). I don't really like melons other than watermelon, but can eat them if needed. I used to really hate lamb, but have eaten loads out of politeness. Oh, I don't really like overcooked red meat, but often manage to eat it anyway.

If someone is having me over and asks about food preferences, I say "I don't really like offal" and they were never planning to serve that anyway, but they feel like they're being considerate, and everyone's happy.

(I should give offal another chance.)

Franny, have you tried both kinds of blue cheese? I'm not too fond of the mould-based kind, but like the kind made with copper ... I should really check in my food encyclopedia to make sure that distinction is genuine ...