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Food/recipes

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Original poster

Need meal suggestion for super fussy DD9 who suddenly thinks everything's "boring"

37 replies

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 18:14

DD9 has been fussy from birth, she's always wanted the blandest things we can find. Even tomato ketchup she considers "too spicy".

Today she announced all her dinners were "boring". I'm slightly hopeful this mean her taste buds are changing and new food will be tried 🤞

So I'm looking for any meal suggestions for a child who thinks TK is spicy, hates potatoes (except chip shop chips and fries of course) and won't eat anything meaty textured including quorn and fish fingers. Nightmare.

We are pescatarian.

It'll be a miracle if there are any suggestions but TIA if you think of any!

OP posts:

toomuchlaundry · 07/04/2022 18:15

Get her to help prepare the meals

SarahWoodruff · 07/04/2022 18:17

Quorn green Thai curry? You could start off with just a tiny amount of curry paste to get her used to it, then over time she might get acclimatised. The creamy coconut milk is a hit with my daughter (nearly 5).

EisforEmergency · 07/04/2022 18:19

DD sounds similar, but eats fish, mince and chicken (sometimes). She has the same 5 meals on repeat. When she says it’s boring I tell her it’s boring because those are the only things she will eat, and if she wants to have less boring food I’m happy for her to eat what we do. But I’m not making additional meals for her to not eat them.

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 07/04/2022 18:20

Fish sticks?

Justyouwaitandseeagain · 07/04/2022 18:21

We also love frozen gyoza (really quick and easy to cook/try)

Gnocchi in a cheesy or tomato sauce?

Tortellini?

SoupDragon · 07/04/2022 18:22

Paella?

Imtoooldforallthis · 07/04/2022 18:25

Would she eat creamy sauces, like a mushroom sauces, omellettes, fish pie, fish cakes, savoury pancakes, home made pizzas with white sauce instead of tomato?

Snog · 07/04/2022 18:26

Maybe watch some cookery shows with her and ask her what she fancies trying.
Even better if she wants to help you make it.

My dd was super fussy, didn't like many everyday foods but would eat squid, mussels, octopus and a few other weird ones. Also partial to Chinese food.

toastofthetown · 07/04/2022 18:28

It's hard to make suggestions without know what she eats, but here's some vague suggestions. I'd bring her into the cooking process at the age of nine: selecting recipes, buying ingredients if you take her to the supermarket and cooking them. Buying a cookbook together might help, which she can help to choose meals from and cook together. I had Sam Stern's vegetarian cookbook as a student, and I remember that being good (even though I lost it many years ago), and the recipes in a student cookbook are designed to be simple to prepare and have mass appeal and might be a hit. Bit of a bolder suggestion but if you like Asian inspired food (which doesn't have to be spicy) then Meera Sodha has two excellent vegetarian cookbooks but if she won't eat that kind of food, possibly a non-starter! If there's a cuisine or kind of food she likes though, a recipe book based around that might help her explore.

HomeHomeInTheRange · 07/04/2022 18:31

Risotto
Savoury pancakes
Omelettes
Sweet corn fritters
Cheese soufflé
Cauliflower cheese

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:05

Thank you all for the replies here!

@toomuchlaundry she's quite happy to cook and will 'taste' quick as a flash under duress but isn't interested in eating anything new she's made. I've just put it down to her tasting foods differently.

@SarahWoodruff I love quorn TGC but dd hates both quorn and paled at the mention of curry😂. She's an absolute nightmare.

OP posts:

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:11

@EisforEmergency thank you, I have just repeated this to DD and she had a sudden look of understanding. 🤞 this means she'll be interested in trying some new things.

@Justyouwaitandseeagain gnocchi is definitely a great idea, I'll try her on it. She hates the texture of mash potato though (she's cried about mash potato before) but maybe this will be different.

All things plain white pasta are fine by her 😣

OP posts:

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:12

@SoupDragon

Paella?

Far too adventurous I'm afraid!! She'll just about tolerate egg fried rice, under duress!

OP posts:

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:16

@Snog

Maybe watch some cookery shows with her and ask her what she fancies trying. Even better if she wants to help you make it.

My dd was super fussy, didn't like many everyday foods but would eat squid, mussels, octopus and a few other weird ones. Also partial to Chinese food.

I'd be amazed if my child ate mussels and Chinese food. I'm hungry just thinking about all that now!

OP posts:

Viviennemary · 07/04/2022 19:19

I would get a couple of recipe books from the library. Or buy a cookery msgazine for her to look through. Of you could try these recipe boxes. I agree some of those student cookery books are quite good and worth a look.

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:19

I've asked her to write a list of the foods she does like. The protein elements are limited to:

Cheese Omelette
Pineapple pizza
Fish in batter

I'm definitely going to try some creamy pasta sauces and the gnocchi and go from there. Thank you everyone

OP posts:

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:20

@Viviennemary

I still have my student cookbook so it's worth a try

OP posts:

LBFseBrom · 07/04/2022 19:22

Presumably your daughter doesn't have to be pescatarian if she doesn't want to. As her what she fancies, she can go through recipes and dishes online. What does she eat at other people's houses that she likes?

ruralwanderer · 07/04/2022 19:22

My two (5 and 2) go nuts for prawn pasta. It's really easy, tasty and I hide a bunch of veg in the sauce so it's healthy too. Let me know it's you'd like the recipe :)

I'm guessing you don't want to move from fish to meat? Otherwise another real winner with my two is sausage and sweet potato traybake.

LBFseBrom · 07/04/2022 19:25

I'm glad to see she likes a cheese omelette; a cheese and tomato omelette is one of my favourites. I could happily exist on cheese and tomatoes.
Jacket potatoes with various fillings? They are nutritious.

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:25

@LBFseBrom

She's a very tricky houseguest and also super polite so usually comes home hungry!

OP posts:

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:28

@ruralwanderer

My two (5 and 2) go nuts for prawn pasta. It's really easy, tasty and I hide a bunch of veg in the sauce so it's healthy too. Let me know it's you'd like the recipe :)

I'm guessing you don't want to move from fish to meat? Otherwise another real winner with my two is sausage and sweet potato traybake.

Oh nice, yes please for the recipe but I think dd has said previously prawns are too meaty.

She has a problem with texture - meat and potato are definite problems.

My other 2 love sausage and lentil casserole (quorn) But not this DD

Also I don't intend to buy or cook meat either I'm afraid

OP posts:

Original poster

coffeeiwish · 07/04/2022 19:29

I wish I could sell her on a jacket potato @LBFseBrom ! There have been tears over jacket potatoes here before

OP posts:

Caspianberg · 07/04/2022 19:32

I assume she’s willing to try if she’s mentioned being bored?

Try and just change to something close to what she eats already, before going further.

If she likes cheese omelette: scrambled eggs, cheese quiche, Spanish omelette ( potatoe filled omelette)

If she likes fish fingers : mozzarella sticks, different white fish.

Plain pasta : try udon noodles in basic veggie broth.

redyellowpurple · 07/04/2022 19:41

My DS7 is similar. He turned vegetarian a year ago and He's super fussy and doesn't eat enough protein and keeps telling me to stop giving him eggs (one protein he will eat at school)

I told him he has to eat protein with every meal to help him grow.

This week he's had:

mushroom stroganoff with spaghetti (blended to a smooth sauce) which he declared delicious. Haven't broached the fact it's mushrooms with him.....
Omelette in a paratha wrap
Black eyed bean coconut curry with rice and pitta
Mild butter chickpea (rather than chicken, with cashew)
Pasta pesto
Fried egg in English muffin
Veggie nuggets and chips

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