Health vs Taste - What Should I Feed My Kids?

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I'm torn between giving my kids healthy food that they push about their plates but don't eat, and giving them tasty but less healthy meals.

What should I do?

Is it that bad to give them say sausages for dinner every now and then?

no food is bad in moderation and i think it's more important to help ghem develop a healthy attitude to food.

What ages are they?

Think the problem is that you are separating tasty and healthy and probably projecting that onto them. Healthy food can be made just as tasty eg if they like fish fingers fresh fish in bread crumbs instead of shop bought

I've got 2 boys, 5 & 8

I don't mean to separate Health & Taste out, but we all know that there are unhealthy options that they love (Pizza, Sausages, Burgers) and I don't know whether I should worry about feeding them these.

They rarely clean their plates so getting them to eat has to be the priority surely?

Trying to make them clean their plates is inherently more unhealthy than the odd pizza. Put some veg on their plate and allow them to eat to appetite. Don't provide sugary and processed snacks between meals. Sorted.

My Dc prob don't have a brilliant diet - although they love fruit and cheese - but I've got over worrying. One has ASD so calories are more important than anything and the other is an exceptionally fussy toddler. My DH and I are pretty adventurous eaters and I cook everything from scratch so it's not like they aren't offered some healthy options. Most kids grow out of this extreme fussiness eventually. I try a combo of stuff I know they will eat and encouraging them to taste something I know they wouldn't choose.

Who says pizza, burgers and sausages are unhealthy? Buy decent quality sausage/burgers and make up your own pizza so you know what's on it. What are you trying to feed them?

Yes, eating is important, I wouldn't let them fade away. What about some family favourite type home made foods - home made wedges or chips, a mild fish pie, chicken breast strips, dough balls, meatballs in tomato sauce, macaroni cheese. I think some kids do better with meals where they can choose from a few different picky bits eg pasta, bread, grated cheese, cucumber, ham, tomatoes (then everyone can choose their favourites and as small a portion as they want to). I went through years and years of having nice homemade food pushed around the plate - but now the family totally crave my homemade soups, lentil dahl, fish pie, lasagne etc. Partly their tastes have grown through practice, and partly I have realised what works and what tastes good.

Let's hope they grow out of the fussiness!

My kids love sausages but rarely finish anything other than Richmonds (DH thinks because others are too grisly or chewy), when served with greens and potato does that rank as a healthy meal?

My two like the Tesco pork and honey chipolatas as they are quite sweet and they are easier to eat as they are thinner

Interesting - mine don't like the tesco ones as they aren't as smooth.

I'll try mixing it up a bit and giving them some choice of 'sides' maybe

What I've tried to go for is a halfway house: cook what they liked a couple of times a week and then things that I thought were a good idea the rest. And try not to notice if they push food around. The more you can manage not to get uptight about it, the less harm it will do (obviously excluding any sensory issues/the kind of child who will put themselves in hospital rather than eat).