How to encourage my 3 children to eat more varied foods...

[huginamugwankinapacket]

Every day I make food and every day it's wasted and uneaten. I'm so sick of it.

DD1 has been like it since she was 1, she is now 5.5. My boys are 3 and 2 though and have picked up on it. She doesn't eat most things and doesn't eat anything with a sauce. She eats plain rice and pasta, sandwiches with soft cheese, dried fruit, fruit, yoghurts, sausage rolls, pork pies, cocktail sausages, wraps, and sometimes garlic bread and chips. Making lunch for her is fine but dinner is just an absolute nightmare as she won't eat sauce, doesn't like chicken or fish etc.

So tonight for tea she has just had plain rice then was still hungry so went to the fridge and got a sausage roll.

This just can't continue, she needs to learn to eat an evening meal. I got stuck in a rut of giving her plain pasta and garlic bread one night and chips the other because they're all she'll eat. If there's a night where I want to give my boys something else she'll eat cereal. She used to eat all fruit but now mostly just likes berries, she won't eat bananas or oranges at all anymore.

Before you say it, I've tried the 'eat it or starve' method and she doesn't eat it so please don't suggest that as it drives me batty. She also says 'that's disgusting' etc at the boys food which we are trying to discourage.

"The first bit to crack" that should read.

The video was interesting to me in that the emphasis was on the adults being occupied talking about other stuff and not focussing on the child's eating or reacting negatively. He couldn't manage it so then offering an either breadcor cheese choice. Then specific praise at the finished bread - he looked pretty pleased with himself too tbh!

Looking through the protein foods she eats it's soft meat. Would she eat a fine textured meatball with her rice? Essentially your giving her the inside of a sausage roll.

The other thing I'd persevere with might be tiny bits of shredded soft chicken from a casserole. Thigh meat is softer and nicer imo. This relies on you eating the casserole!
So I'd start off with saying well try a bit of meat and a spoon of the juices. If / When the refusal occurs say well choose one or the other, eat it and then you can have the rest of your meal. Plenty of praise for trying then on with the meal. If the remainder includes cocktail sausage so be it.

Thank you!

She did eat meatballs a long time ago so yes I’ll try those again, thanks for the reminder. She used to eat tuna sometimes too but back between 1-2, would it be silly to assume she’d still like it? Ive tried it recently but she liked it and said she didnt want more.

Sometimes I get tempted to put new things in her lunchbox but I feel mean incase she doesnt eat it then leaves it and is hungry. What do you think? Im trying to think what I could try that wouldnt be too much to start with.

She only ever has a jam or a soft cheese sandwich for fillings. Shes rejected ham sandwiches before but likes ham on its own so I might try that again.

I’ll see if I can find the full Jo Frost episode. I really dont like her but I also would like DD to get a bit better, she hardly eats anything with iron in for example so I give her vitamins.

I stick to what they'll agree to eat in the lunchbox.

My last one is at high school and will now eat well at home and can find something to eat out and about and knows to eat what is given in other people's homes! But still doesn't want any extras in the lunchbox as they get messy or there just isn't time to eat them anyway.

Thigh meat/ dark meat in chicken and turkey is higher in iron by the way. Another good reason to choose it.

Agree that school is busy/stressful enough without putting new things in lunch box, although peer pressure can work well in other more relaxed settings such as having friends back to tea (but your dad would need to be a bit older to benefit from that fully I think).

Its really really difficult, but I read somewhere that it can take 9 times for a child to taste something and like it (or if not like it - tolerate it!) so don't give up putting new things in the table (cut up carrots, peppers, grapes?). One day, it might just work!! I had success with sweet potato wedges and tiny bits of chicken and sweet corn the other day (for a visiting fussy eater) - all separate on the plate - too sweet for my liking but sweeter veg can tempt some children in.

Btw, I'm a bit on the fence about divider plates. I know they keep food separate but I've found that some DC don't like sweet and savoury together. One of mine preferred white ramekins and tiny bowls and white saucers ...sounds mad I know ...but to them it seemed more "separate" than on one tray.

Good luck op!

Your dad?

Your dd!