Monday, July 9, 2018

The struggle of feeding children

Hamburgers for the win



There are but a few dishes made in my own kitchen, my children will actually happily eat. Homemade hamburgers, spag bol, hotdogs, sausage rolls and pizza. Most other things are hit and miss, mostly miss. 

Summer, my youngest announced last night that she only likes the fried rice from the shop, and Izzy had jam on toast last night for dinner. It seems 'brown' sausages' are out of favour and 'red' sausages are in.

My frustration is high and motivation waning.

I see loads of recipes online, claiming "kids will love it" or "kid friendly". WHO are these kids? 

I can't remember my son being so hard to feed. It seemed like he ate everything put in front of him and was always thankful, which is one of the things I love most about him, he always said "thanks mum". Good food memories with that one.

There were probably times when he wouldn't eat something, and if so, it's probably one of those memories that parents of older kids forget. Like childbirth. It's natures way of making us go back and do it again. It's probably why us parents persist with feeding our children, although right now, I am seriously considering outsourcing! 

Say "Yes!" to takeaway fried rice! Fill the freezer with hotdogs and pizza! 

But the mum in me is wondering where the veggie factor comes in. How do I get healthy food in? I suppose I am lucky they like fruit and raw veggies, so I guess it's up to me to start serving more of that (This might me somewhat of a lightbulb moment).

The struggle continues.....


22 comments:

  1. I SO get this! I made lasagne the other night and while the girls tried it and enjoyed it, my son barely tasted it. I'm usually cool with that but that night I wished with all my heart that he would actually give it a go and even like it, for once! It gets demoralising when there are limited options available that the whole family will enjoy. I feel your pain!

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    1. My kids will usually eat lasagne, so I tried them on Ravioli and told them it was lasagne pillows. Apparently it tastes like spew!

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  2. Hopefully it's just a short phase that your kids are going through. Would it help if you involve them in meal planning and/ or preparation?

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    1. I know there will come the day they will miss mums food, and I keep telling them that!

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  3. God I hear you. Such a struggle. Yesterday my youngest tried a bite of raisin toast and that was like winning the lottery. He's SO fussy! Can't even have foods touching on his plate. And yep, I worry about them not eating enough veggies too. Sigh. It never ends!

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    1. Hi Ness,
      I have a 28 year old daughter who still likes her foods separate on her plate! :)

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  4. Who are these kids - LOL!
    I too struggle to feed our kids. My husband’s burgers do go down really well with them though. Bit envious about that!

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  5. Anyone who says that one meal is served and that's it for dinner...is perhaps, maybe ...telling fibs. I was not a happy eater into my teens but Mum would go along with versions of the same meal where I would vary it. My kids (as kids) sometimes ended up with different meals. My daughter has kids (adults 3 of them) and I watched her prepare for their somewhat differing preferences. I reckon you just accept the fact that "it is what it is" and keep those raw fruit and veges going. Tastes change over time and I know I eat foods as an adult I could not handle as a kid. Denyse x

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    1. Yes, glad they will happily eat fruit and raw veg, although the salad on their plates will be different as they like different things.

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  6. When I read this post I thought my kids are easy to feed but then on further reflection I realised that I do mainly cook meals that I know they do love rather than challenge them with meals they probably won't eat!

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  7. I know they're only little, but I wonder what would happen if you said to them at 4pm...I don't think I'll make tea tonight...what would you make if you had to make it? What do you feel like?

    Or ask what they'd like on their plate...maybe a grazing platter of nibbly stuff - raw veggies, crackers, cheese, fruit, hummus dip. I know you can't do this every night but once a week it might solve a problem. My kids were the worst when they were little! Now they eat exotic cheeses, mushrooms of all descriptions, raw meats and fish....

    Cornflakes are always good too! :)

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    1. Oooh grazing plates would be a good idea, thanks Joolz :) It might become a regular! Yes been known to resort to cereal or toast!

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  8. I still love homemade hamburgers.... I could eat them every day (until I couldn't). I remember back in my day, I still had the 'you must eat your veggies or no dessert' rule when I was little. Fortunately, as a child I actually liked most vegetables except brussel sprouts. I even ate cabbage raw and loved it (not so much now). Cauliflower or cabbage (with silverside, mashed spud and white sauce), broad beans, tomatoes (I used to eat plates full of only tomatoes - home grown and sweet), potatoes, pumpkin, swedes, spinach (we had heaps from our garden). I loved them all. I think I must have been a remarkably weird child, as I hear all my friends' stories about how difficult the whole 'feeding' thing is. Or, maybe being involved in growing some of them made a difference. Good luck in the trenches!

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  9. So relate! My 10 year old is SO fussy! He won't eat rice, pasta, pizza, most vegetables and so much more. Thankfully he's gradually improving!

    Di from Max The Unicorn

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    1. I long for improving tastes! Just when I think something is a sure thing, they go and change their minds!

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  10. Homemade hamburgers are always a hit - add some tomatoes and lettuce so the veges come in too. Pasta salad is another hit in my house - pasta with raw veges and fruits does the trick too.

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  11. Alicia, I hear you! The struggle is real! How much cheese and honey mustard can one child consume before they have serious bowel issues? It is all my 5 year old ever wants to eat. Although, my kids are both big fans of raw veggies with homemade ranch dip and fresh fruit with yogurt dip. I guess I need to keep that prepped and ready to go all summer long. Mine won’t even eat hot dogs though....grilled chicken and meatballs...maybe...sometimes...when they “like” those things. But on the days they decide they don’t like them, I am doomed...

    Although, I do have tell you this...my 7 year old absolutely loves tuna salad stuffed inside a carved out tomato! Maybe it is the presentation he likes the most, but he will devour it any day!

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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  12. I have this same struggle. Sadly, I rarely make them new foods anymore, as I'm tired of it going to waste if they don't eat it (and I get tired of eating 4 servings of the same thing to try to finish it off). I wish I had any advice to offer. One of the few ways I get fruits and veggies into them is with green smoothies. They will drink those!

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    1. Oh my gosh, I don't think they would go a green smoothie! Kids are all different aren't they. At least I know there are other parents in the same boat as me.

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  14. I too want to know who are these kids? lol
    My daughter had a phase when she was all about bananas, al of a sudden, would not even touch it now!

    Good luck

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