Dealing with PICKY EATERS!

[lukesmama]

I thought I'd start a thread for those of us who have been there (or are currently there), dealing with feeding a spouse and/or children whose pickiness can often undermine our frugal efforts.

I knew I had to start this thread when I stumbled haphazardly upon a great truth today at lunch: Toddlers are much more willing to eat whatever you put in front of them when you serve them their lunch an hour late.



(I am serious. They both ate seconds of something - homemade soup - they ordinarily would turn their noses up at. Is there hope yet?!)

Please offer your own bits of wisdom, or feel free to just commiserate!

[lukesmama]

(I couldn't edit, but just wanted to clarify - the late lunch was not really intentional. LOL. I was not making them wait to make sure they were good and hungry, but maybe that's really not such a bad idea.)

[Lori Biever-Launder]

I told my family that I am NOT a short order cook and I do NOT take special requests. There are only two options available at my house: take it or leave it. Guess what? They eat just about everything!

[Clutterbug Jen]

I guess I've got to admit that I myself am guilty of this [being a picky eater.]

[HisDaisy]

I am so what of a picky eater, however I am also the cook and shopper. So it usually is not the problem.
I told my DH before we got married that I cook one meal at a time, so what is served is what there is to eat. So far no problems.

[WV_mom_of2]

My dd (16) was very picky when she was younger. She didn't like any meat other than hot dogs, chicken nuggets, ham, bologna, bacon and sausage. No chicken, beef, hamburger,etc. She wouldn't eat anything that had hamburger in it, no sauce on her spaghetti, no beans other than green beans, no potatoes unless they were french fries. To be honest it never bothered me. I really feel that kids, and especially girls, have enough eating pressures on them. They think they all have to be size 0 supermodels to be accepted, etc. I refuse to make food an issue, have constant fights over it, and maybe lead my kids to an eating disorder in the future. There are things that I don't like and noone is going to make me eat them. Why should I force things on my kids that they don't like?

Starting at age three I made a new rule with dd. Eat what I fix or make your own. I would make at least one thing that I knew she liked at dinner and she had to eat some of that, then she was free to make something else. She was very independent and could make sandwiches. If she wanted a frozen pizza or hot dog or something she had to get it from the freezer, get out the pan, open it and put it on/in the pan, etc. I would do the cooking part. After she started school she packed every single day until third grade. She started trying new things and now eats alot of different items. She still won't eat beef roast or pork chops or fish. But she eats hamburger, potatoes, chili, etc.

Her tastes never made it any harder to be frugal. Someone always eats up the leftovers here and the little extra something she fixes herself just doesn't make that much of a dent as I buy those things on sale.

[justatxmom]

It's feast or famine here.

There's no snacks either if you don't eat your meal.

They get over their finickiness very quickly.

[McD]

Wesley is a picky eater, but I think I'm to blame for that. When Zac was in Iraq, there wasn't a point of cooking a big meal for Wesley and I. So we got into the habit of eating easy to make things like---chicken nuggets, hot dogs, corn dogs, mac n cheese etc. Well now that Zac's home and I'm cooking, Wesley is really resisting eating. I make sure there is something at every meal he likes (if we make chili, I make peanut butter sammis to go with it, I love dippin them in chili). I put a little of everything on his plate. If he eats good, then he can have a 'good' snack later on ( a cookie or something). If he eats 'ok', then he gets a healthier snack later on (like an apple). If he doesn't eat, then later on when he complains about beign hungry, I give him his dinner again.

[blitzen]

My six year old is the pickiest eater in the world. My 3 year old loves food and tries nearly everything and anything. So refreshing!

The problem with my six year old is that if he doesn't eat dinner, he sometimes vomits the next morning. It's very strange, but because of that I won't let him go without eating dinner. If we are having something he doesn't like, he is allowed to make himself something (usually ends up eating a peanut butter sandwich). I don't care, he's old enough to do it himself and I don't go out of my way to make him something special. I figure it is worse for him to not eat. I wish I had some magic tip for picky eaters, but believe me, I have tried them all with him. I figure one day he will realize he is missing out on some really delicious food!

[WV_mom_of2]

My six year old is the pickiest eater in the world. My 3 year old loves food and tries nearly everything and anything. So refreshing!

The problem with my six year old is that if he doesn't eat dinner, he sometimes vomits the next morning. It's very strange, but because of that I won't let him go without eating dinner.

Does he have sinus drainage at night? If he does and that settles on his empty stomach it might be what's making him throw up in the morning. My kids used to do that even after eating dinner.

[Greebo]

My mother cooked one meal for dinner, not 1 meal per person. I learned to eat what was on the table or be hungry.

Its terrible to say, but to this day, I do not like my mother's cooking. But to this day, I eat what's put in front of me unless it's seafood (allergic) or coconut (EWWWW). I have preferences, sure - ceashels will tell you that - but what she cooks, I eat, regardless of how much I love it (which I usually do!)

[DonnainME]

I am a picky eater. I try to try new things and sometimes I like them. DH knows things I won't eat. He rarely makes those things. If he wants something that I won't cook, I tell him to call his mom and she might fix it for him (like New England Boiled Dinner).

[Squirt]

My mother cooked one meal for dinner, not 1 meal per person. I learned to eat what was on the table or be hungry.

Its terrible to say, but to this day, I do not like my mother's cooking. But to this day, I eat what's put in front of me unless it's seafood (allergic) or coconut (EWWWW). I have preferences, sure - ceashels will tell you that - but what she cooks, I eat, regardless of how much I love it (which I usually do!)

Hahah- same here! We ate what my mom made, and to tell you the truth I never considered whether I "liked" something or not. Choice was not presented to us.

I wouldn't jump at a chance for a meal made by mom, but back then I never thought about it.

[joyofsix]

My kids, while having preferences, aren't really picky, but my dh..... grrrr. His mother just let him live on bologna because it was easy and now I'm paying the price. He doesn't like much and is totally oblivious to meals at a table. If he's hungry and it's 15 minutes to dinner he'll make a huge peanut butter sandwich and wander off and not be hungry at supper. We've 'discussed' it alot but he has no desire to change. If he wants to stand at the counter and eat chips and skip dinner , well, he's a grown man. My kids need to taste everything but only have to eat much of stuff they like. I always make variety and put bread and butter on the table so no one is going hungry.

[Gibs]

My children are required to at least taste everything, if they don't like it, I mean really don't like it I don't make them eat it. I was a very very very very picky eater when I was a small child, mom took me to drs and everything because I hardly ate at all. They just kept telling her that I would eat when I was hungry. DD was a very pickey eater up until about almost 2 years ago, she had her tonsills and adenoids removied and has been eating better everysince. DS was always a good eater and the baby is following in his footsteps because he will eat pretty much anything. Most times if I am cooking something that I know they don't like they get a choice of something like a sandwitch or cereal or something that is quick and dosen't require cooking another big meal.