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Family picky eaters

Posted: Sep 23, 2010

What do you do when your family doesn't like the same food/meals, most of the time? Hubby and son.

One likes orange chicken one doesn't , one likes fried/baked chicken one doesn't, one wants mac and cheese with hamburger in it and one doesn't, two like tuna fish sandwiches with relish and one has to have his made before we put the relish in and on it goes.

For the last year (while in school) it seems that everything I fix or say is for dinner one or the other doesn't like it. I used to love cooking, but now because of the faces or the I'll fix something for myself type thing I have lost my love for it.

Brent (son) doesn't like meat (not even hot dogs, some processed meat yes), no gravy and potatoes, and he loves veggies

Hubby says he eats anything but when I say what we are eating makes a face or eats a small small amount then gets up and eats something from the fridge.

Brent likes orange chicken and if I say thats what we are having hubby wispers...I don't like orange chicken or what ever it is I suggested.

If I have have a busy school day I plan ahead, but lately I just don't even care and wait till I hear "whats for dinner" and I ask them what they want. ugh..sigh

Last time we were at my parents my Mom said " Paige is such a good cook" and hubby snickered under his breath.

Like right now I have a pot roast w/ carrots and a onion dip packet sprinkled on top and I will have to use instant mashed potatoes cuz we are out of potatoes (hubby doesn't like instant, Brent doesn't like meat that has fat on it even if its not on the piece he has on his plate. It smells really good, but someone will grumble about it.

;

Between my boyfriend and I, we have 6 kids. - There is ALWAYS someone

[ In Reply To ..]
who doesn't like whatever we are having for dinner.

The rule at this house is that if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, but you don't get anything else either. Either eat the dinner I cooked for you or go hungry. I will not make 6 different meals just because you happen to not like au gratin potatoes.

What I have found is that over time, the biggest complainers and pickiest eaters have started eating what they claim not to like (even the one who claims not to like meat will now eat it).

Food costs too much to waste it or have a bunch of different meals going on.

re: picky - greta

[ In Reply To ..]
I wouldn't give them options. If YOU cook a meal (on top of everything else you do) and they complain, tell them they are welcome to fix themself a sandwich, as long as they clean up.

I don't ever give choices, so my family has learned that they will eat what ever is made by the person cook that day (hubbby and I take turns, now the oldest, 17, is starting to cook too)

Since this started after you began school, perhaps it is their way of protesting to your trying to better yourself. Tell them very firmly and with conviction, THEY WILL EAT WHAT YOU COOK AND THEY'D BETTER LIKE IT!

If that doesn't work, just you eat your meals and don't worry about them! Good luck with school. It's hard to be a supermom, but us women are resilient!

That was the rule in our house when growing up, - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
eat it or don't, it is up to you. We were not allowed to fix anything else either. Eventually, you learn to like things you didn't think you did. Like another poster said, it is too expensive to fix 2 or 3 different meals to please everyone. Fix what they like for meals to and the other ones can eat or not. You cannot cater to everyone's whims.

My mom always told us, "You dont have to eat - your dinner if you dont want, but -

[ In Reply To ..]
don't come back into the kitchen an hour from now saying you're hungry." We also didn't get dessert unless we at least ate something.

Instead of putting stuff on our plates, only to go to waste, she put the bowls or plates on the table. (We had 5 kids and a big dining room table where we all ate). Then we helped ourselves to what we wanted. If we wanted to just have mashed potatoes and gravy, and no meat or veggies, that was okay. She knew eventually we'd get tired of mashed potatoes and try something else. Or else we might like whatever was served the next day.

I was a pretty picky eater as a kid. In first grade, the only thing I would eat for lunch every single day was baloney sandwiches, nothing else. In the third grade, all I would eat was hot dogs. In Junior High, I walked home for lunch every day, and ate nothing but sloppy Joes. Finally, by the time I was in high school, I started trying various foods from the cafeterial that I would NEVER have touched before: Yogurt, pizza, cottage cheese, spanish rice, broccoli, and cauliflower. Now I love all those things! The only thing you still will NEVER get me to eat is tomatoes. That's because one time my mom tried to force me to eat them as a 3 or 4-year old. To this day I still can't stand them.

Stop cooking except for yourself - Happy MT Robin

[ In Reply To ..]
Hubby sounds like he's being a sh!t and apparently doesn't like your cooking. Son is taking his cues from hubby.

Quite frankly, that's a battle I'd give up on. I'd stop cooking completely except for making things for myself and tell them that they are on their own since they have such definite ideas about what they like and don't like.

Fix what you want and if they don't eat that is their - loss. Can't please everybody. NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

My SIL does this... I have not tried it yet in my home. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Each member of the family (4 in total including my SIL) picks a meal they would like her to prepare for the following month in rotation for each day. My SIL then knows what she needs to get each week at the grocery store and also everyone gets their one day of pure bliss.

re: catered meals for all - okay jose

[ In Reply To ..]
Sounds like too much work! I couldn't/wouldn't. My SIL is one of those mom's who will give everyone what they want. I can't stand going to eat over there. Her kids NEVER eat a full meal anyway, get what ever they want and she will chase the youngest around with a spoonfull of food chiming "please eat baby, please! one bite for momma. Pleeeeassse..." GEEEZ!

They come for barbecues and family dinners and will bring their kid's what ever fast food stuff they want because "they won't eat your food. no offense..."

Picky eating (IMO) is a learned behavior.

this is what I have done - cindy

[ In Reply To ..]
I have two boys that have Aspberger's syndrome (high functionging form of autism) and they have a lot of sensory issues. When they were younger, they were both on the low end of the weight chart for their age and at one point was referred to a nutritionist to help put some more weight on them. When you cook a meal, cook your main dish, usually a meat, have a starchy side dish like rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. and have one or two vegtables. Also put bread on the dinner table. Everyone does not have to eat everything, but out of those choices there should be something that everyone likes. Also, my boys did so much better with schedules, lists, etc. so we make a monthly menu. On Mondays, we have pork, Tuesday beef/hamburger dish, Wednesday we have chicken, Thursday a pasta meal, Friday usually something on the grill, Saturday is carry out and Sunday is a good old fashion Sunday dinner like a ham, roast, lasagne, etc. Have the family sit down and help you plan the menu, ask everyone to give at least one dish they want and fill it in on a printed out monthly calender. Have the cookbooks and printed recipes out for them to look through to give all ideas of dishes. I usually try to plan out two weeks at a time then the menu gets hung on the fridge. This makes it really easy for you to make a shopping list for the two week period, allows everyone to get something they like and if they do not like what is for dinner that night, they might just eat the bread and the starch but at least they eat something, and finally it eliminates that dreaded question, "What's for dinner mom?" As my kids got older (now 20 and 17) they wanted to try more new things and one good way we tried new foods was sometimes we would go to the store and they would pick out a TV dinner as it was an inexpensive way to try something and they became more and more open to new meals. Now they have pretty refined pallates and eat a wide variety. Good luck and hope you find a solution that works well for your family.

what my folks did... - ...was just right

[ In Reply To ..]
when we were little--and even beyond, we might be asked whether we preferred \'x\' or \'y\'\' veggie. we were lucky: we were exposed to a vast variety of foods and dishes.

even so, on the rare occasion of sniveling, my father told us, \"you are free to eat as much or as little as you are given/put on your plate. this is not a restaurant. this is our home, and this is what\'s for supper.\"

preferences were one thing (like not wanting butter on potatoes). wholesale fussing was entirely another.

(a sister tested this once when she got to the age of \"all-that\" and flouncing. she was told she was welcome back any time before the kitchen was tidied for the night. bet she spent a hungry night!)

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