How do you get your kids to eat what the pot cooks

Question

My 8 year old daughter is a terrible eater. She use to eat everything when she was younger. She is developing terrible eating habbits. I cook a great meal every night and she won't even try what I cook. She always wants to eat speggetti O's or pizza, roman noodles, banquests, hot dogs. Things that are not good for you to eat all the time. If I cook speggetti she picks out the meat, She won't eat steak and potatoes, pot roast, pork chops, any vegetables except corn and green beans. No meat except chicken (and lately not even that)

cooking 2 meals is driving me crazy and is very unhelathy for her.

I am no longer buying snacks except fruits and well ice cream on occassion.

How do you get your kids to eat what the pot cooks.

Answer 1

First of all, stop making 2 meals.  You are not a cafeteria.  She has two choices for meals... take it or leave it.  She's not going to starve herself.  If she won't eat what you give her, fine, excuse her from the table and tell her if she's hungry later she can finish what she didn't eat before.  Keep it unemotional, just calmly say this is what is for dinner, until the next meal.  And never force her to eat, that causes eating problems later on.  Don't let her snack if she won't eat her meals, just explain that snacks are for when you are hungry BETWEEN meals, and if she doesn't eat her meals, then there is no snack.  You're doing good with not buying snacks so they aren't in the house.  If she wants a piece of fruit instead of eating her dinner, fine, let her, you don't have to cook that and it's good for her, so no harm done.

Answer 2

You don't cook two meals. Tell them they can have the one meal you cook, or plain bread and butter.

Amazing how often they suddenly find that actually most of what is in the cooked dinner is something they like...

I never cook two meals EVER. My husband and I have the meals we like and the kids really hate when the kids are away for some reason. Apart from that, they have what we have, they have bread and butter, or they go hungry.

Answer 3

Tell them if they don't like what they're eating, they're not eating at all. Tell them they'll be hungry. You shouldn't have to make 2 meals just for your kid, they should be happy that their getting food anyways.

Answer 4

The first thing to do is to stop making two meals.  Your daughter is asking you to make her something else because she knows you will cave in and make it.  I think most kids would prefer to just eat junk if they could, but it's up to us as parents to see that they do not.  If I make something that my son is not in the mood for that night and he complains about wanting something else, I just remind him that I am not running a restaurant, and he will eat what everyone else eats.  

That being said, there are certain things that I know he doesn't care for, so I try not to present him with those.  We might occasionally make something else for our son, like if we make spicy chili for ourselves, but for the most part, I make a variety of meals throughout the week--lots of salmon, lean proteins, baby green salads, steamed vegetables, and whole grains--and he eats what we eat.  

Stop buying Spaghetti-Os, pizza, Ramen noodles, and other junk, so she can't ask you to make it for her when she doesn't want to eat what you have prepared.  If you stop making her a second dinner, she will stop expecting one.

You might also try allowing her to make some choices, just so she feels like she has some say in what she is being asked to eat.  When you are getting dinner ready, ask her, "Would you like broccoli or brussels sprouts with dinner tonight?" and let her choose the vegetable.  Just make sure that the choices throughout the week include vegetables from all the color groups, so that the family is eating all the essential phytochemicals from their vegetables.  When you're shopping, ask if she would like chicken or turkey that night, salmon or shrimp, etc.

Answer 5

I'd just place it on the table and tell them that's all there is to it, you can either eat it or go hungry for the night. They'll sulk for a little while, when they get hungry they'll have no choice but to eat.

Answer 6

Retire from being a short order cook. If she used to eat anything and has stopped it is because she has developed the mistaken impression that your home is her restaurant. Stop cooking two meals. Her choices are either (a) eat what is in front of her; or (b) make herself one (1) peanut butter and banana or jelly (preferably real fruit preserves) sandwich and that is her dinner. No chips. No snacks. No dessert. And no bedtime snack or anything else until breakfast if she refused her dinner.

She'll come around.

Meanwhile one night a week can be Ashley (whatever her name is) night and you CAN make spaghettios but there will be a salad course of tossed salad or fresh fruit salad that she has to eat a decent portion of first before the main course of spaghettios.

You WILL make pizza at her request but you won't listen to specifics about it and you can make it yourself with fresh tomatoes, spinach, pieces of chicken, different kinds of cheese, thinly sliced zucchini, whatever so it is nutritious pizza and the same rules apply -- no dinner, no dessert and snacks.

Ramen noodles-- yeah lots of sodium but add some carrots, scallions, broccoli, etc. to it while it is boiling. Banquet dinner -- ok maybe one Ashley day a month. Hot dogs -- she needs to eat baked beans or cole slaw or fresh fruit on the side and you can get reduced fat, all meat, tofu, or other kinds of hot dogs that are not so bad for her and whole grain buns.

Answer 7

I don't buy spaghetti Os, pizza is a once a month treat in our home and being vegetarians there is no meat on it. And the word is RAMEN noodes, not roman...in otherwords I don't purchase that garbage to begin with.  If it isn't in the home the child can't eat it.  I don't fix seperate meals for my children because they don't "like" what the meals are.  The either eat what I fix or they don't eat.  There are no "golden arches" over the roof of our house.  If they don't want to eat they are not forced to, but they get nothing after dinner.  No snacks, no fruits no veggies nothing until breakfast the next morning.  Missing a meal or two is not going to starve the child.

Answer 8

Your daughter has probably figured out that you won't make her eat what's on her plate - if you are fixing two meals, you are allowing her to be in charge. Basically what she is doing is she is "eating candy" instead of what you make - not because she doesn't like your food, but because she is "sticking it to you".

To get her to eat what you fix, the first rule is that that is her only option for food - if the whole family eats pork chops, your daughter does not get pizza. If she refuses to eat and everyone else is finished, you have two options - either don't let her get up from the table until she has eaten (requires a lot of patience - don't attempt and then quit halfway through. You have to stick with whatever method you choose!), or she can "be excused" from the table, but if she complains about being hungry, she gets that exact food.

This helps her see that you are in control, and though it may take a few nights of frustration, if you are calm and consistent, she should start to see it your way.

Also - be sure that her portions are the right size for her. Don't expect her to eat as much as an adult - or even a teenager would. I'd start with a half portion of whatever you're eating - veggies and dessert included! Then, if she wants more veggies/meat/bread etc., that is a lot easier than trying to MAKE her eat more than she's hungry for.

I cannot stress enough how important consistency is. If you say "you can only be excused when you've finished your green beans" you cannot say later "you only have to eat these five green beans". Flip-flopping sends the message that she can wear you down. Decide early on if you want her to eat everything (even if she complains about being full) or if you are willing to negotiate. By deciding even before she asks "Do I have to eat ALL of it?", you can help yourself remain calm and provide consistent rules.

Also - younger kids are still learning healthy eating habits. While it would not be acceptable for everyone at the table to eat carrots and your daughter to eat corn, try to stay away from veggies she detests. Help her expand her palate without making it seem like punishment, and don't expect her to like everything.

I would also try applying the consistency to other areas - it sounds like maybe she is flexing her muscles at you. Be a consistent parent - lay down rules, make sure they are taken seriously by both of you, and if she does not follow the rules you have to give appropriate punishment.

Good luck!

Answer 9

I tell my kids this is dinner eat it or not but you will be hungry later..... when they come to me hungry later i reheat what i cooked and usually they eat it the first time now.

Answer 10

My kids know that if they do not eat what I put on the table they will have to go hungry. So usually even if they do not like it they will eat a little. I try not to cook things I know they do not like but occasionally I still do. But I will also cook things I do not like because they like it. SO it will go both ways in my house.