I am a good cook. I am not arrogant. This is just a fact. I pride myself on my cooking ability. It came from my mother. I make wholesome, well balanced meals for my family. These meals are yummy, tasty, colourful, and my children refuse to eat them. I am beginning to feel there is not anything I can feed them for dinner.
I should have expected this from my daughter. She has never been a good eater. She was borderline "failure to thrive" for most of her first year. Even when she was breast feeding we had issues. We had such bad issues I ended up in a fight with one of her doctors, and we were sent to another one. She was seeing a dietician until well past her second birthday. Those of you who struggle to keep your child's weight up in the early months know the frustration of a low weight baby. Of course, parents of bigger children also have to face a lot of scrutiny.
Feeding our children (I mean everyone's, not just my children) is a battle. My son was a much better eater, and still is, for the most part. My daughter's repertoire of foods she will eat has diminished, and the list was short to begin with. My son still eats avocado, and yoghurt. He will eat nuts, and a greater variety of cheeses. He likes warm oatmeal for breakfast, sometimes. My daughter would probably be happy eating French toast until the end of her days.
I am lucky both of my children usually eat the vegetables I make for them. We know which ones they will eat. Cooked broccoli, asparagus (but my daughter does not like the tips), red peppers, spinach leaves (raw), lettuce, green beans, snap peas, sometimes carrots. They are pretty good about fruit. Again, my daughter is pickier. No blueberries, mango, melon, papaya. My son will eat any fruit.
The thing is, I was hoping to get away from making a separate meal for my children. I want them to eat what we eat. Sometimes, it is not too difficult to modify the meal to suit them. My daughter, and sometimes my son, is not a huge fan of sauces. If I am making a stir-fry, they will get the "deconstructed" version. My children are eating with the new food trends, and they don't even realize it!
I will give them a handful of the raw veggies, and cook the meat before I add the sauce. Usually they are okay with this meal. If I cook salmon, my kids will eat the fish, if it is not "dirty". This means without the goat's cheese, pesto or tomatoes. Again, success. The biggest issue tends to be one dish pastas or soups/stews. For some reason my daughter refuses to try these meals. She doesn't even take the smallest bite possible, fake liking it, then refuse to eat the rest of the meal. We tell her she can't say she does not like it if she does not taste it. She is stubborn enough to sit through dinner, begging for dessert, without tasting her meal.
I think my ultimate frustration came last week when I cooked homemade mac 'n cheese. I have been spending the past week finishing off the leftovers because both of my children refused to eat it. First reason, was the breadcrumbs on top. Next, the cheese was melted inside the sauce. Finally, the noodles were not straight. Curse you Kraft Dinner!
My daughter said she would eat spaghetti. Last night, I made a chicken parmesan and we had spaghetti, and veggies on the side. I know she does not like sauce in her spaghetti, so it was plain. The moment I put the spaghetti in front of her, she says, "I don't want spaghetti." Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I will not be a short order cook. The dietician, and all the parent resource workers say not to make special meals for the kids, but what do you do when they refuse to eat everything you out in front of them?
Often, the promise of dessert is incentive enough for my kids to eat their meals. However, if they are stubborn enough, they will forgo dessert to be able to leave the table. My kids usually eat well for breakfast, and this is probably because they are starving in the morning, having left their dinners on the plate. Of course, almost every morning my daughter wants French toast, and we end up having a fight over what she will eat in the morning. This does not work well with the limited time we have for her to get ready for the bus.
Every meal is a struggle. I am waiting for the day my kids don't turn their noses up at dinner food, eat with smiles on their faces, and thank me for a delicious supper. Can I have more, please? Is that day coming?
PS. Don't recommend those kids cookbooks that hide wholesome foods in meals kids are supposed to like. My kids don't usually eat the junky foods, like chips and chicken nuggets, and hate tomato pasta sauce. Plus, I don't have to hide veggies. My children are actually less inclined to eat food with hidden purees. Go figure.
This recipe was an epic failure with my children, but I enjoyed it. Maybe you will have better success with your children.
http://recipes.todaysparent.com/Recipes/View/Classic-mac-and-cheese
Posted with Blogsy
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