Do you fix 2 meals sometimes (at dinner)?

[Mom2legomaniacs]

If you are fixing something that you know the kids will not eat, what do you prepare for them? Do you go ahead and do a big meal for them too? Or go light and easy?

 

I have a pot of minestrone on. I know one of mine won't like it. The other one might, but not sure. I really don't want to cook another meal. And they had simple noodles for lunch today, so I don't want to repeat that for dinner.

 

I don't have any meat ready to cook either. Hmmm, what to do for the kidlets?

[JudoMom]

If you are fixing something that you know the kids will not eat, what do you prepare for them? Do you go ahead and do a big meal for them too? Or go light and easy?

 

I have a pot of minestrone on. I know one of mine won't like it. The other one might, but not sure. I really don't want to cook another meal. And they had simple noodles for lunch today, so I don't want to repeat that for dinner.

 

I don't have any meat ready to cook either. Hmmm, what to do for the kidlets?

 

I'd feed it to them, and have extra bread on hand. I don't ever cook an extra meal, but I do try to have something that everyone will eat. But they're required to try everything I serve in the hopes they'll learn to like it (the exception is ds9 & mashed potatoes--he has a real aversion to them).

[elegantlion]

If you are fixing something that you know the kids will not eat, what do you prepare for them? Do you go ahead and do a big meal for them too? Or go light and easy?

 

I have a pot of minestrone on. I know one of mine won't like it. The other one might, but not sure. I really don't want to cook another meal. And they had simple noodles for lunch today, so I don't want to repeat that for dinner.

 

I don't have any meat ready to cook either. Hmmm, what to do for the kidlets?

 

I'm terrible, but this works with one child. I sometimes fix 3 meals. Ds is a picky eater, I have wheat allergies, and dh likes a "real" meal. If we are making something he hasn't tried he must at least try it. If he truly doesn't like it he can make a PBJ. Notice I said HE can make the sandwich.

 

He has gotten better about saying he like new things if he knows he has to make his own dinner. :D

 

I also keep frozen chicken breasts on hand for those nights when I know he won't like what we are eating.

[Kris]

Nope -- never have. My folks used to do that when they were having steak -- we got hot dogs. :lol:

 

We've never really had this come up. We all eat pretty much anything, and the things that we *don't* like, well, everyone tends to agree. There are no "liver and onions" battles here. :lol:

[Rich with Kids]

Nope. Too many of 'em. Now, if I find there is something someone just hates, I'll take it off my menu plan list. They usually learn to like it, though.

[NancyNellen]

I always make sure there is something on the table they'll eat (bread/salad) and just serve one meal. I am a mean mom, I guess, but barring allergies I would almost never make another meal for my children. The only time I break this rule is when I prepare something very expensive for hubby and I (like filet mignon). I just don't have enough grocery $ for everyone to eat it.

 

It's a lesson in manners, I believe, to graciously accept a few bites of something and not complain about it. The ability to refrain from complaining is huge for me.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

He just might get to fix himself a sandwich tonight. Or he can do a bowl of cereal if he wants. I do want him to try the soup though. But that boy is a gagger extraordinaire. We'll see how that goes. :glare:

[Unicorn.]

Nope, Never. If they don't like it, too bad. They can eat it or go hungry, thier choice. It's really not a problem though. My dc have never been given an opportunity to become picky eaters, so they will eat just about anything.

[Prairie~Phlox]

Nope, Never. If they don't like it, too bad. They can eat it or go hungry, thier choice. It's really not a problem though. My dc have never been given an opportunity to become picky eaters, so they will eat just about anything.

 

 

I could have typed this exact post!

Phlox

[mysticamethyst]

Nope, I do not make anything special for the ones that won't eat what I make. They are however allowed to warm up leftovers from another night, make a sandwich, or have bowl of cereal. Those that do not eat what I make do not get dessert.

[Harriet Vane]

This is one issue over which I have drawn clear boundaries.

 

Everyone eats what the cook fixes.

 

Nobody hurts the cook's feelings.

 

In other words, if they don't like it, they are absolutely NOT allowed to complain about it. The only exception is if the cook specifically asks for feedback. They must eat what is put on their plate.

 

We don't have battles about it because it's always been the rule. It's just our way of life. I try to be reasonable--when I know I am serving something they don't like or have not tried before, I give a smaller portion. They are allowed to have seconds on whatever they want, so if they do not like something, they can eat that small first serving quickly and then fill up on the rest of the meal.

 

My kids are never allowed to supplement dinner with sandwiches or cereal--they eat what the cook has prepared.

 

The advantages are many. My kids eat anything, even my daughter, who is definitely a pickier eater. They are courteous about other people's food, and they are usually appalled when other kids refuse food or are rude about what they don't like.

 

My other compromise is when the cousins come on the weekend. (I watch five little cousins every Friday overnight.) These kids have not been trained as mine have. My compromise is that I serve food I know they like--in doing so, I make it easy for them to live by my rules.

[samba]

The only accommodation I make for my kids is to tone down the heat in spicy dishes. My kids are used to eating what I put in front of them because that's the way we've always done it. We don't have any allergies or other food issues to work around. Some popular phrases in our home are "Eat it or don't eat it", "Oh well, I guess you're going to be a hungry boy", "That's okay, you don't have to like it." My kids know that it's okay to have a few things they just don't care for. There's no battle; it's just very matter of fact. I make one meal, that's it. I think they're pretty good about food because of it.

[KS_]

No, I don't . . .I do try not to fix things that they hate (although I really can't think of what that might be), but they eat what is served. They do have the option of leaving one item out (for instance, in my Arroz con Pollo recipe, there's tomatoes, peppers and onions, and they can pick out one of those things if they think it's necessary), but they don't get to opt out of an entire meal unless they choose not to have snack (some type of dessert) before bed.

 

They've both gone through phases where they act more picky than others - dd has been like that lately, complaining about whatever is being served - but she has the choice to eat or not, and I don't think anyone's totally passed on dinner before (ds has said he was going to, but changed his mind before bed - lol).

[Ria]

No way. Not ever. The kids eat what I fix. I have no tolerance for pickiness. If they find an offending item in their food (an onion piece, perhaps!) they are free to gently push it to the side of their plate without comment. I simply will not alter my recipes or in any other way cater to picky eaters.

 

Ria

[Tammyla]

Due to food allergies and sensitivities, I'll admit that I have and still occasionally do. I do try to plan our dinner meals with something everyone will be able to eat and look at their overall daily diet vs. one meal.

 

Nothing spoils a meal like someone gagging and then *&^%...at the table. I'll say that as mine have gotten older they are much better. They will both now love trying new foods. Go figure. There is hope. :001_huh:

 

If you are fixing something that you know the kids will not eat, what do you prepare for them? Do you go ahead and do a big meal for them too? Or go light and easy?

 

I have a pot of minestrone on. I know one of mine won't like it. The other one might, but not sure. I really don't want to cook another meal. And they had simple noodles for lunch today, so I don't want to repeat that for dinner.

 

I don't have any meat ready to cook either. Hmmm, what to do for the kidlets?

[Binalina]

Sometimes, if I know that they really dislike a certain item I will make something else but I don't make that exception for veggies. Sometimes I'll just make them eat 2 bites of it and more often than not they do like it. But it really depends what it is. Tonight I am making Chicken noodle soup and 2 dd already have protested. If I know that they like each component of a meal seperately (ie chicken, noodles, carrots) then they are going to eat it for dinner. I just tell them that sometimes we all need to eat something we don't like. Once, my pedi. told my dc that it takes 12 times of trying a new food to decide if you like it or not. When one dc complains another one invariably recalls this bit of information (most often the 4 y/o). Usually this takes care of it and I :001_smile: inwardly b/c someday that will be them hearing the same bit of info from a sib.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Due to food allergies and sensitivities, I'll admit that I have and still occasionally do. I do try to plan our dinner meals with something everyone will be able to eat and look at their overall daily diet vs. one meal.

 

Nothing spoils a meal like someone gagging and then *&^%...at the table. I'll say that as mine have gotten older they are much better. They will both now love trying new foods. Go figure. There is hope. :001_huh:

 

Mine generally eat well. Occasionally I fix something just for me, so to speak. I know they would never eat it. I get them to try it, if they can without gagging horribly. Then I have other things for them that are good, usually. THe gagger is getting more open to trying things. I was a gagger too, so I understand. It was not something I could control. I was horrible with mashed potatoes and I despised baked potatoes. So I have some sympathy for him. He has started to eat some new things lately, much to my surprise. He likes pintos!

[jamnkats]

If you are fixing something that you know the kids will not eat, what do you prepare for them? Do you go ahead and do a big meal for them too? Or go light and easy?

 

I have a pot of minestrone on. I know one of mine won't like it. The other one might, but not sure. I really don't want to cook another meal. And they had simple noodles for lunch today, so I don't want to repeat that for dinner.

 

I don't have any meat ready to cook either. Hmmm, what to do for the kidlets?

 

Unless I've made MacnCheese or Pizza, I always have enough meals to meet the tastes of the kids. If I were the one who received the meals, I'd certainly appreciate the time and trouble the meal-maker had gone to to make me a meal I would appreciate. And if I am feeling taken for granted I simply have a talk with the kids and let me know how I'm feeling and they are certain (at least one of the four :)) to let me know I'm appreciated at the next meal. If there is a person who does not like any of the available meals there is always homemade bread and organic peanut butter. PB is something of a delicacy here as we only get it when prople bring it to us in carryon luggage.

 

This attitude has become much easier for me once I realized that I am very allergic to any (even trace) dairy. So anytime any dairy is used in a meal I have to make myself something separate. As such, I'm usually already making at least 2 dishes a meal.

Edited October 1, 2008 by jamnkats

[Kim in Appalachia]

I have 5 kids. There is always someone who is not happy with the meal.

 

I try to always have one part of the meal something they like. If I was serving soup then I would serve it with fresh bread. The kids like to dunk the bread in the soup. They also would have to eat some of the soup. No desserts for kids who don't eat their dinner. That usually does it.

 

There have been nights were one child will be still sitting after everything is cleaned up.

[Laurel]

No separate meals. At all. You eat what the cook has made, and you eat it politely.

 

I do pay attention to the kids' tastes, and I do try to make sure there is something that everyone at least tolerates. If there is something that someone truly cannot stand - 5 year old and red peppers, for example, I will leave that off her portion, or she can pick them out.

 

If it were something that I were making just for me, knowing that the kids may not like it, I would perhaps make extra of a side they like (bread, maybe?), and let them have lots. Or, more likely, be more lenient when it comes to snacks later on. Assuming they tried it in good faith and were not rude about it.

[Parrothead]

My rule is if dd doesn't like what I make she has to make her own. This usually ends up being PB&J

[RoughCollie]

Two of my kids are picky eaters. They can either eat what we I have cooked or make themselves pbj sandwiches. With a fruit and a glass of milk, that gives the picky ones a well-balanced meal.

 

I gave up being a short-order cook a long time ago. I think my mother visited and was aghast that I was fixing different food for each child. She had a point.

 

I will cook two meals when I make fish for DH (I don't like it) or chicken livers & onions for me (no one else will eat that), or Mexican food (DH won't eat it). Usually I try to make the food that DH alone likes when I make Mexican food. So sometimes I am a short-order cook, but not often.

Edited October 1, 2008 by RoughCollie

[Jann in TX]

I know that I would (under normal circumstances) NEVER fix a meal that I did not like and expect my family to eat it just because I made it---and I understand that my children have different tastes than I do.

 

My 6yo cannot tolerate spicy or peppery foods. The other 4 of us LOVE them. She gets a different main dish--and she is getting one tonight in fact! When possible I try to use most of the ingredients in our main dish to make her dinner with.

 

I'm finally used to the fact that my parents will ALWAYS CHOOSE to fix a meal that we do not like whenever we visit. When I find out an offensive meal is being planned I excuse myself and my children and we hit the local Sonic. This may seem rude--but they KNEW we would not like what they decided to cook. We do like 90% of the same foods!

 

Minestrone soup---I would not eat it (and I like MOST soups) and DH would not....maybe my oldest dd would...

 

I grew up in a very POOR (financially) family. We were not picky eaters--we had to at least TRY the veggies we said we did not like. The main course was ALWAYS something Mom knew all of us would eat--as meager as it was! My mom could not eat (or even put in her mouth without gagging) mustard greens. My Dad had the same aversion to turnip greens (Mom loved those!).

 

I spent part of my summer in Africa. While MOST meals had something that I could/would eat--there were a few occasions where my plate was pretty much empty. Luckily I had a stash of beef jerky on hand!

[Cricket]

Most nights, no, but tonight I will. I have split pea soup in the crockpot right now. Dh and I love it. Our 5 yo dd does too but the other kids don't like it. They have tried it and don't like it. I'm not going to make them eat it and I'm not going to make them go hungry because we like split pea soup and they don't. I figure nights like tonight are good for making pizza for the kids since they love it and dh doesn't. Overall, they aren't terribly picky. Like others have said, I try to have at least one or two things in the meal that everyone likes. But you can't exactly pick out the peas in the split pea soup. :D

[Mom2legomaniacs]

I don't have bread but decided to fix some pasta on the side. Some of us like pasta in the soup and some do not so it can be added or not. And then if the picky one hates the soup, he can just have some pasta. I just didn't really have anything else!

[TammyinTN]

I actually cook 2 full meals at a time 3 times a week. This way there is a choice for the next days lunch/dinner without the full blown meal prep. I also put a little of both meals on his plate/bowl and require that he at least try a little. For example: Monday I made weight watchers macaroni and beef w/ salad and bread and cheesy potato soup w/ bacon and corn bread. Dessert was homemade brownies and ice cream. Yesterday I had no meal prep and my daughter eats leftovers when coming home from work late at night. This works well for our family as we have wild hours and different work schedules.

[*anj*]

I haven't read a single response yet, but I'm going to tell you that I do not cook two meals. I have one child who is somewhat finicky (will only eat beans if they are baked, doesn't like chili, doesn't like squash and will gag on it.) When he was younger I let him eat leftovers or something if I made beans and rice or chili.

 

I don't do that anymore because I think I've done him a disservice. I think that it is really important to be able to thankfully eat whatever has been served to you. That doesn't mean that I force children to eat things that they really hate. It just means that they need to do their best with the offerings that are on the table. So if I'm serving beans and rice and he doesn't want beans, he can just eat rice and maybe sprinkle some cheese on top. I sometimes prepare more than one vegetable with a meal because I love veggies. So if the two are zucchini and broccoli, you can either eat both or choose one. You have to eat at least one.

 

Children who sit at my table and make faces or voices that are insulting to the cook are relieved of the indignity of consuming such slop. We will happily remove their plate of hot food and replace it with a slice of bread and a glass of water. The mere threat of that action has kept everyone in line so far.

[Miss Peregrine]

One meal only. Eat it or don't. I also let them put food on their own plates starting about age 3 or 4.

 

If they only like the bread, for example, they can eat only bread but they may not eat ALL the bread. They have to wait until everyone has had all that they want. While they are waiting, they might as well try the soup...

[LibraryLover]

Tonight I'm grilling scallops because I am dying for them, and only one child likes them, so the others are getting hamburgers. If I make soup, I add a salad or quiche or crusty bread with butter, a platter of cheese & veggies etc. I try to make sure people are getting something they like. My kids help with food prep, and thankfully none are terribly picky at all, and they are not rude.

 

We never got a say in food as kids, & my sibs and I always felt left out. We prepare food more like my (old world- type euros) inlaws did- lots of various foods at one meal, or at least there is some crusty bread and butter with a slab of cheese for the child who is not up to whatever.

 

We've never had to make separate meals as we have a good middle ground of variety. I am not strict about that sort of thing--"You will eat what I make and like it or go hungry" hasn't been needed or tried.

Edited October 1, 2008 by LibraryLover

[abbeyej]

No, my kids have always had what *we* have. (Even when dd went through her super-picky phase.) I absolutely do not make separate kid meals (or allow them to eat "kid food" in lieu of real food). Now if it's a soup that I know a child won't eat, I'll try to have a salad they like along side it, but I'll insist they eat a few bites of soup (and not fill up on bread product).

 

I did largely change our whole family's eating habits to accommodate my ds' most serious allergies. And there've been a couple of times when I've made minor substitutions to what he's having for dinner (for instance making two kinds of pasta -- one wheat and one rice based -- to go with a single sauce, etc)...

 

But I don't cater to pickiness. I might leave a food unassembled (let them choose if they want sauce at the table, or serve rice and beans *next* to each other rather than one on top, etc, let them decide to add cheese or not...)... But I don't make special meals. And no pb&j substitutions either.

[chaik76]

We don't make separate meals...but we will leave stuff out of a mixed-up meal that the non-liker can eat. For example, dh loves chicken stir-fry. The rest of us don't. So, when he adds the cooked chicken, rice and vegetables, he'll leave out some of them...meaning the rest of us get a meal of cooked chicken, rice and veg., all separated. We don't cook intrinsically separate things though...if you don't like it, you just don't eat (that goes for the adults too)...we do try not to cook things that people really, really hate though.

[keptwoman]

This is one issue over which I have drawn clear boundaries.

 

Everyone eats what the cook fixes.

 

Nobody hurts the cook's feelings.

 

In other words, if they don't like it, they are absolutely NOT allowed to complain about it. The only exception is if the cook specifically asks for feedback. They must eat what is put on their plate. <snip>

 

My kids are never allowed to supplement dinner with sandwiches or cereal--they eat what the cook has prepared.

 

Same here. And if you are rude about what I have prepared for you, expect to have your food removed from in front of you and there will be nothing else to eat.

 

I do sometimes prepare two meals...for me because I have coeliacs and gluten free pasta etc is expensive so sometimes I will make the meal and seperate off some for me to have with my GF pasta while the rest of the family has wheat pasta. Or if I'm giving them a "gluten indulgence" I'm getting better though at braving GF flour and baking from scratch and serving the entire family GF meals

[NevadaRabbit]

Well, I have a daughter with sensory issues (decreasing as she matures but it has had a significant effect on her eating), a son who would put away a side of beef at every meal, a husband whose workday ends when his clients' demands are fulfilled whether it's 5pm or 9:30, and I personally prefer to eat a very light/small dinner because of weight/digestive issues.

 

I've given up on one-meal-serves-all for weeknights.

 

We sit down together at the table, just not with the exact same things to eat, and sometimes poor Dad doesn't get his dinner until pretty late.

 

We make family meals on weekends. That's a priority. If we know Dad will be done with his work in time for family dinner on a weeknight, I will happily make something that pleases most of us, adjust for the one with sensory issues, give the big eater the big portion and me the smaller, and enjoy the peace that comes with making everybody happy!

[Jenny in Florida]

What this means is that I try to do meals that include at least one or two components I know that everyone will eat. When there is a meal I know that one kid or the other really dislikes, I generally throw some extra fruit on the table and give that one a glass of soy milk and call it quits.

[T Baer]

If you are fixing something that you know the kids will not eat, what do you prepare for them? Do you go ahead and do a big meal for them too? Or go light and easy?

 

I have a pot of minestrone on. I know one of mine won't like it. The other one might, but not sure. I really don't want to cook another meal. And they had simple noodles for lunch today, so I don't want to repeat that for dinner.

 

I don't have any meat ready to cook either. Hmmm, what to do for the kidlets?

 

for tommorrow, so I am not cooking!

[WTMindy]

I make my kids eat whatever we are eating, even if they don't like it. I don't even really take their tastes into account when I'm making dinner. That is how mean I am!! :001_smile:

[Chris in VA]

Guess I'm mean, too. "You don't have to eat it, Honey. But remember, if you don't, you are choosing to be hungry."

Thankfully, my oldest can fend for himself after dinner, my middle knows how to cook and make milkshakes, and my youngest isn't picky.

 

And I only make wonderfully delicious food, anyways...:lol:

[3lilreds in NC]

In general, I fix one meal and they can eat, or not. Sometimes, though, if I'm fixing something dh and I like but they don't, I will feed them something simple, and early, so that he and I can eat what we like together without listening to the complaining. Dh gets home late in the evenings, so if we want to eat without kids, it's late - I don't do it very often. And, now that the kids are older, it's pretty rare that they won't eat what we eat.

 

I have one who does not like red sauce on her pasta. She can have noodles with a little butter and parmesan - I don't make her eat it but I don't do anything special, either. I have another who says she doesn't like the lasagna I like to make - she preferes Stouffer's. :001_huh: She gets to eat it anyway or be hungry. And, of course, there is usually bread and salad so she doesn't have to go away hungry.

 

I like to think I'm not a picky eater, but really, it's only because I'm the one who does the cooking. :D Fortunately, my kids like most of the stuff I like (even when I'd rather they didn't so I wouldn't have to share).

[cjzimmer1]

Well I guess I'm a real meany but my kids only choice is to eat what I made now or eat it for the next meal or however many meals it takes for them to clean the plate. I was brought up that you eat what you are served even if you hate it (and believe me I HATE liver but I still had to eat it) and I have the same rule with my kids. And really I haven't found anything that they HATE so much it makes them sick (I literally gagged to the point I was on the verge of losing the contents of my stomach when I had to eat liver). My one daughter really dislikes vegetables and will spend an hour every night eating them but she still eats them. I won't make her or anyone else something special.

[LibraryLover]

And I only make wonderfully delicious food, anyways...:lol:

 

Is what I'm sayin'! :lol:

[*anj*]

The only accommodation I make for my kids is to tone down the heat in spicy dishes. My kids are used to eating what I put in front of them because that's the way we've always done it. We don't have any allergies or other food issues to work around. Some popular phrases in our home are "Eat it or don't eat it", "Oh well, I guess you're going to be a hungry boy", "That's okay, you don't have to like it." My kids know that it's okay to have a few things they just don't care for. There's no battle; it's just very matter of fact. I make one meal, that's it. I think they're pretty good about food because of it.

 

Oh my gosh, that sounds just like my house from the spice-o-meter to the popular phrases!;)

[gardenschooler]

I don't have bread but decided to fix some pasta on the side. Some of us like pasta in the soup and some do not so it can be added or not. And then if the picky one hates the soup, he can just have some pasta. I just didn't really have anything else!

 

This is sort of what I do. I won't make something different, but I will let them have all the parts of the dish separately (if it works out that way and it's easy to do). Sort of an 'assemble your own'.

 

Whatever. I'm easy! I used to care more than I do now. :lol:

[Peela]

My husband is a picky eater and it has been a bit of a nightmare for me. He is a strict vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables and is allergic to legumes, and can't handle spices much either.he also has an incredible sweet tooth. I can cook vegetarian, no problem, I was one for years, but not without vegetables or legumes! And I need my protein but I dont want to only get it from nuts and dairy. So I can't instigate the no complaining rule very easily on my kids when their own dad complains quite freely- and he is more respectful than he used to be, but he and I are both very, very blunt with each other, always have been, and it kind of works in most areas, but when it comes to food, yes, i do get hurt sometimes. particularly if I have tried to please him. At least I know if he likes it or not!

 

So, now that my kids are 12 and 14, I figure they won't starve, and I am learning to cook what I like, and whoever else likes it can share the meal with me- I usually know who will like and appreciate it, and cook enough for us. Everyone else can fix their own dinner. Most nights, 2 or 3 out of 4 of us will eat the same meal- maybe 2-4 nights a week, all 4 of us will eat the same meal.

By the way, I cook a vegetarian main course and dessert for between 12 and 20 people twice a week, and I am a pretty good, creative cook. My family are just fussy, and it has got to the point I just need to take care of my own health, and eat what I need to eat- enough protein, plenty of fresh food, basically a healthy, balanced diet- and that's the best I can do. At least I am happy about my diet, even if everyone else chooses to be fussy.

No, I dont tend to cook separate meals any more.

[Erica in PA]

If you are fixing something that you know the kids will not eat, what do you prepare for them? Do you go ahead and do a big meal for them too? Or go light and easy?

 

I have a pot of minestrone on. I know one of mine won't like it. The other one might, but not sure. I really don't want to cook another meal. And they had simple noodles for lunch today, so I don't want to repeat that for dinner.

 

I don't have any meat ready to cook either. Hmmm, what to do for the kidlets?

 

No. I never make more than one meal for dinner. I don't usually make things that all the kids really *hate,* like sauerkraut or brussel sprouts. There are other things that they don't prefer, but I make them anyway. I provide some sides (like a starch and a veggie or fruit), and give them a small portion of the thing they don't like much. That's enough to get them through to the next meal, even if they don't eat much.

 

So, if I were making minestrone that I didn't think my kids would like much, I might give them a small cup of minestrone, with baked breadsticks and a salad with dressing that they like. That way even if they don't eat much soup, they'll have enough with breadsticks and salad.

 

Erica

[PariSarah]

If it's as simple as throwing a veggie burger on the grill when we're all having grilled chicken, I'll do that on occasion. Or ladling out a portion of soup before I add the offending ingredients if they're all at the last minute anyway.

 

But putting food on the table requires juggling so many concerns that food preferences are pretty low on my priority list. What's on sale, what's healthy, what fits our time constraints--those are all more important considerations than what we all wish we could eat. Ds10 hates chickpea curry. But it's cheap, easy, and healthy. So I will cook chickpea curry and I will put it on his plate, and he will eat it. Just like I eat oatmeal three mornings a week. *gag*

 

And after watching wealthy Americans leave food on their plates during potluck meals paid for and cooked by people with almost no money, I am absolutely adamant that dc will learn to be gracious guests. When people who can barely feed their own children spend three days cooking a lavish feast, you better d@mn well eat every bite they put in front of you. With a grateful smile on your face.

[nmoira]

I generally don't cook two meals, but I will accommodate. Well, sometimes I'll make scrambled eggs if the main dinner doesn't require too much attention. Yogurt, pre-made burritoes, pb&j, or a bit of cheese and bread, served along with a fruit plate are easy to whip up.

[hsmamainva]

The only time I make two meals is if I'm cooking seafood for the main course, because my daughters are allergic to it.

 

So I'll put a frozen pizza in the oven for them or something like that.

 

But, as a rule, I make only one meal. They can choose to eat it or they can choose not to eat it. If they want to make something else (like a peanut butter & jelly sandwich) then that's their choice, but I'm only cooking once.

[Krista in LA]

Our first pediatrician, who I adored, once told me that I am not a short order cook. He suggested that I cook a meal, make the kids have a few bites of each thing and if they didn't want to eat that, then they could make their own peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He emphasized that I was not to make the sandwich for them and they were not supposed to get to choose from other options. This advice has served us well. I suppose you could make it some other type of sandwich, but pb&j is something that we always have on hand. My ds is picky and has made himself many sandwiches over the years, but at least I'm not acting as a short order cook.

[Tap]

I make 2 to 3 meals sometimes. The baby is daily allergic so she often gets a different dinner or modified version. DS's best friend is a vegetarian so I make him a special dinner too.

 

DD doesn't like anything with a cream or cheese sauce (she has been this way since she was a baby and she will actually gag on it) so if I am making something like that, I make her something different.

 

At our house, if it is just a preference that makes a food undesirable to someone, then I don't modify dinner. The person can make a sandwich or something on their own. If it is an allergy, dietary choice, or genuine dislike, then I will make something different with in reason.

[Doran]

Sometimes I'll decrease the adulteration of a food and serve the kids that while I go ahead and make whatever it is for dh and me. For example, if I'm making a curried lamb casserole, I might hold out some plain lamb and rice so that the kid who doesn't like curry can eat just that.

 

Also, sometimes on Friday nights, maybe dh and I want to have "our meal" (remember this...???...sardines and cheese, baguette, sliced apples, olives :)) while the kids eat something like frozen ravioli (oooh, yummy!~), so that's another occasion. But, it's the exception, not the rule.