When you make a new recipe...

The last 2 days I have been making new foods, and my daughter has decided she didn't want them. Tonight she wouldn't even TASTE it (it was quiche and yes she loves eggs). She ate all of her green beans, but refused the quiche. She probably would have been fine just without anythign else, but I fed her some yogurt since she hasn't eaten much the last 2 days. I am not worried since I know she'll eat more again when she is hungry. But I am curious: when you make something new, do you have something else ready in case they don't like it? Or do you go with a staple like yogurt that's always on hand? Any advice would be terrific! thanks

 

I just make sure there is always something that they will eat. Like pasta or applesauce. I generally don't make extra just because they don't want to eat what I made.

 

I go with a staple, and I offer it at the same time as the new food. Yes, it somewhat decreases the chances that they'll try the new food, but I don't want to get into the pattern of waiting to see whether they eat one thing, and then offering something else if they don't. So I offer a new food (or even one they've liked before) with yogurt or bread or cheese, etc., so they'll have something to eat if they don't want the new food.

I also wouldn't complain if they ate nothing but green beans for dinner. In fact, I'd rejoice!

Just remember to keep trying. They may suddenly eat it the 10th time they see it. Or they may at least poke at it the 5th time they see it.

 

funny you should post this! i have made two new dishes this week that even I did not like (i thought mayo was weird in a casserole to us northerners LOL). So we had the old stand by grilled cheese or pnut butter and jelly

 

If I am making something new I always make sure I have a few other things for dinner that I know they will eat. But I generally only make things I know everyone will eat.

But if I try a new main dish I make sure that I will have potatoes and corn, something they all will eat.

 

I do pretty much like Sharon and make sure there is something there they'll eat -- whether it's the veggie (green beans, yay!), or applesauce (or some other fruit), noodles/rice and/or some bread. I do not make them grilled cheese or PBJ because that's all they'd ever want. I expect them to eat what we eat.

 

Anytime I make something I am not sure they'll eat, I make some pasta & keep it on the stove - if they don't eat enough of the meal I have prepared I'll give them some pasta with olive oil & Italian cheese blend. I don't put the pasta on their plate until they have had a chance to try the new dish. I had bad eating disorders that started in young childhood - I try to remain laid back about eating but the thought of my girls going to bed hungry really upsets me - I make positively sure they eat a good meal at dinner.

 

Usually our back up is yogurt or PB&J (or just PB). I alm also ok with adding a fruit or some veggies when they ask. I also try and have something on their plate that I know/think they will eat for sure.

 

We ALL ate PBJ and grilled cheese when my new adventure is deemed gross by me. :rotflmbo:

 

QUOTE(BellaRissa @ Oct 24 2007, 10:53 PM) [snapback]465917[/snapback]
Anytime I make something I am not sure they'll eat, I make some pasta & keep it on the stove - if they don't eat enough of the meal I have prepared I'll give them some pasta with olive oil & Italian cheese blend. I don't put the pasta on their plate until they have had a chance to try the new dish. I had bad eating disorders that started in young childhood - I try to remain laid back about eating but the thought of my girls going to bed hungry really upsets me - I make positively sure they eat a good meal at dinner.

What do you do if they don't eat the noodles?

 

I offer a PB sammich (No J on purpose) if they don't like what I made for dinner. I figure as long as they are fed before bed then that's what matters, but that doesn't mean I have to feed them something exciting.

 

I think I'm in the minority here...I go with whatever I've got, and if they don't eat it, then they don't eat. Obviously, if there are a couple foods on their plates chances are they will eat SOMETHING, but the other night Nolan only ate a few peas for dinner because he just kept saying "Noooooooohhhhh" to everything else on his plate. This happens pretty frequently around here lately. I don't want to get into the habit of making things just for the boys if I've made something else.

I notice that my boys will definitely make up for the calories later, though. Also, their pedi was the one who suggested this method in general, so I'm not worried about them not eating enough...

 

At that age, I offered new foods alongside other foods they'd already accepted. Their curiousity was enough to get them to try it. As the new foods were accepted, they moved onto the list of foods I expected them to eat. Foods that were refused were offered the next time we had them as if they were new. They aren't picky eaters and we don't have many issues with them refusing to eat foods. If they do, I don't let it be a big deal because I don't want a power struggle at the table. I remind them that our dog will eat it if they don't and that is generally enough to get them going.

 

Unless i refuse to eat what i made, or it ended up way spicier than they will eat, then they don't get another option. Yesterday my DH made a soup i didn't think they would eat so i made sure they at least had some crackers to go along with it. Sure enough William had crackers and soup broth (he didn't like the soup contents just the broth) for dinner.

 

QUOTE(kma13 @ Oct 24 2007, 08:43 PM) [snapback]466190[/snapback]
What do you do if they don't eat the noodles?

Sometimes I toss them. Sometimes I stir fry them with veggies, ginger, soy, garlic & onions (I leftover chicken or steak if I have it) & send dh to work with fried noodles for lunch the next day. I never feed the girls leftovers - I am paranoid about foodborne pathogens. I could handle it if dh or I got food poisoning but it would break my heart if the girls did.

 

These are all great methods - thanks! My problem is that they really don't eat what we eat since they only have front teeth (i.e. no back teeth for chewing) and they practically refuse to eat off of a spoon (they MUSt feed themselves). They are TERRIFIC eaters of new things, and if possible eat too MANY fruits and veggies. (can you believe that I am saying that?) I just need to have a better back up plan. Tonight I made tortillini and they couldn't chew it, so I quickly made grilled cheeses instead, but in the 2 minutes it took to cut the cheese and toast it, they were screaming! They had already had 2 zucchini pancakes each, and I kept feeding them frozen blueberries while it was toasting and cooling, but they always are very impatient! I guess I just need to always have cooked turkey burgers or hamburgers ready in the fridge.......
I will say that I am good in the sense that I never give them crackers or gold fish or Life cereal, etc. at meal times. I consider those only for snacks.
Thanks for everyone's help!

 

QUOTE(koozie @ Oct 26 2007, 07:54 PM) [snapback]468954[/snapback]
These are all great methods - thanks! My problem is that they really don't eat what we eat since they only have front teeth (i.e. no back teeth for chewing) and they practically refuse to eat off of a spoon (they MUSt feed themselves). They are TERRIFIC eaters of new things, and if possible eat too MANY fruits and veggies. (can you believe that I am saying that?) I just need to have a better back up plan. Tonight I made tortillini and they couldn't chew it, so I quickly made grilled cheeses instead, but in the 2 minutes it took to cut the cheese and toast it, they were screaming! They had already had 2 zucchini pancakes each, and I kept feeding them frozen blueberries while it was toasting and cooling, but they always are very impatient! I guess I just need to always have cooked turkey burgers or hamburgers ready in the fridge.......
I will say that I am good in the sense that I never give them crackers or gold fish or Life cereal, etc. at meal times. I consider those only for snacks.
Thanks for everyone's help!


Do they mash with their gums? Even before mine got their molars at 14 months, they were eating steak, chicken, you name it, they mashed it with their gums. We just cut things real small then.

 

I have tried cutting / mashing chicken, pork chops, and steak soooooo many times, but they won't eat it. They take a bit, then stop. It's as if they get frustrated that they can't chew it..........
Urg!

 

I'll have to agree with some of the other posts. I try to only do one new dish in a meal and have other foods that I know they will eat. That way, if they don't like something, they have other things on their plate that they will eat. I do not have stand bys waiting, just because I don't want them to think that I will fix them something different than the rest of the family is eating. We all eat the same meal.

 

i do some of both. if i feel they are repulsed by the food, then I will offer an standby something like plain crackers... unless the whole day has been a "fasting" day then I give PB or cheese.

I say to be polite they need to try one bite. and then I give a reward for taking the one bite.

If they are refusing the food in an effort to show "who's boss," then of course they end up going to bed hungry. This usually only happens at lunch time. and then they make up for it later.

 

wow - I guess mine are very poor eaters...they won't even let something new on their trays - if it isn't chicken nuggets or pb&j I may as well shove it! They didn't start out this way - they were terrific eaters up until 13 months and they've deteroirated this far....not feeding them is not an option because they aren't even on the growth chart for weight - so they get nuggets, pbj or breakfast food for every meal just so they eat...

and "trying something 10 times" doesn't work for us - if it is something new they won't even let it near their lips to taste it - they slam their mouths shut, shake their heads no and put their hands in front of their face....

 

For us, it depends on what the new item is. If the new item is really old items put together in a new way (like the quiche example) then no back up or staple. If it truly is something new, then I'll go with yogurt or PB. So, we go both ways here.

 

QUOTE(p31heather @ Oct 28 2007, 09:02 PM) [snapback]471051[/snapback]
i do some of both. if i feel they are repulsed by the food, then I will offer an standby something like plain crackers... unless the whole day has been a "fasting" day then I give PB or cheese.

I say to be polite they need to try one bite. and then I give a reward for taking the one bite.

If they are refusing the food in an effort to show "who's boss," then of course they end up going to bed hungry. This usually only happens at lunch time. and then they make up for it later.

How about trying those mini meatballs with little spaghetti sauce (not too much because it is messy), mashed potatoes with finely chopped cauliflowers and bit of shredded cheese melt.

You can buy those mini meatballs or Swedish meatballs at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club. They are resealable to use from freezer which is nice and have options for cooking method.

 

When mine were around that age, I wasn't really expecting them to "eat what we eat" full time yet. Although looking back, they were better at trying foods back then than they are now. I think with meats like chicken or steak, we would shred it fine or maybe make a turkey burger/ hamburger for them and serve the same sides that we were having. I do pretty much the same as a lot of people on here and try to include at least something they will eat, like some side pasta, bread, cheese, etc. I have also found out that with Ainsley, I need to wait her out a bit. I used to always serve the fruit as the dessert, but if I go ahead and give it to her, she will eat the fruit, and then actually start eating the meal. I really try not to get too bothered by them not eating their food, but it does get frustrating at times.