Meal times in our home are hectic, and I really don't want them to be. My question is: Do you cook different meals to suit the likes of your different family members or do you cook one meal and if they eat it "great", and if they don't "oh well"? Here is the issue: Patryk only eats 3 things (cheese in a tortilla microwaved, grilled cheese, and chicken nuggets. Sometimes he'll eat cut up chicken but it's a 50/50 shot.) and we're left feeding him that, and also feeding our older son that too. I don't want to limit BO, but I don't want to starve Paddy. I want to cook one meal for everyone so my husband and I can eat with our kids, but I don't want to give Paddy something everynight that we wont eat. SHould I fix Patryk's usual, or should I give him our dinner?
I fix one meal. If you eat, great and if not, sorry. The only thing I don't make my boys eat is a Tuna fish sandwich. But when DH and I eat tuna they have to eat some kind of sandwich. Don't sure why we don't make them eat tuna but it has been that way for 16 yrs now.
I do make a different meal from my 7 year old. He's a picky eater. I have noticed that is improving slowly over time. When it first started around 2, it was probably 5 or 6 things that he would eat and now he eats a few things from every food group (it's all about texture and not letting food touch for him). My younger son (4) will eat what we make for the most part, but I find myself forgetting that sometimes and just giving him whatever I give his brother. I do make him try things sometimes and every once in a blue moon he'll decide he likes something new. I guess I should add that I don't mind making different meals because I'm a vegetarian and my family is not. I'm already making different things anyway. I know most kids will eat when hungry and try one bite of new things, but some kids won't/can't. My 7 year old gags on most new foods and can't force himself to swallow it, and this is without him being upset about trying it. We tried the whole making him eat what we eat or nothing and after 3 days of very little food, he still didn't eat the food he didn't like. So we don't fight about food with him. He's pretty thin, but we try to make sure he gets something from every food group every day and the pediatrician said not to worry about it. One thing that might work is giving him a plate with tiny portions of whatever you made for dinner, as well as one of his favorites. That way he can try it if he likes or not, but won't have to go hungry. Have him pick out a new fruit or veggie at the supermarket to try and see if you can find one he likes. Mine has always liked apples and carrots because of the crunch. My 7 year old has also always liked the yolk from boiled eggs, peanut butter, crunchy cereal bars, and bread. So just keep trying and I'm sure he'll find more things he likes with time.
I make one meal. I understand, though, that your situation with Paddy is different than with my kids at that age. Nutrition is so, so important to how our bodies develop and perform. I would check and see just how to begin introducing new foods into his diet. You might find ways to sneak new foods into the tortilla. For most kids, if they are hungry enough, they'll eat. For him, you may just have to slowly introduce new things.
I make one meal. PERIOD. But I also don't have a special needs child, and might do things differently if I did. My mil makes different meals. When we were first married, the boys asked me, "WHY do I have to eat THIS?" My answer: BECAUSE I'M NOT GRANDMA!!! Lol!
I am not a short order cook. I make one meal. But I take their tastes into consideration. I won't, as my mother used to, make pea soup once a week throughout the colder months when one of them can't stomach pea soup (I threw up every time I ate it). If I make something they don't eat for dinner, I am sure to make something I KNOW they'll eat for lunch. I have four children with four very different tastes. I'd spend all day in the kitchen if I had to fix four different meals each day. Plus, when they're hungry enough, they'll eat it. They'll complain while they do it (oh the faces they make!), but they'll eat it. And they've slowly acquired tastes for foods they didn't used to like. Based on what he will eat, he's not getting adequate nutrition already.
I know he's not getting adequate nutrition, but there isn't anything I can do. IOf he wont eat, then he wont eat. We've tried to force him (hold him down and open his mouth) but it breaks my heart and makes me feel like a terrible person. Plus I think it strains our relationship as well. I like the idea of fixing him something he will eat and introducing something new for dinner. that will seem to work. He eats little side items as well though like chips, mixed fruit, and...and...well.....chips and mixed fruit....OHH, and velveeta shells and cheese. Forgot that one. lol. No milk, only juice. That's a heavy texture issue for him. He wont eat red meat or things that are mixed together (except the fruit...odd) so it is difficult to find things he'll like. Thanks for the suggestions, guys!!!!!
Have you tried carnation instant breakfast or ovoltine? That's the only way to get Jonathan, my 7 year old, to drink milk. Plus it has some added nutrition. The only meat he will eat are chicken nuggets and pepperonies (if that counts, lol). I don't worry so much about meat, because I know you don't need it as long as you're getting the protien elsewhere, eggs, nuts, peanut butter, etc. You can get iron from dark greens, like spinach. Jonathan does not like any cooked veggies, so I just give him raw ones. When he was little, he actually liked to eat the frozen mixed veggies, while they were still frozen. It was strange, but it got veggies into him.
since your son has special circumstances, I'd just give in to his food jag, I mean it doesn't take too long to put chciken nuggets in the oven while you are cooking for your family. I would keep offering him other things too, but I really think that its not worth getting frustrated over. It might not last forever, and I"m telling you I know how it feels, my son had leukimia and would eat a very limited selection too.
and its good idea to start a multi vitamin....... thats what we had to do for Donald. ... figure your self lucky ...... on the mixed fruit!!!
Yes, texture is a big thing for so many special needs kids. You do what you need to do for Paddy's health, and don't apologize to anyone for doing it!
I struggle with this too. My son eats anything, always has. My daughter is extra special picky. I am not sure if it is texture. She loves all things sugar too. Her stress has been high lately and she has been cranky. I am planning on adjusting some of the food choices I give her. It is frustrating. For awhile I would make her different things, but really I like to try new recipes and cook a lot of fresh food...with her pickiness I have given up and I tend to eat less healthily. I do give them vitamins, there are lots of kids ones that can help fill in the gaps a bit from picky eating. also there are protein/green powders you can add to juice that are actually pretty good. I use Vega in tea or vitamin water or something when I know my nutrients haven't been great. I don't make her special food each night, but I do do what someone above suggested, putting some new stuff on her plate and some stuff she likes like fruit. Good luck!
I don't have any special needs children, I do have a few picky eaters, BUT.... I make ONE DINNER PERIOD. And if you don't eat it, you don't eat. PERIOD. My oldest was fairly picky when she was younger, and it was what the pediatrician recommended. Now...he also said this, which has helped. 1. ALWAYS make sure that the meal includes ONE item that the child will like and not have trouble eating. 2. Make them take ONE BITE of every food on the table. They don't have to like it, and it CAN be small. But they must take ONE BITE. We call it the "no thank you" bite. And in the course of doing this, my children now adore asparagus, broccoli, cawliflour and sever other veggies that most children ignore. Some things they might dip in ketchup....but they eat them. You should see some of the faces we get. OH, and this applies to the adults too, so when I make brussell sprouts for my husband who loves them, it means I have to eat one, too....ewwwwww....but....I can't ask them to do it if I'm not willing. 3. Separate things when possible. Most children do not understand the concept of foods all mixed together (AKA Lasagna). My oldest DETESTS pasta. Any size. Any shape, etc. WILL NOT eat it...well, except for the one bite. So, if I make spaghetti & meatballs, she eats only the meatballs and garlic bread and salad. Sometimes, she surprises us and will eat a small portion of the pasta. VERY RARELY. 4. Allow them to decide what breakfast and lunch is (within reason....not junk food, but it is the time that they have the control to make that decision). My children now make their own lunches, but they can have whatever they want as long as it includes a quality protien, a fruit or veggie, and a quality starch. My oldest gets very creative most of the time....my middle usually goes for PB&J b/c it's easy...then he eats a banana. And my youngest....well...she usually eats part of what the oldest makes! LOL Anyway...it was a struggle at first. Our oldest was extremely strong willed when it came to food. EXTREMELY. There were nights she went to bed without eating anything at all. But, she did not starve, and she is still alive today. She still hates what all children think is normal - refuses pasta and cheese and hates "casseroley" type dishes. I now make these on nights when she is not home for dinner. (she's a gymnast and is not home at dinner time 3 nights a week). Anyway...another way I found (which might not be an option for you b/c I believe he's fairly young?) is to include them in the cooking process. My kids LOVE to help in the kitchen, and I find they're much more adventurous eaters when we let them help prepare stuff....especially if it's a new food.
I love all the suggestions!!! Yes, we actually have him on a vitamin right now, but it's an Omega-3 thing more because it's a natural anti inflammatory for his CP (the fish oil is). I have a cookbook that has several recipes in it to hide veggies and so on, but I need to wean them into the recipe. He seems to smell them and know they are there. KBabe, you had so many great suggestions!!! I don't worry about his meat intake too much either, mainly because I'm not much of a meat person myself. I'll let him eat what he wants for lunch and breakfast, but I'll make what DH and I want for dinner and make the kids try it. Thanks again!
I cook only one meal. But my daughter is a great eater, and the majority of dinners in our home are salads. She will not eat potatoes, unless they're french fries of course , so when I make potatoes I add another side in just for her. I also require the one bite rule, when I make something new she has to take one bite and swallow it :lol:
I make different meals - sometimes 3 different things. Usually at least 2 of the meals are the same thing fixed a little differently (i.e. pasta with sauce or pasta with butter). Dh's meal is almost always different from mine and the kids. But they do have to try new things. One kid will eat anything. My other two are more picky. I don't spend a long time cooking though. I make things that are easy to prepare or I make a big batch and it saves on prep another day. Tonight for instance I am making a beef curry for my dh which will probably take 15 minutes of my time. I'm making simple pasta and veggies for the rest of us. Two kids will have it with butter and the other with sauce. No big deal. This will probably take about 15 minutes of my time too. I could probably do the 15 minutes concurrently if I time things right.
I make 1 meal and if they don't eat they go hungry. My kids will eat most anything except my 6yo dd. She won't eat meat, eggs, or anything with tomatoes. I do make my kids take 1 no-thank you bite of everything too. I have a good friend that worked with sn kids and non-sn kids and she recommended that I try something with my picky eater. She used to do this with kids she worked with and she could always get them to eat things they didn't like. So far it has worked with my picky eater too. Tell your child they only get to have 1 (or up to 3, you decide) foods that they do NOT have to eat for 6-12 months. Every other food that is placed on their plate they must at least take a bite. I found with my dd that once she felt she had control over what she didn't have to eat she was more open to other foods. It took my dd 3 days to pick 3 things that she didn't have to eat. So far she at least tastes everything and she is surprised at what she likes.
Wow, Minthia, where were you when my ds was little?! :lol: Man, I wish I had that in my toolbox then.
