Just thought I would post a question as one is on my mind anyway!

Do you feel like you have to focus on food constantly?

I have 2 picky eaters and I am one too! I have regetted not feeding them more variety from the time they were toddlers (dh was working a lot then and I made more "toddler food" since I was not into big dinners myself) Anyway - they have been better recently about trying things but it feels like I still have to separate - make foods separate - add garlic and onion for dh (I do not like either!), mix foods for me and dh, keep separate for boys, have raw veggies for boys and steamed for dh and me... - that is a typical night! So even though I am not making special meals for them - I am still not making one big meal and serving it to all of us. I read some blogs of SAHM who post their menus - I feel like a failure in this area when I read what they feed their family - esp those who homeschool and make dinner-like lunches too! I try to remind myself that at least we eat healthy and they are trying more - but sometimes one of their friends comes over who likes ALL veggies and it bums me out!

So - I feel like between planning, cooking, shopping, baking....food takes a lot of energy - do you feel like that?!

Another note - sorry for rambling - but obviously this is on my mind! I feel like we eat a lot - we all snack often and eat a lot at meals - I see others who only eat 3 meals or have small meals and maybe a little snack. We are healthy and have no weight issues (despite my tendency to obsess at times myself!) but I am just thrown today about all of this!

Thanks for listening - I guess not your typical "fun and light" weekly question!

Hope you are having a good week and enjoyed the long weekend!

Suzanne
BBB 4/00

We're lucky in that there are very few foods my kids won't/don't eat - as toddlers we had a rule that they had to take as many bites of everything being served as they were old.

Now, we generally let them go and have found that although they won't actually eat them, they will eat around mushrooms in dishes and tomatoes need to be cut small and in things or no go (except for one of the girls who discovered she likes tomatoes sprinkled with sugar like I used to eat when I was younger)

The only things they flatly refuse are:

1. Oatmeal
2. cooked spinach (probably my fault since I gag just smelling it)
3. lima beans
4. Brussels sprouts

They don't always care for everything else and have their favorites but they will eat most things.

I've found that as I have them help cook more they are more willing to eat what's being made - even those things that aren't favorites.

OMG...this is so funny! I truly just talked with a friend this week about this same thing. Except mine is juggling not just picky eaters, but the diets of everyone is the house!. Even with 2 adults and 4 older teens, we still have this problem. 2 are watching their weight/carbs/red meat, 1 has problems with chronic anemia and poor weight gain and she needs carbs and red meat, and my boys eat so much and can't keep enough food in the house. We go thru so much food - and healthy foods are really expensive. I feel like I spend my days constantly thinking about preparing the next meal. I have to label foods so that they don't get eaten before the meal that I bought them for! Plus, we go through so many dishes and silverware!

Thanks for the question and the feeling that I am not alone!

Stephanie
Ashley 10/24/89
Kristin, Alex and Ben 4/9/92
(GBB @ 35 weeks)

Thanks - helps to know I am not the only one feeling this way!Funny - at dinner tonight - after ds made an ordeal out of eating a bite of a yellow pepper (which last night he asked if I would serve more often as he prefers them to the red!) - he read from a box of questions we often read at dinner (random conversation starter type questions) - he pulled out a question and it said "should kids be forced to try new foods?" Too funny - obviously we had varying opinions on this.

I can only imagine the food bill in a few years - I feel for you!

Suzanne
BBB 4/00

Great question, Suzanne.

Overall, my kids aren't that picky. I do have one boy that won't eat anything green. That's not really true - he's eaten a bite of lettuce without dying but you get the picture! LOL!

I make one meal and that's it. I can't be a short-order cook because there's no time. Our Wednesday are so busy that we call them Crazy Wednesdays. Those meals are done in a crockpot and everyone eats on their own schedule. Last night, I made a split pea with ham and vegetable soup. Delish! Throw in a pan of cornbread and a salad. Voila - something everyone will eat.

With 4 boys, I feel your pain. I spend a ton of time shopping, cooking, baking, etc. They are 4 bottomless pits. People say that I haven't seen anything yet - the worst eating is ahead!

My husband is curbing all his carbs but needs a hearty meal. That's my biggest challenge. I know this sounds silly but I will eat a salad but I HATE to make a salad. Just a chore. Rather cook a full meal than make a salad.

Sharon
12 year old b/b/b + 15 year old son

Well, we just had a major meal meltdown this past Monday night. My boys hate mushrooms...blame that on me as I took them for many walks in the woods as toddlers and up...and warned them strongly about ever eating or even touching the many types of mushrooms found on the forest floor.

We arrived home from a camping trip...boys were tired and hungry. We had stopped for a few hours for a swim in the river before getting home, and the boys had had a minimal lunch. Just before getting home we stopped for a take-and-bake calazone, with the boys requesting a 3-meat variety. Dw went in to buy it and since they did not have a 3-meat type, she got a pepperoni...with lots of mushrooms.

The mushrooms were discovered at the dinner table and the boys lost it completely. It did not help that dw also lost it, refused to say she was sorry for buying something she knew the boys would not like, and put the blame on the boys for not going in with her to buy it, and not eating enough for lunch (she had not asked the boys to come in, nor did we provide a significant lunch for the boys). So there I was with four angry people at the table.

I scrapped out the mushrooms as best I could so the the boys would eat, declared a "positive comments only" restriction at the table, and tried to continue on with the meal. Unfortunately Alex made a few sweet sounding sarcastic comments about the "wonderful mushroom flavor", and just as things looked like they might actually settle down, dw lost it again and blasted the kids with deadly guilt rays...as only a mad mommy can do.

So...dw left the house for a walk and came back with the declaration that us guys will now be cooking our own food for the next month. Those guilt rays spread out quickly.

How's about them apples? I have great kids and a great wife, but man...sometimes something stinky really hits the fan!

Vaughn

Ha - Ha - sounds like a great dinner!Love the "positive comments only declaration!!! I may steal that one

Suzanne
BBB 4/00