592915 Mon Feb 02 12:54:26 -0800 2009 110 29 Not About Food 0 4380944 I am having some friends stay with me next week and they have 3 kids ... all VERY very picky eaters. One won't even look at a vegetable, one no meat, and one no chicken ... you get the picture. Well, I always when I cook for kids try to get the kids in the kitchen so they can see what I am making for them. I usually don't cook special just for them but I may alter my main ingredient or dish for them a bit to accomodate the younger tastes. I remember a friend that stayed with us during the summer hated hamburgers. My mom used to make a long skinny burger, like a hot dog, she loved it. Me. I was off chicken for a while, not sure why ... Mom used to mix it in meatloaf, meatballs, burgers, etc. I had a neighbor that I played with that hated fish. Mom used to make this funny BBQ Honey sauce and my friend ate it with her fish. I went through a non corn stage for a summer. Well it is absolutely my favorite vegetable but as a kid, I guess I went through a summer of no corn. Who knows why. Well, Mom made fritters, pancakes, fried patties, soups, creamed anything to use it up. We had a garden so had tons of corn. Ok fun shaped foods, pancakes, donuts, bagles, sausage, fruits. Hot dogs cut with arms and legs and then cooked. Mom did grits on the plate that looked like mickey. Etc. My mom also purred herbs in a sauce for some of my friends so they would eat them. No grant it ... At a certain age, you just either ate it or you went hungry. I still believe in that unless there is a medical reason not to eat the food. Everything should be tried at least once. I hate those who say ... I don't like that ... but never tried it. My mom was lucky, I was easy, but some of our friends and their kids were not. SO ... What Foods did your mom make or change to make them kid friendly?? Mon Feb 02 12:54:26 -0800 2009 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381138 ummm....thinking...thinking....nothing. I can't remember ever not eating my food exactly the way my parents ate theirs. Maybe that's why I'll eat anything now. I have a cousin who says his child will only eat "Uncrustables" which I'm told are frozen pre-made peanut butter sandwiches. I just don't understand why people would let their children rule the house that way. Mon Feb 02 13:45:10 -0800 2009 4380944 10471 danna 2 4381177 I went through a couple of short not this or that but for the most part anything went. I think the NON chicken summer was after I saw a barn burn down a neighbor and there were chickens in it. My mom still used chicken just disguised it for me for a couple of months. My corn faze, not sure why, Only lasted the summer, but it was mostly friends that were picky. Me. I made my son eat anything we ate. Somethings I was understanding on but most no. My son didn't rule my house and me not ours. Mom only cut me a little slack those 2 times. But with guests, it is a different story I think. I would do the same to a degree. Mon Feb 02 13:51:12 -0800 2009 4381138 232829 kchurchill5 3 4381221 Non Chicken Summer. I think you have a novel there. Yeah, guests are rough. I periodicaly have some adult guests that eat like children, so I'm feeling your pain, but it sounds like you did a great job with them. Mon Feb 02 13:59:19 -0800 2009 4381177 10471 danna 3 4381325 I had a non-cow summer too, after seeing a carcass sitting out in the hot sun on a nature field trip... oh, and there was the time my aunt let me name the calf, and then one year, there was no more Gus-Gus! Poor Gus-Gus! :-( At any rate, my mom definitely did the fun-shaped pancakes, and they always had chocolate chips for eyes. Either that, or silver dollar pancakes- great for dunking, if the kids are younger. One thing she did for me is she used to draw faces on eggs for when I helped with baking. She always had me crack the egg on the nose- worked like a charm! Make your own pizzas are always great too- they can get involved in the cooking and put whatever they want on their pizza. My dad used to make tortilla pizzas, which is even easier! Mon Feb 02 14:31:11 -0800 2009 4381177 12813 Katie Nell 4 4381486 I remember the pizza. My mom always laughed because I added broccoli and corn kernals to mine (the garden thing and all), lol. The eggs is a good trick Mon Feb 02 15:20:26 -0800 2009 4381325 232829 kchurchill5 2 4383327 My parents and grandparents were the same as yours--we ate what everyone else ate, whether we wanted to or not. Tue Feb 03 08:26:24 -0800 2009 4381138 224238 Caralien 2 4383980 Wow--we ate what the rest of the family ate from the time we were babies--fully salted, spiced, onions, garlic, you name it, we ate it. No negotiations, no discussions, but I don't remember there ever being an issue. Hungarian grandma was a great cook who exposed us to all kinds of stuff. We loved spinach, for example. I was so shocked to hear that a lot of kids here won't eat greens... Tue Feb 03 11:12:36 -0800 2009 4381138 66404 foodslut 3 4384240 Surprising, I can't believe how picky kids and some adults can be. Other than my 2 months of no chicken and my month of of onions. I'd eat most anything. Greens, I loved, garden and all. Picked everything right there and ate it. And to this day, NO liver but not much else, :) Tue Feb 03 12:27:05 -0800 2009 4383980 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381141 I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help because my mom wasn't interested in making things kid friendly. Even when we were very young. It was, as you said, eat it or go hungry. The ONLY thing I can remember my mom going out of her way to make more appealing to a young child was the first time she fed me bagels with lox and cream cheese. I remember being very suspicious about eating anything called "lox". I didn't even know what bagels were. (I was no more than three at the time.) I was all prepared to refuse to eat it and my mom handed me a bagel with a schmear and little pieces of lox that she had pulled apart and spread around the bagel. I was sold and ate it right up. I can still remember how good that bagel was. I actually think that was a major turning point in my life because from that point on I was always an adventurous eater. Who knows - if things had gone badly with that bagel I might have turned out to be an entirely different person, food-wise. Mon Feb 02 13:45:22 -0800 2009 4380944 63569 flourgirl 2 4382283 My daughter (now 4) eats everything, and she always did (although she is slightly more in tune with the "green stuff" like parsley in food). At her last day of pre-school last year, there was a class breakfast, and when one of the mothers was giving my daughter a bagel with cream cheese, my daughter turned to the other mother "is there any lox?". Everyone thought that was a riot, but she was serious! Mon Feb 02 19:45:54 -0800 2009 4381141 10205 valerie 3 4385470 My son pops out with those. I'm so used to it I don't find it weird, but other people (especially grown-up picky eaters) sure do! Of course, to be perfectly fair, my little guy thinks smoked salmon should come on a sliced baguette topped with chopped red onion, capers and a sprinkle of lemon, since that's how my DH makes it. Tue Feb 03 19:00:03 -0800 2009 4382283 42513 Mawrter 3 4385478 My son ate everything until age 10, then changed ... School and friends, then greens, cheese and other stuff became wierd. He know is much better but a few years it was wierd. He was ok some times and other not. But overall a good eater and still is. Tue Feb 03 19:02:23 -0800 2009 4382283 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381238 Good luck. I suspect you will have a trying time with these houseguests and their kids. Other moms I know employ a lot of ketchup. Maybe you could find a bottle of High Fructose Corn Syrup for cheap and douse everything with that. Mon Feb 02 14:04:03 -0800 2009 4380944 95577 yamalam 2 4381502 The lol, says he won't eat chicken but he does. I've made it before for him. He just never knew. The other likes meat just doesn't like to eat it. I told him it was tofu, lol. The kids, I hide stuff. Pretty mean huh. Or I make quesadillas with lots of stuff and everyone can make their own. I'm sure the kids may do cheese if that, lol. Oh well. How about ketchup quesadillas, the kids may eat that. hehe. Mon Feb 02 15:24:49 -0800 2009 4381238 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381454 Sorry - my mother was in the 'you eat what we eat' school and we had to try everything. So now I eat everything. This brings up an interesting question - how many of our fellow foodies were indulged in their childish food issues and how many were not? Is there a relationship to their foodiness today? Did the children whose parents forced them to try everything and eat adult food grow up to have more adventurous tastes? It's especially interesting to me since I have a 4 year old who gets whatever I serve - he doesn't always like it but he has to try it. We believe that will pay off for him (and us!) in the long run. Mon Feb 02 15:11:50 -0800 2009 4380944 85539 lupaglupa 2 4382322 I am married to a man who is living proof that forcing a child to eat things will not result in more adventurous tastes in adulthood. My husband was forced into eating lots of things that his parents deemed healthy -- tuna fish (his father actually tried to sneak tuna fish into peanut butter sandwiches) and vegetables, etc. Now, at age 39, my husband would keel over and die before he would eat a salad or 99% of all fruits and vegetables. I am lucky that my kids are good eaters but it is not always so cut and dry as "you eat what we eat". My niece (now 11) and my nephew (now 6) grew up with the same parents as each other in the same household as each other. My sister gives the same food to both kids (and same as she and her husband) and always did. My niece is somewhat adventurous and always has been. My nephew, on the other hand, is a HORRIBLE eater. I can't even go into all of his quirks when it comes to food, but it is a miracle if he takes 2 bites of anything at any given meal. My sister has tried every tactic in the book, just to get some calories into this kid. And telling him that he will have to go to bed hungry is no threat to him, he doesn't care. He is so skinny that he looks like he's walking around on 2 toothpicks for legs. There were times that she just threw a bag of M&M's at him because out of desperation, she felt that he needed to eat "something". It's very easy to say what everyone else should do (and I used to criticize my sister too for letting him eat candy), but until a parent is living with it (or around it), some people have no idea how difficult some kids can be when it comes to food. Mon Feb 02 19:57:08 -0800 2009 4381454 10205 valerie 3 4384180 We were never forced to eat things and my son is not either. We were just told "this is dinner, you must at least try one bite before you say it is awful and reject it." If we did not like it we did not eat it - but then we had to eat more of other items or be hungry. Many times we found after we tried something that it wasn't so bad. My brother and I are now both very adventurous eaters who had expanded far beyond what we were served as children. My son is almost 4. He eats very well - for that age - but still rejects many new items at first sight. We ask him to try it and then allow him to leave the rest. He gets no second option (i.e. we don't get up and get him a PBJ if he rejects the main item for dinner). If he's hungry then before bed he gets a healthy snack of his choice. I'm not judging how others choose to feed their children, just saying that this is what worked for me and is working (so far) with my son. And I wonder if one could see a relationship in the Chowhound community between parents getting children to try everything rather than letting them eat the same food and their later adult interest in food. It seems many of the people responding to this thread were not given the choice at dinner in their families to eat only things they liked. Tue Feb 03 12:07:39 -0800 2009 4382322 85539 lupaglupa 4 4384283 I still, to this day, hate cornstarch, bun xao, liver and onions, liverwurst. Even when I make pate I can't eat the liver until it's blended with everything else (tried it sauteed a few days ago and then gave it to either the very happy cat or dog). Still trying. I may not have been given a choice growing up, and it likely influenced my desire to try everything at least once. When we have children, they'll be given what we eat, pureed when tinier, as was true for my parents. My husband and I discussed this recently, and there will be some issues that will arise after the kids start eating at other people's houses (or seeing what others eat in the lunchroom), but coddling to the point of making things difficult? No. Even when I'm following a "detox" diet, my husband is free to salt his food and use whatever condiments he chooses. The same is true when I have vegans at the table. There's plenty of things to eat and be happily satiated with. Food should never be torture, and that is something I hope to pass on. Tue Feb 03 12:38:27 -0800 2009 4384180 224238 Caralien 4 4385672 I was required to try everything once if it was on my plate. If I didn't like it, I had the option to make myself a PB and J. When I was old enough, I was also encouraged to be part of the shopping and planning of meals. I never found my way into liking most foods with creamy textures as a kid, but did learn to appreciate what it took to produce dinner and to give food "the benefit of the doubt" as my mom would put it. Tue Feb 03 20:29:51 -0800 2009 4384180 152043 TampaAurora 4 4386401 Lupaglupa, I didn't mean to imply that you were judging, but many people always seem to have something to say on this topic of getting kids to eat. I am constantly cooking different foods because I refuse to have my kids eat chicken nuggets or the like all the time. But again, I am lucky in that my kids will try anything (ages 2 and 4). Most are hits, some are misses, but I am constantly giving them new and different things. I never have to worry about a restaurant having a "kids menu" becuase I can always find something to order for them. But I do believe that luck plays a part. My sister would go to ends of the earth to make something that my nephew will eat, and she's always trying new things, but in general, it is painful to sit at a table with him. We are a "food family" and nobody can understand how this kid has NO interest in food! Wed Feb 04 07:41:35 -0800 2009 4384180 10205 valerie 5 4386521 Yes, Valerie, you are right. While it is important for parents to make an effort to expose their children to healthy food, a child's willingness to try is also a function of personality -- just like some children sleep longer hours, are quieter or more rambunctious, etc. And, a child's willingness to try new things is also tied to development. Kids go through a phase -- what we often call "the terrible 2s" -- when they become contrary; it's part of their becoming individuals. My son was a very adventurous eater up until he was about 30 months, and then became much more limited in what he would eat -- although we tried to be sure what he ate was healthy, there wasn't much variety. One thing parents should realize is that children eventually emerge from this developmental stage and become more willing to try new things. In his case, it was when he was about 5. I think that too many parents think that their kids' pickiness is a permanent trait and give up after a few years in trying to expand what they eat. Wed Feb 04 08:15:24 -0800 2009 4386401 25595 masha 5 4416274 I totally understand what valerie is saying b/c my husband had to eat what he was served, whether he liked it or not...it by no means made him more adventurous as an eater. He likes what he likes, and there are many foods he was forced to eat as a child that he will not go near today. I know other people like this as well. I think encouraging your kids to try things is always good, but i think genetics, and yes, to some extent food experimentation, play a role in determining what foods we like to eat. Fri Feb 13 21:00:55 -0800 2009 4386401 157030 iluvtennis 1 4381466 My mom used to put out little dishes of sauce to dip food in. We dipped broccoli and chicken into italian dressing. Somehow it was more exciting to dip each piece of food into something and then eat it. I also HATED fish as a kid. My mother would put my piece of fish in a separate pan and let me put whatever I wanted on it. It seemed more palatable that way. I put colored sprinkles on my flounder and mint and sugar on my salmon. Now I just won't eat fish unless it's raw in sushi. Mon Feb 02 15:14:55 -0800 2009 4380944 217807 cheesecake17 2 4381504 that is what my mom did for a friend of mine who ate with us often. Sometimes we had fried usually because it was pearch or bass and she would make this cool spicy spicy ketchup BBQ stuff. She got to dip it that way. I used to give my son honey or ranch to dip fruits, veggie etc. I forgot about that. Mon Feb 02 15:27:25 -0800 2009 4381466 232829 kchurchill5 2 4382244 VERY good idea for the original poster. Most kids love to dip. Mon Feb 02 19:37:11 -0800 2009 4381466 42513 Mawrter 3 4382264 Vanilla yogurt and honey for fruit, ranch and others for veggies warm or cold, honey for chicken or BBQ, Even Thai or chimmichurri for pork or steak, lots of things. DIP anything. Hey us adults love to dip too!! Mon Feb 02 19:41:30 -0800 2009 4382244 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381478 She didn't. Each of us (the kids) had our own tastes, and if we didn't want something, we had something else to eat that she had made. Mon Feb 02 15:17:33 -0800 2009 4380944 74905 jaykayen 1 4381487 Mom was cooking a special dinner for me, my best friend and her 4 or 5 year old son. She carefully planned the menu to have what she thought would be kid-friendly. She had chicken, a jello salad and a concoction that she called gnocchi. It was really cream of wheat and cheese baked into a casserole dish and carefully cut out the squares. Little boy kept telling his mom that he did not want to try it. He finally took a bite and promptly threw up into the plate! That boy is now a gourmet cook and looks for as many unusual ingredients as he can get his hands on! Mon Feb 02 15:20:27 -0800 2009 4380944 11387 nosey 1 4381540 I guess my mom always for the most part made me eat what she was cooking and other than my 2 summers of wierd dislikes I ate just about anything. But she did try to make it fun for me so I never hated food. When she made asparagus she would take a scallion and tie it around my asparagus or wrap a piece of zuchinni around it. It made it fun. Or even a tempura and then dips for them. We had cucumber salad with a sour cream dressing alot .. we had to eat all those tomatoes and cucumbers somehow. Well I when I was little didn't like sour cream, but I loved the tomatoes and cucumbers, so she just gave me a little bowl of them. I guess I had a cool mom and while I love food so much. She made it fun but still made me try things and I learn to enjoy food rather than hate it. A good friend of mine grew up with having to try everything and either eat it or not. To this day he is the worst eater I know. His wife had similar growing up experiences. Neither of them are good eaters and therefore the kids are the same. I think that really influences how we eat. Mon Feb 02 15:37:24 -0800 2009 4380944 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381585 I am a behavior analyst who works with children with autism who are notorious for being extremely particular about what they will and will not eat. I also have worked with recovering anorexics who tend to also have strict rules about food. One trick that has helped is to do a semi deconstruction of a menu item. For example I'll explain (or show) the ingredients of say a turkey sandwich and ask Johnny to make something completely different with the same ingredients. So lettuce, tomatoes, turkey and cheese might get shredded and diced into a salad while the bread is toasted for croutons (this is a great skill building task by the way!) Next, we might have a theme day, which the child chooses to ensure optimum success (this is key, but must be within reason of course). An example might be pizza day or smoothie day (you can have savory smoothies like chilled soups!), or everything on the BBQ day. I have had higher success with assemble-your-self meals. Regardless of the ingredients (within reason again, of course), young people tend to do well when they make it themselves. Lastly, with both groups, but especially recovered anorexics, it can be helpful to give them three hate foods that they will not ever be asked or forced to eat, but other than that, anything goes. I hope this helps! Lastly, don't cave too much, as I'm sure you know. To me, this is actually the most important. The last thing we want to do is help cultivate picky eaters. In the spirit of The Field of Dreams...If you cook it, they will come! Mon Feb 02 15:49:26 -0800 2009 4380944 73756 enbell 2 4381594 Good point. I guess that is why I always let the kids cook with me so they can see everything or put things seperate so they can put them together like you said. Well said. I think that helps non adventurous eaters, even adults Mon Feb 02 15:52:36 -0800 2009 4381585 232829 kchurchill5 2 4382129 I was just talking about a friend whose son won't eat anything that isn't white. Mon Feb 02 18:58:02 -0800 2009 4381585 45208 somervilleoldtimer 2 4383806 Hi Enbell Let me second your comment re: kids with autism. I have a 6 year old grandson with autism that will not eat anything but soft pretzels for breakfast, popcorn and perhaps a poptart for lunch and either chicken nuggets and french fries or pizza for dinner. He will not drink milk and hasn't since he was about maybe three. He will on occasion, eat a little ice cream (low fat). I have no idea where he's getting his calcium. I have made sure he drinks as much water as possible. Any good books or advice other that above you can think of?? (Please, no comments about "just misbehaviour" or advice from anyone who has not experienced autism first hand. Thanks) Bob Tue Feb 03 10:27:16 -0800 2009 4381585 107452 SonyBob 3 4383946 A friend of mine has a younger sister who was thought to be autistic. The girl would barely eat. She worked with a food therapist, who really helped. Maybe that can help your grandson? Tue Feb 03 11:03:02 -0800 2009 4383806 217807 cheesecake17 3 4384271 For the sake of preserving the intent of this thread, I'd be happy to help via email. I have added my address to my profile page! I look forward to our correspondence :) Tue Feb 03 12:33:04 -0800 2009 4383806 73756 enbell 1 4381849 My mom used to make french fry houses for me to eat. I must have been really little because I can barely remember it, but I remember more the happy feeling that her doing it gave me, if that makes sense?. She used to have celery and carrot sticks for me for snacks, and no architecture was required for me to scarf them up. I loved milk, and would drink it like water when I got thirsty, so I don't think she or my grandmothers worried too much about me. I did not like eggs after I got a bit older so my mom would make me a breakfast shake with a raw egg in it and I didn't know til she told me later. I still refused cooked eggs until I stayed at a friend's house and her and her sister put catsup on their scrambled eggs. I tried that and found them tolerable. For many years I would get breakfast with my mom and give her the egg over easy from my breakfast special at the diner and just enjoy the other stuff, (toast, meat, homefries) but finally I learned to enjoy eggs. I got egg foo yong at a chinese restaurant and went nuts over it. My mom informed me later (timing is key) that it was mostly egg. So now I like eggs a lot. I also learned to like broccoli from having broccoli in stir fry. For small children I have had success serving broccoli florets raw with other raw veggies and having them pretend they are giants and the broccoli florets are trees. Chomp! Mon Feb 02 17:16:14 -0800 2009 4380944 184593 givemecarbs 2 4381864 Broccoli ... little Trees!! I remember that. And french fry houses ... I used to make houses out of my waffles like the movie First Kiss with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. I really did. Bacon was the chimney. I remember it well. Mon Feb 02 17:22:22 -0800 2009 4381849 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381900 The main thing I remember is that my mom didn't cook with mushrooms until my brother and I were teenagers. I recall one time when she tried mushrooms in a dish when my brother was around nine years old, and it did not go over well. At all. I remember that she would top lots of things with cheese, or serve a cheese sauce on the side for he and I to dip vegetables. We also kept bottled dressings, which are notoriously sweet, for easing down the vegetables. Other than that, I remember that she'd make things in smaller portions, like meatballs, pancakes, cut sandwiches, etc. so that no food was difficult to handle or overwhelming on the plate. But, there were very few foods I refused to eat, and she gave us free reign in the kitchen quite frequently. We also grocery shopped and gardened with the family, and were included in meal planning. The only time I remember having limited choices was when we ate in restaurants. Mon Feb 02 17:37:28 -0800 2009 4380944 24126 amyzan 1 4381947 Was I the only one who grew up in a non-traditional family? My mom never cooked at all. She worked and expected my dad to have dinner on the table by 6:00 PM, except on the nights she worked late. I don't remember my dad doing anything to make the food kid friendly. Well, there was green milk on St. Patrick's day. However, I used to make octopi hot dogs for my son. You cut them in half crosswise and then cut the halves vertically almost to the end, turn and make another cut. (Easier to do than to describe.) When boiled, the legs curl up. Four legged octopi, I know, but still, he liked 'em. Mon Feb 02 17:57:22 -0800 2009 4380944 11231 Glencora 2 4382000 My mom worked 8-6 every day except summers. Even during the year she cooked. Always a hot meal every night. And a hot meal before school. I do that as well. Dad when married I was for 20 years worked too 50 hours plus. Police. Swat and Detective. I always had to flexible, willing to change in a minute but dinner was always hot every night. Probably not by 6, but it was. I had my sons friends stop over, late guest friends of my ex. etc. lots of changes. My Dad never cooked, never cooked anything other than chicken on the grill. So Mom did it all. Maybe how I learned. It was family time and she tried to make it fun and interesting and made sure we enjoyed food cuz she thought that was family time that shouldn't be forgotton. I agree to this day. My Dad now cook and is very good, Even my ex cooks. And my son is learning and doing well at it. Mon Feb 02 18:16:04 -0800 2009 4381947 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381961 A friend's mother made green scrambled eggs as a nod to Dr Seuss--friend is still traumatized. Me--being of Flemish, Castilian and Japanese heritage, ate tongue, sushi and artichokes at an early age. One thing I did not eat until an adult was cold butter. Mon Feb 02 18:01:56 -0800 2009 4380944 13003 whs 2 4385711 Hahah! The only thing my dad could make is eggs! Before my mom became disabled, my dad was in charge of my breakfasts (we're talking early elementary) and is famous for his green eggs made with grape jelly. According to him, I had a standing request for those when I was six for a few months. Then I graduated onto toad-in-a hole. Tue Feb 03 20:51:44 -0800 2009 4381961 152043 TampaAurora 3 4386248 My Dad not too far from the egg thing, Grilling was about it for him. He is now a very good cook and takes care of my mom who is ill. Not gourmet, but pretty good regardless. Wed Feb 04 06:51:12 -0800 2009 4385711 232829 kchurchill5 1 4381993 Feeding a family of seven meant you ate what she made, and it was always good! Actually, I was only slightly picky. Mom never made me 'something else' and we didn't play with our food and build things. She did omit things for me (no celery or onions in my tuna sandwich, and I ate most of my macaroni with butter and parm ONLY until I turned 7. If I expressed EXTREME dislike for the meal, I was told to take one bite, and if I did not want to continue eating I just sat until I was excused. There was always usually salad, and bread on the table that acted as filler. Daddy on the other hand would take a pancake, an egg cut in half and a piece of sausage to make funny faces for his girls. I believe it was also on the menu. Mon Feb 02 18:12:44 -0800 2009 4380944 110426 Boccone Dolce 1 4382121 Wow, what a pain in the neck! If I were you, I wouldn't cater to the kids. I would cook what the adults like, offer it to the kids, and if they don't like it, they can have a peanut butter sandwich. My kids grew up eating artichokes and all sorts of things, and they still eat all sorts of things. My motto is "Fear No Food". So anyway, about these kids, you don't need to be mean, but you also don't need to cave in to their little power trips. When they get hungry enough or tired enough of peanut butter, they'll eat your food. Or you can just let their parents deal with it. But me, I have no patience with it. And now my daughter's boyfriend and his family take her out for Dim Sum in places where the menu is only in Chinese -- last week she had fish-stomach soup, and she's eaten beef heart. Good for her! Mon Feb 02 18:55:33 -0800 2009 4380944 45208 somervilleoldtimer 2 4382218 I still make them eat why we are I just try to make the same thing a bit more kid friendly for them. I'm not talking teens, I'm talking young kids. Just make adult food fun so get a change to learn to like it. I wouldn't make them peanut butter and jelly or something different. I'll just alter something a bit so it makes it food friendly. Subtle little changes that take no time but a little love to make things a bit more enjoyable for kids. Moms special sauce for me with veggies or maybe eggs with olives for eyes, or pancakes with chocolate chips for eyes and a smile. That is love not work. I still sat down for dinner and other than my two crazy summers when I was more picky and even then I think I always ate everything Mom prepared. But she was always thoughful making stuff more friendly. My friends coming, they are company so it is different, family, they eat what I make Mon Feb 02 19:29:50 -0800 2009 4382121 232829 kchurchill5 3 4384924 My go-to plan would probably be to have plenty of bread or pasta available-- most kids will eat that. Keep some of the main ingredients kind of "plain" to the side so they can have that if they want. Other than that it is really hard to figure out exactly what will satisfy everyone. You really can't win. Tue Feb 03 15:44:45 -0800 2009 4382218 18353 DGresh 1 4382272 My mom had a three bite rule. You had to eat three real bites of each part of the meal before you could say you didn't like it. The only thing she did to make things more palatable for kids was I got "special chili", she scooped a bowl full out of the pot for me before the spices went in, because I hated how spicy everyone else liked their chili. Otherwise, you ate what was put in front of you, or went without. Mon Feb 02 19:43:30 -0800 2009 4380944 120180 tzurriz 2 4382286 My mom would of given me the same chili, but maybe used a small roll and put some chili in it for me. Small portion different presentation or let me fix it. Same but something I liked. Mon Feb 02 19:46:48 -0800 2009 4382272 232829 kchurchill5 1 4383232 My friend has two kids, ages 3 and 4. They're not really picky, but food doesn't hold their attention for long. When I feed them, I we spread a few elbow noodles on the table and make rainbow shapes, circles, hearts, whatever they "see" in the shapes. With carrot sticks and celery sticks, we build towers (think Lincoln Logs) and use broccoli as a "flag" at the top. They then eat the veggies from the top down dipping them into salad dressing or peanut butter. A favorite of theirs is colored peppers. Red, yellow, green, orange, even purple- give them a bag of chips or peppers and they'll choose the peppers. Tue Feb 03 07:57:05 -0800 2009 4380944 217807 cheesecake17 1 4383701 The only concession to kids that my mom ever made was to put sliced red onions 'on the side' for salad. We had to eat everything as was prepared. Tue Feb 03 10:04:03 -0800 2009 4380944 124908 jeanmarieok 2 4383890 My mom would make me make my own salad. Take it from the bowl but then I was allowed to put my own dressing on and to move what I didn't like to the side. Back when I was young it only usually just onions till I was about 11. Since then I love them. But my friend who ate we me often when have a plate lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. Then if I put anything to the side ... Mom would make me eat at least 1 of them. Soon I never had onion on the side. Other than a couple of dislikes, mom had it made for me. However she still always made food fun when I was little. Maybe why I tried everything. I remember carrots of skewers, broccoli on a toothpic stuck on top of my chicken. Same food they ate, it just made it fun for young kids. Tue Feb 03 10:49:19 -0800 2009 4383701 232829 kchurchill5 1 4383859 I don't really remember what my mom did, how lame is that? But, here's what I do: I allow components to be separate. I leave sauces on the side, especially for pasta. Recently, I did a huge dinner for preschoolers and their families. I made a soup/stew, fish, pasta with roasted cauliflower, salad, fruit, challah, hummus and carrots. I made sure that everything was available in its component form, which allowed people to decide for themselves which parts work for them. This went very well, and I was surpised that some kids ate all the elements, and some ate just plain pasta, bread and fruit. At home, the primary accomodation I make is to make extra vegetables. If someone doesn't like the main dish, they can eat sides (usally a veggie, a fruit, sometimes an extra carb). Kids are also welcome to get a yogurt from the fridge. But, I'm always willing to add an extra veggie to the table to ensure that each child eats at least one serving of vegetables at every meal. Tue Feb 03 10:40:55 -0800 2009 4380944 92823 milklady 1 4383943 My mother woudn't make us eat something we didn't like, but she was adamant that she wasn't making anything else. However, we were free to do so if we liked. The only catch was the she never bought preprocessed foods, so, if we wanted to call her bluff, we had to make everything from scratch and clean up the mess afterward. So...we just ate whatever was for dinner. Consequently, although I certainly take people's tastes into consideration when I plan meals for visitors, I don't necessarily cater to people by making separate meals for the kids or prepare something I wouldn't enjoy for the sake of adults who I've deemed "childish eaters." For example, adults who will only eat at restaurants that serve chicken tenders and fries and claim they are "allergic" to vegetables. Tue Feb 03 11:01:29 -0800 2009 4380944 88792 jazzy77 1 4383963 This is not my mother's "trick," but mine: Instead of inviting the children into the kitchen to identify the foods they like, invite them into help you cook: the surest way to get a kid to eat carrots is to ask him/her to peel them for you. If they are invested in the preparation, they will try the food. And, if they are hungry while they are helping you prep, they will nibble on raw cabbage, brocolli, carrots, etc. Tue Feb 03 11:08:33 -0800 2009 4380944 25595 masha 1 4384028 In our family, we ate everything that mom cooked. Luckily she's a great cook. Even my cousins who hate fish, loved the fish my mom makes. My mom's rule was I eat what was there. If I didn't I couldn't have anything else. Even the next day, I would have to eat it before I had anything else. Partly I think it's our culture. We were taught to accept anything given to us and have to eat it as a respect to who ever gave it to us, usually an elder. In many ways it's been a blessing as I enjoy various types of food and will try almost anything. Tue Feb 03 11:23:49 -0800 2009 4380944 92180 gourmet wife 1 4384094 In a way, it does not matter what you do - it matters what the expectations of these kids parents are, because that is what has formed the kid's attitude. Ive they have been taught to eat what they are served because its good manners when you are a guest you are in luck. My experience is that most American kids arent taught that anymore and it can be almost impossible to please picky kids (chicken may not be specific enough - they may only like it one way or one texture, for example. Be prepared to have the kids reject your food (tho the may also love everything, too. So - your objective is to keep them from starving and maybe give them some pleasant surpriseshave a lot of bread/rice etc around, plain food that kids will eat. even if they dont eat the main dish. For example we can get great bread in NY and my sisters kids would always chow down on that on their annual visits even if they didnt eat much else. Have PB, bananas, clementines, carrot sticks, maybe some plain cheese, plenty of milk and juice. If all else fails, there is always pizza, or pasta meals which kids normally like but above all dont bend yourself out of shape over this. You will not be forming either their behaviour or food taste in a short visit and they will not starve. Tue Feb 03 11:42:19 -0800 2009 4380944 11130 jen kalb 1 4384217 Wow... I guess my experience was way different. The only concessions we ever got when we were kids were: two different pots of chili, one with hot spices, one without (for me). I got special kids TV dinners on nights when we had a babysitter and Mom and Dad were going out for dinner. Otherwise, Mom making things "kid friendly" consisted of putting the food on the table and telling us to eat. If we didn't eat it, then 1) we couldn't have any dessert and 2) we weren't allowed to snack on anything later if we were hungry. We weren't rich during most of my childhood, and both of my parents worked full time and then some. There wasn't time, resources, or parental energy left after they hauled us around to my brother's games or my concerts/plays for them to be making special efforts on the food front. That being said, my parents were both good cooks. We had primarily relatively bland (to my memory) midwestern foods. They were good, flavourful, and I liked them, just not spicy like how I like things now. Chili was the spiciest thing we ever ate. Probably the most "exotic" thing (remember, this was the midwest during the 70s) was my mother's oyster dressing at Thanksgiving. She'd always go out and buy a special tub of oysters just before, so they'd be as fresh as possible (which, of course, in Indiana/Michigan/Iowa, isn't really that fresh). And on New Years she'd have oyster stew (which, as I recall, was cream, milk, salt, pepper, butter, and oysters). Otherwise it was pork chops, liver and onions, pork roast, fried chicken, baked chicken, roast beef, and loads of potatoes or other things that could be cooked up quickly after a hard day at work. Tue Feb 03 12:19:44 -0800 2009 4380944 119275 Morganna 2 4384260 We had the same oyster stew (70's in S.C.) and as I recall , my dad would put crackers and ketchup in it. Which reminds me.....I think my Mom did more trickery w/ my Dad than with me!! He grew up with separate dressing w/ no celery in it, so my Mom would just chop the celery so fine he couldn't detect it. I remember the wide eyes around the holiday table once when my grandmother spilled the beans... "Where's Dan's dressing? This one has celery in it!" Mom taught him to eat mushrooms in more or less the same way...tiny dice growing larger over the years. Tue Feb 03 12:31:01 -0800 2009 4384217 10471 danna 2 4384300 Oyster pie is similar to oyster stew, with the addition of half-and-half and saltines. :) Tue Feb 03 12:44:36 -0800 2009 4384217 224238 Caralien 1 4384408 We always ate what was given to us and I'm lucky because my mom is a fabulous cook. But about your dilemma - what I've discovered about kids that are picky eaters is this; kids will often eat things they don't eat at home at someone else's house, so you might be pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't stress over this at all but I can appreciate your concern. When kids are hungry they'll eat, if there's peanut butter and jelly around and cereal with milk they can have that. It sounds as though their parents will be with them so you'll be somewhat off the hook Tue Feb 03 13:17:31 -0800 2009 4380944 11867 charlieboy 2 4384512 I only have them three days and the adults are worse then the kids :) Tue Feb 03 13:41:06 -0800 2009 4384408 232829 kchurchill5 3 4384574 Somehow I just *knew* this to be true! Tue Feb 03 14:00:59 -0800 2009 4384512 73756 enbell 4 4384670 Fell for me please ... Tue Feb 03 14:24:37 -0800 2009 4384574 232829 kchurchill5 5 4385435 We do feel for you! I'm sure they're lovely people, otherwise. . . . Tue Feb 03 18:46:12 -0800 2009 4384670 45208 somervilleoldtimer 1 4384459 kids can be made easy by not buying into the picky-ness. 1) serve children very small portions (it's far better for them to ask for seconds than to overwhelm them). 2) don't serve too many new foods at once. 3) do not try to push or cajole. Just be very matter of fact with "this is what we're having". 4) if the child doesn't want to eat -- do NOT make an issue of it. Pick up their plate, put plastic wrap over it and put it in the fridge. 5) when they come back and announce that they're hungry then bring out the plate, warm the food and give it to them with a pleasant smile. If they say they don't want it -- then repeat the process. Eventually they will eat it or just skip the meal. They won't die of starvation if they skip a meal and you won't be "mean" for not becoming their caterer. 6) after the above happens a few times and they realize that they won't get special dispensation and control you and get special attention via their diet, they'll give up and eat like anyone else. Think of it as raising a new generation of non-foodophobes. :) Tue Feb 03 13:29:13 -0800 2009 4380944 156760 karmalaw 2 4384487 This may be an appropriate strategy for a parent. The OP's inquiry, however, related to serving as a host for other people's children, whose parents will also be present. Regardless of how picky the children are, it's not the host's role to take over these kind of parenting/ discipline issues. I think Charlieboy has it right. As a host, you are not required to load up on junk food just to please children who have unhealthy attitudes to food. But you should be willing to make some accomodations. Keep some PB&J, cereal, fruit, and other healthy snacks around and offer them if the kids will not eat what is otherwise offered. Tue Feb 03 13:37:13 -0800 2009 4384459 25595 masha 3 4384526 Actually, I think it is up to the parents to bring what they think they will need and be the ones to decide if alternate foods are offered. Unless the OP regularly serves odd and unusual foods that the children would most likely never touch and the parents are forewarned, they may have to suffer through a meal until mom and dad go make their kiddie supply run. Tue Feb 03 13:44:01 -0800 2009 4384487 156760 karmalaw 4 4384653 I dont agree with this except as a last resort - kids need to learn to accept hospitality and eat what they are served to be a good guest. If their parents are willing to provide them different food it takes the emphasis off the desired social behavior and back on catering to the child. Sure, if the kid needs infant food or something really special they need it, but in the realm of ordinary eating, Id let them learn. Tue Feb 03 14:20:11 -0800 2009 4384526 11130 jen kalb 5 4384676 exactly. My point was that the host/hostess shouldn't be the one to ply them with alternate foods. If it has to happen, let it be the parents' problem. Tue Feb 03 14:25:29 -0800 2009 4384653 156760 karmalaw 6 4385440 I agree. I would not get into the middle of whatever power trip is happening between the parents and the kids. If you offer the kids the food you've cooked, and they reject it, don't say anything other than "okay". If the parents want to step in and talk to the kid, fine. But don't make yourself crazy. Tue Feb 03 18:47:44 -0800 2009 4384676 45208 somervilleoldtimer 3 4384534 One, I would never do junk food, I would just try to make what everyone is eating maybe more interesting but laying it out or making it kid friendly. Not my kids and they are guest so I'm trying to please all. The adults however are almost worse then the kids ... so I'm trying to make food that appeals to all as guests I think it is ok to do that. Is it just us. Different if it was a large crowd. I would never give the kids junk food to make them happy but trying to make my chicken appeal to them by having them help and make their own plates and serving what I would normall serve on one platter seperate so everyone can take what they want. Simple tricks to make people feel like they don't have to eat something but may want to try it. Tue Feb 03 13:46:26 -0800 2009 4384487 232829 kchurchill5 2 4384516 How about the big ones ... adults. I think the kids are better. They are really really bad. Luckily my family never like that, but they are only here a short while. Tue Feb 03 13:42:11 -0800 2009 4384459 232829 kchurchill5 1 4384533 I don't think our parents ever had to make anything kid friendly. In a large family a good appetite, if not outright hunger (as the proverb goes) makes the best sauce. Or as they say, get their first. I think for us eating was an adult thing. Occasionally Mom or Dad would humor our whims. But I think what made food kid friendly most was letting us help in the preparation. Tue Feb 03 13:46:25 -0800 2009 4380944 53369 Father Kitchen 1 4384568 Well my friend has a picky kid and his diet consists of french fries, pop, hamburgers, and chicken. Not my idea of a balanced diet, but that's about it. I wouldn't worry about going out of your way to make anything special, it will likely only lead to frustration for you and hungry kids. If their mom can't get them to eat, you won't be able to. Just ask mom what they usually DO eat and make it, even if it is frozen pb&j and french fries. Tue Feb 03 13:59:38 -0800 2009 4380944 15507 Rick 2 4384707 Laugh at this please. They hate fruit, hate vegetables, hate hot dogs and hamburgers, wont touch PB&J, only velveeta on white bread (NOT grilled) cold, One eats steak ... well done thin sliced no seasoning, the other likes fish sticks and bananas. The adults, don't get me started. No onions, tomatoes, peppers, spices, salt or pepper. No sausage, pork or any meat not cooked. They mean cooked. Beef like 200 degrees. Shoe leather ... oh yeah, white rice only and no other grains, some butter noodles, potatoes are ok as long as what they call cooked normal "baked or mashed" lol. and no salad. tomatoes are ok only over iceberg and only with cucumbers and ranch dressing. Now, that is my dilema ... so I said lets order pizza. Who doesn't like pizza right? I guess they don't. They 2 adults age 50 and 3 kids 12, 15 and 8 never have ate pizza in their lives. Boy am I looking forward to this :) Tue Feb 03 14:34:52 -0800 2009 4384568 232829 kchurchill5 3 4384845 Make a boiled meat stew in a crock pot. Potatoes, stewing beef, water (or canned low sodium broth if you're feeling adventurous), side of Wonder bread and buttered egg noodles. Take iceberg lettuce, slice into 5 wedges, and get a bottle of Hidden Valley ranch dressing. Or stock up on Dinty Moore or dog food (I can't smell the difference) and Uncle Ben's instant rice. I'm in a catty mood, apologies. Tue Feb 03 15:18:19 -0800 2009 4384707 224238 Caralien 4 4385122 I liked it :) That is about how I feel. I do have Hidden Valley Ranch. Do have Uncle Bens Instant Rice, It is my last resort rice when desperate, Buttered egg noodles, I'm a sucker for those but my are whole wheat, but eat mine a bit differently with a lamb stew. Ice berg ... actually but I eat it with heirlooms, sauteed pancetta and home made blue cheese ... I don't think they could handle that. Wonder !!! Never, the rest Naaa. Does make me bad for haved instant rice and hidden valley? They did say the kids will eat Chef Boyardee, I vote for Dog food over that, :) Tue Feb 03 16:52:07 -0800 2009 4384845 232829 kchurchill5 5 4385535 A jar of Ragu classic doesn't have HFCS, if that makes you feel any better (a mom I know uses it as the base for her sauce). Serve what you're comfortable serving, even if whatever is on your plate is more interesting (ie with the heirloom tomatoes). Seems that the whole family can be fed with food from Walgreen's or the local drugstore, so you may have to bite the bullet, for 3 days. Tue Feb 03 19:20:38 -0800 2009 4385122 224238 Caralien 6 4385549 I think so. I'm making roasted chicken and some simple grilled sausages on the side. Noodles a descent pasta whether they like it or not, fresh corn on the cob and roasted potatoes. Some kind of lettuce and we will see. I'm sure they won't like it but what the hell!! Best I can do. I guess the Dog food probably isn't a good idea ... Damn!! :) I'm just gonna eat my very delicious home made fresh made bean soup until they leave ... breakfast ... lunch and ... dinner, lol. Tue Feb 03 19:27:12 -0800 2009 4385535 232829 kchurchill5 7 4385590 Cat food is supposed to be more nutritious than dog food. I recall a story from the decadent cookbook with one out of work person who started eating it, thinking that it tasted like pate, then relabeling it and selling it at a ridiculous markup. :) Tue Feb 03 19:45:49 -0800 2009 4385549 224238 Caralien 3 4384977 why are you inviting them again? no, seriously. go out. don't stress yourself out about them! Tue Feb 03 16:00:26 -0800 2009 4384707 120180 tzurriz 4 4385132 Actually they are great people, they were friends of my ex and 7 years after being divorced they have stayed friends with me and not him. They are sweet caring, always pitch in, offer to do anything, always offer to cook, LOL. I'll pass but great friends and a blast to go out with. Just not eat with. Tue Feb 03 16:55:10 -0800 2009 4384977 232829 kchurchill5 5 4385252 Gotcha. that makes sense then. :D Tue Feb 03 17:35:38 -0800 2009 4385132 120180 tzurriz 5 4386463 clarifying that its really the whole family that is unadventurous and not just the kids helps. I have to cook every few weeks for a West indian crowd. I have learned that they may or may not accept the foods that I prepare - some things will be a hit, some will fall flat for non-obvious reasons. its hard to get people to go outside their comfort zones.. Costco is a fantastic resource for this - their roasted chickens, cut up in serving portions.,have come to be a staple with this group. Or a spiral ham (for those who will eat pork). Their dinner rolls are good and reheat in the oven very nicely. Mac and cheese and other baked pasta dishes usually work with this crew, along with a big container of costco salad greens and dressing. They also tend to like rice - ive found that basmati and jasmine are greatly appreciated even tho they are not traditional. My homemade three bean salad is liked. But ive cut back on my "cooking" since it is not really appreciated and I find I am less frustrated tho also less fulfilled. Wed Feb 04 08:02:47 -0800 2009 4385132 11130 jen kalb 3 4385302 WOW! And I thought I had it bad with my friends (the parents of the picky kid, whom are also picky.) Well, at least they should be easy to cook for! Just burn some beef, heat up some instant white rice, and buy some white break and velveeta. Should cost you $20 to feed them all week! Tue Feb 03 17:54:52 -0800 2009 4384707 15507 Rick 3 4385444 Good Lord!! Really seems like it would be impossible to cook for them. I'd take them all out to Golden Corral or Ryan's Steakhouse. My mom didn't do anything kid-friendly. There was no such thing as picky, whatever was for dinner was what we ate-of course, we always had the option to not eat it, but there was no dessert and no snacking later. Tue Feb 03 18:48:33 -0800 2009 4384707 227643 Luvfriedokra 2 4384711 See below Tue Feb 03 14:36:21 -0800 2009 4384568 232829 kchurchill5 1 4384688 Like a number of others here, my mom never made food "kid friendly." When we were very young she pureed adult food. When slightly older she'd shred or slice up food for us. But that was pretty much it. There were definitely foods I'd preferred, and one food in particularly I couldn't swallow at all (liver), but for the most part we ate what was in front of us or went hungry. However, she also taught us that it was impolite to be picky when we were guests, so if I didn't want to eat food in front of me while we were at someone's house I had to discretely hide it. Hopefully, as those kids get older, they're also taught to be grateful guests. Tue Feb 03 14:29:28 -0800 2009 4380944 12327 PegS 2 4384943 We ate what we were given. Nobody forced us to, or threatened us; we were simply EXPECTED to eat it. If one of us had a major issue with some item we might occasionally get a hearing, and Johnny's picking the miniscule bits of mushroom out of his tuna casserole and setting them on the side of his plate was just funny. But not eating said tuna casserole was not an option. John will now happily munch through a plate of mushrooms, but he refuses to try even steel-cut oats because he was so traumatized by the uncooked rubbery lumps in mom's oatmeal. And 65 years after suffering through my first dish of bread pudding I still don't like sweet custard. Elizabeth will eat absolutely anything, and the two of us will eat anything not noted previously. As will all of our kids, as far as I know. Tue Feb 03 15:50:41 -0800 2009 4384688 11478 Will Owen 1 4384908 When we trravelled with our kids when they were small, I always brought along bread, peanut butter and jelly. The kids were expected to sit thru dinner politely, and if they were hungry later, I'd make them a sandwich, I never expected our hostess to accomodate my kids, and for the most part, the kids were troupers and tried at least some of what was offered. Tue Feb 03 15:39:22 -0800 2009 4380944 124908 jeanmarieok 1 4385550 THANKS FOR EVERYONES RESPONSES!! Tue Feb 03 19:27:40 -0800 2009 4380944 232829 kchurchill5 1 4385639 Dana Zsofia, my five year old won't give me a break. She insists on eating what I eat. I have to make makizushi and a steamed artichoke before I leave on a trip. To go out, she insists on sushi. She likes my hot, spicy Asian noodle dishes with bok choy or napa. Her lentils have to have the dried African game meat; her carrot soup the best French technique. She really likes the simmered chicken gizzard slices I use in different dishes in the place of beef. She doesn't like ketchup, mayo unless homemade, and prefers her "salsa de shoyu y sesamo" for a number oif things. Tue Feb 03 20:12:07 -0800 2009 4380944 36661 Sam Fujisaka 2 4386273 I think you are in the minority there, however kudos for her. But growing up with a garden and on a lake in the summer, I always wanted vegetables made anyway and then fish. I couldn't get enough. My friends thought I was wierd. Traverscity MI had cherry festivals and MI northern part where our summer home was strawberry everything. So even when I was little 6, 7, 8 etc I was baking strawberry and cherry everything with mom. I even remember making strawberry punch which I loved. My sugar cookies with a whole cut in the middle and fresh strawberry jam that I made with Grandma was the best. Sometimes I would eat all the peas right out of the pods right out of the garden and then non left for dinner. Funniest thing for a couple of years I didn't like ketchup either, I would eat it, just didn't like it much. That changed. Wed Feb 04 07:00:14 -0800 2009 4385639 232829 kchurchill5 3 4386532 Ooh I have the best memories of Grampa's garden in the summer. I used to get two full weeks every summer, just me at Gramma and Grampa's when I was growing up (it was my special thing, probably it gave my parents a much-needed break, but I loved it too). They had a house on a small lake, and he fished every day. And he had a huge, wonderful garden (he was retired). So there was fresh fried blue gills and fresh veggies. I'd always run around with a pocket full of stuff I'd stolen from his garden when I was there. :) Wed Feb 04 08:17:43 -0800 2009 4386273 119275 Morganna 4 4386539 where was the lake, me northern MI, but we had blue gills too, perch and bass, still a favorite of mine. Wed Feb 04 08:21:30 -0800 2009 4386532 232829 kchurchill5 5 4386779 Northern Indiana. :) Peeeeerch Mmmmm and bass of course. Fried blue gill fillets for breakfast was such a wonderful thing. :) Wed Feb 04 09:33:08 -0800 2009 4386539 119275 Morganna 6 4386985 no kidding, blue gill are so sweet and delicious, my Dad would catch them bigger than your hand. And being trained on how to remove the bones in one swipe is really great when you have a huge catch in front of you! I still have the little index card my Dad wrote out for me for his "batter" for his fish frys, and it was a dry batter not wet. Delicious! Wed Feb 04 10:25:01 -0800 2009 4386779 50431 chef chicklet 3 4410408 Oh, my -- tart cherries! My grandparents had a tree, and they made the most beautiful strudel, cherry soup, etc. Here in Massachusetts, they simply are not available! I have a dwarf tart cherry tree, and for the rest, I order them frozen from Michigan, at great expense! Thu Feb 12 08:12:13 -0800 2009 4386273 45208 somervilleoldtimer 1 4386817 My Mom, bless her dear departed soul, did not believe in "kid friendly" food. She made FOOD, and if you were hungry you ate it - adult or kid. If you didn't like it you didn't have to eat. Wed Feb 04 09:40:58 -0800 2009 4380944 225234 KiltedCook 2 4387387 Like the fried fish post above. My mom would make the same fish and then cut 1 piece in 3 pieces for my plate, body and 2 pieces to make a tail. We always had these great round slices of grilled potato. Mom would put 10 or so around the outside of the plate. Everyone else ate them too but mom always tried to make mine look cute. This is of course when I was young. Wed Feb 04 12:08:04 -0800 2009 4386817 232829 kchurchill5 1 4386975 My parents both cooked and I can tell you that there was no question about eating what we were served.(military father) I do remember though that what made us all love food was that they loved food and to cook, so they were always trying their new things on us. The other thing is that we were so included in the cooking. If not helping we all sat at the kitche table and watched and listened to the happy chatter that was going on. My Dad making chop suey or my mom making pizza. And of course all my friends always wanted to eat at my house. Fixing dinner or meals was a very fun time, fish frys and french fries, or the stories that were behind whatever they were making. That is what made eating food fun and enjoyable for me. So maybe not so much as what you do to make the food look appealing but to make the food sound interesting, kids always love a story. Wed Feb 04 10:21:36 -0800 2009 4380944 50431 chef chicklet 1 4388889 Some friends of mine and their kids have a very limited list of acceptable foods. I invited them for dinner and made chicken fingers and did a raw veggie platter w/ ranch dressing and a sour cream and onion dip. The kids ate quite a bit of the veggies to everyone's surprise. I think kids just like dip. Most kids like at least a couple types of fruit as well, so I would do some berries sprinkled lightly w/ sugar. Good luck! Wed Feb 04 20:33:05 -0800 2009 4380944 16865 twinmommy 1 4410410 I'm wondering how the visit is going? Thu Feb 12 08:12:56 -0800 2009 4380944 45208 somervilleoldtimer 1 4410884 My mother, HAH. We ate what was put on the table, and that was that. You finished what was put on your plate as well. Thu Feb 12 10:16:58 -0800 2009 4380944 259011 Demented 2 4415564 Was I like a weird kid or something? I never had food issues growing up and my mother never had issues with me eating. Everything she made I liked. If I didn't like it I could have something else but that would be like a sandwich or something. Seriously though, I really did like everything...she did involve me in cooking, which I think helped and she did avoid the foods I clearly disliked (i.e.sour cream, raw onion) but other than that it was pretty much smooth sailing. Food was never an issue in my house. And if for some reason I didn't feel like eating anything, I didn't have to. There were never any demands made on me with food but also no "here honey here, what can I make you"... somewhere in the middle. Which is why I guess I'm pretty open to trying any food now. Also not to steal the thread but for those discussing feeding disorders with or wihtout autism, you really can get help for the child. Speech therapists who are feeding specialists are a HUGE rescource. Let me know if you want more info- Fri Feb 13 15:15:29 -0800 2009 4410884 131224 lovessushi 1 4415750 She didn't. We learned to like what was served. Fri Feb 13 16:35:52 -0800 2009 4380944 162977 sarah galvin 1 4416712 Applesauce! Our mothers favorite "fussy kid" standby. If my brothers couldn't stomache sweet potatoes, mom added applesauce. My sister went thru a scrambled eggs with applesauce phase I clearly remember. I wonder if they eat applesauce today OR use the same "save" on their kids. Me, I ate everything! Sat Feb 14 06:21:24 -0800 2009 4380944 36312 HillJ 2 4421817 My dear, late, mother was nobody's idea of a cook. Food was not the draw at our house, but the family meals were always enjoyable. We talked and laughed and my sister and I were not forced to eat anything. But, we did have to sit at the table and use flawless manners. We also had to come dressed in clean clothes with no rollers in our hair. Mon Feb 16 10:38:22 -0800 2009 4416712 57253 lucyis 1 4425977 My mother made no concession to us by the time they considered my sister and me to be civilized enough to eat at the dinner table with my parents. Until that point, about age 3 or 4, I think, dinner was prepared by our housekeeper. We ate at a small table in the den and all evidence of it was cleared by the time my father got home from his store. When we graduated to the dining room, we were expected to eat everything my parents were eating - just in smaller portions. The rule was that you had to taste everything - at least a spoonful. If you didn't like it, you didn't have to eat any more than that, but there would be no substitutions available, so you ate more of whatever was on the table you *did* like if you didn't want to leave hungry. And, if you served yourself, you were obliged to finish everything, no matter how long it took. I can remember sitting alone at the table, long after my sister and parents had moved into the living room. I soon learned to take small portions and, if necessary, go back for seconds. There was one except to this rule. We were never forced to eat calves' liver, which was a favorite of my father. I'm curious - how did the visit with the 3 kids work out? Tue Feb 17 13:59:06 -0800 2009 4380944 10787 Deenso