How To Wrap Food

[Country Kids]

I like the idea of having to start some kids off with wrapping the food like fast food and then weaning them off.

I've recently started the food program and even though I always served healthy meals suddenly no one wants the food I'm serving. I'm one that seriously hates to throw food away so it really doesn't bother me if a child brings there food then doesn't eat it because I'm not throwing my money away with that meal.

Anyway, how would you go about wrapping the food and such. Would you save wrappers up from when you went or what. That would take quite awhile and I don't think it would be very sanitary.

Yesterday, we had vegetable soup and you would have thought I was serving something very disgusting with the reaction I received. One child immediatly started crying for their parents, always does this when they don't like something. Crying they don't like hot water which I replied good because we aren't having that. This child actually ate all the soup but took awhile.

So how would you disguise the soup so they would think it was from somewhere else? I'm jumping on the band wagon of serving new foods and becoming healthy but its going to be a process.

[mismatchedsocks]

I'm not for disguising food in wrappers, BUT maybe get some alphabet noodles to put in the soup. Or if they are old enough tell them to all take a bite at a time, then one child gets to guess the "secret' ingredient. I always tell the kids, you may not like this at home, but Ms. Amber makes it special with secret ingredients. If they like grilled cheese make it to dip in there.

[Heidi]

Yeah, I thought about it when it was talked about here before, but I'm not a fan of this idea. I can hardly make myself tell a child that if she eats the bread crust, her eyes will sparkle. My food program consultant started that one. I just don't think you will ever wean them off of it, and I also think it's part of our job to give them the right message.

Give them a little bit of each thing you make. If they want more of something, "sure, as soon as your plate is empty"

If they don't want to eat "ok, then I guess you're not hungry. You are excused"

the end!

You don't have to throw away food if it hasn't been on a plate. Wrap or tupperware, freezer, and serve again next week. If it's sandwiches, then make less to start with, and keep the ingredients out until the meal is over.

[littlemommy]

I was going to try wrapping lunch in that Burger King bag from yesterday for this boy, but he didn't even make it to the table. He started screaming as soon as I said it's lunchtime.

It's not worth the hassle of special wrapping his food every day. I honestly think it would encourage the bad behavior. He's 2, he doesn't need to see a Burger King bag every day. At least not at my house. I'm sure dad takes him thru a drive thru every night on the way home.

[nannyde]

I wouldn't wrap food for kids. I don't really care if they don't eat so I wouldn't go thru the effort to do pretend stuff with meals. If they refuse the food I don't make a deal of it. We will try again tomorrow.

I would rather them go hungry then to associate my food with treats. When we have treats we CELEBRATE the treat food. Pretending my food is treat food would really diminish the celebration for when we get special. happyface

[mommiesherie]

I'm also working on changing our menu to a very healthy one also. It has been a process. I had an infant that when I first got him at 7 months would NOT eat any type of green veggie baby food. Only fruits really. He is now 11 months and eats peas and green beans and such finally in baby food. He won't eat regular peas or green beans but I'm working on it. His 2 year old brother has been unreal hard though. I feel your pain. Honestly in my opinion if it makes them eat it I would wrap it in anything. We have a restaurant supply here in my town to buy things like that in. I know I'm not with the group on this one but if it gets the healthy food down them then so be it.

[Abigail]

To the OP,
Did you recently change all your food 100% from junk to healthy?

Can you give a sample of what one or two day's meals are?

If it is just this one child, I would be having a meeting with the parents and make sure you're on the same team to help better this child's healthier future without so much fast food.

[Country Kids]

To the OP,
Did you recently change all your food 100% from junk to healthy?

Can you give a sample of what one or two day's meals are?

If it is just this one child, I would be having a meeting with the parents and make sure you're on the same team to help better this child's healthier future without so much fast food.

No its not just this one. I have at least 3 out of 6 that are like this.

Monday-Ham/Cheese Sandwich
Cooked Carrots (everyone gagged or cried about these)
Pineapple (No one ate-one complained they were to spicy)

Tuesday-Veggie soup (they ate but reluctantly)
P.B. Sandwich (no Prob)
Yogurt/Grape nuts on top (3 out 5 didn't eat)
Apple Slices

So I'm keeping at it but its rediculous that kids just can't eat food anymore. I actually had a dad say, no ****** doesn't like applesauce. Who doesn't like applesauce.

[Meyou]

My kids hate cooked carrots but can't get enough raw ones with or without dip. That might work for the carrots anyway. I don't cook the veggies very often. They prefer most of them raw so I just go with it.

[nannyde]

No its not just this one. I have at least 3 out of 6 that are like this.

Monday-Ham/Cheese Sandwich
Cooked Carrots (everyone gagged or cried about these)
Pineapple (No one ate-one complained they were to spicy)

Tuesday-Veggie soup (they ate but reluctantly)
P.B. Sandwich (no Prob)
Yogurt/Grape nuts on top (3 out 5 didn't eat)
Apple Slices

So I'm keeping at it but its rediculous that kids just can't eat food anymore. I actually had a dad say, no ****** doesn't like applesauce. Who doesn't like applesauce.

With pineapple you can run it thru your blender to the consistency of applesauce. Freeze in small containers. Add a small ounce container to the kids applesauce. That gives them a small taste of it with applesauce.

Every time you have applesauce INCREASE the amount of pineapple sauce. Once you get it to fifty fifty then start putting tiny bits of whole pineapple in the mix. Over time increase the sizes... and phase out the applesauce. The way to get them to try new stuff is to pony it up wtih stuff you know they like. Start small and work your way to thicker, chunkier... then by itself.

With the vegetable soup... puree it into sauce. Add crackers to the top of it. Then add crackers to the top and middle of it. Then crackers thru the whole thing. Once they will eat the puree soup with crackers then start decreasing the amount that is blended. Do 3/4 blended and 1/4 with the whole soup. Same routine with the crackers. Increase to half and half... then to whole. If they will only accept it pureed or slightly chunky with crackers... then you are okay.

With the ham and cheese sandwhiches... SHRED the bejeezus out of the ham. Make it tiny shards of ham. Take the cheese and shred it too. Put it over one slice of bread and then make STICKS of it. Thin sticks. Give them a stick at a time and something to dip it into (like your soup).

Increase the width of the sticks... till you get them to accept it. Then make it a sandwhich... in sticks... then a sandwhich in squares.

I don't do yougurt because it gets them used to highly sweetened and filler dairy food. Yougurt can be used as a dip for what you really want them to eat. I also don't do peanut butter sandwhiches. They eat SO much of that at home. No kiddy food... no pbj, no fish sticks, no nugget food, no grilled cheese, no fries, no goldfish crackers.... NO mandarin oranges.....none of the regular kiddy food.

[WImom]

Yeah, I thought about it when it was talked about here before, but I'm not a fan of this idea. I can hardly make myself tell a child that if she eats the bread crust, her eyes will sparkle. My food program consultant started that one. I just don't think you will ever wean them off of it, and I also think it's part of our job to give them the right message.

Give them a little bit of each thing you make. If they want more of something, "sure, as soon as your plate is empty"

If they don't want to eat "ok, then I guess you're not hungry. You are excused"

the end!

You don't have to throw away food if it hasn't been on a plate. Wrap or tupperware, freezer, and serve again next week. If it's sandwiches, then make less to start with, and keep the ingredients out until the meal is over.

.

This is what I do as well. Saves me alot of money and not so much waste.

[Meyou]

I find it really odd they wouldn't eat pineapple. My crew cheers for it even when we get a sour one.

[Meyou]

With the ham and cheese sandwhiches... SHRED the bejeezus out of the ham. Make it tiny shards of ham. Take the cheese and shred it too. Put it over one slice of bread and then make STICKS of it. Thin sticks. Give them a stick at a time and something to dip it into (like your soup).

Increase the width of the sticks... till you get them to accept it. Then make it a sandwhich... in sticks... then a sandwhich in squares.

This is what I do with sandwiches. I use a pizza cutter to cut them in cubes or strips depending on their age.

[iheartkids]

Hmmm, I must have an oddball group of kids because they all eat pretty much everything I make. I only have one child that if I tell her there is cheese in it she'll eat it...funny that she will just take my word for it then eat it up! haha!