Dear 9 yo DCK...(Vent)

[JoseyJo]

I would just like to add that my kids would eat everything on that menu and love it. Different kids in different situations have very different likes and dislikes when it comes to food.

For my kids and my DCKs this menu would be yum. We had egg fried quinoa, mixed green salad (peppers, cucumber, tomato, spinach) and pineapple yesterday for lunch.

I would serve both of your menus! We serve multiple components at every meal so if you are hungry you can find something to eat. If we don't expose them to new foods they will always be afraid to try them

[Unregistered]

I would just like to add that my kids would eat everything on that menu and love it. Different kids in different situations have very different likes and dislikes when it comes to food.

For my kids and my DCKs this menu would be yum. We had egg fried quinoa, mixed green salad (peppers, cucumber, tomato, spinach) and pineapple yesterday for lunch.

My kids would eat it all too, and so would my DCKs. Love this menu! NOT to say we don't get the "I'm hungry" all the time still. I set a timer. "Your next meal is when the timer goes off." Now they just stare at the timer instead of whine to me. ;D

[Play Care]

It is sad how children are so used to junk and processed foods that their taste buds no longer recognize real food anymore. Your menu sounds super healthy. The only thing I would have maybe done differently is to add apples to the celery and PB just to make sure the kiddos at least eat a little something. (I have never had success feeding kids celery )
I really feel bad for the kids who don't know what real food is anymore. It breaks my heart how parents don't even realize how much damage they are doing to their child by feeding them crap. Their taste buds become so used to the overly sweet and overly salty flavours that they almost gag on actual food. We are becoming a society full of people who are at the same time overweight and malnourished.

I gave up trying to feed my DCKS healthy foods. We don't eat any processed food in our home and it became so frustrating hearing the kids complain and refuse to eat any of the homemade muffins, cookies, granola bars or fruit jellies I worked so hard to make.
They now bring their own lunches. Saves me time, money and a lot of frustration. I have rules about the types of foods they can bring. Parents break the rules...whatever. My kids know why we eat the way we do and never complain about not having pringles or prepackaged crackers in their packed lunches. All the kids have full bellies and are in a much better mood which makes my day SO much better plus I don't have to do any dishes!!

We do a lot of cooking activities together and teaching about good nutrition. I try but the bottom line is that I can't control how each family lives or eats. All I can do is encourage the kids to be healthy and hope that eventually they will make the right choices despite all the fancy little prepackaged cookies, cakes and processed cheese spread.

PS - High five on preparing fish for your DCKS though! It is so good for them and if they can get used to eating it at a young age, they will be so much better off later on!

I have a group of picky eaters in my dc right now. The other day at pick up mom was telling me a "funny" story about how they were driving past Dunkin Donuts on the way home from dc, and her boys started asking (I know her kids, who is she kidding - They were probably crying and whining to go...) if they could go there. Since she had planned on giving them a bagel with cream cheese for dinner anyway, she stopped and got them donuts for dinner instead But then she wonders why they won't eat a "real" dinner...
Her oldest child always asks what I'm having for dinner. When I say roast chicken, or fish or whatever he always says "yuck! you should have chicken nuggets!" To which I reply "You can't have chicken nuggets for dinner! That's not very healthy!" I keep my tone lighthearted, but really.

[SquirrellyMama]

I will sometimes serve fish and some kids like it some don't. I personally don't like fish and I never have. I decided at 37 I was allowed to not like it

The only thing about the OP's menu that I didn't understand was snack. Do you always serve celery with pb? The way you said the "continuous" griping about it made me think it was the snack everyday.

I have some really good eaters that won't touch celery. I only like it with pb or almond butter. I don't serve it much because I find kids often gag on it due to its stringy nature

K

[BumbleBee]

I will sometimes serve fish and some kids like it some don't. I personally don't like fish and I never have. I decided at 37 I was allowed to not like it

The only thing about the OP's menu that I didn't understand was snack. Do you always serve celery with pb? The way you said the "continuous" griping about it made me think it was the snack everyday.

I have some really good eaters that won't touch celery. I only like it with pb or almond butter. I don't serve it much because I find kids often gag on it due to its stringy nature

K

I can understand the confusion - I didn't word it very well. I serve celery w/pb once every 3 weeks. Pb we have w/something about once a week. Celery is once every 3 weeks. Someone else mentioned doing apples along with the celery and pb. I'll be trying that for the next go around.

[Meyou]

I can understand the confusion - I didn't word it very well. I serve celery w/pb once every 3 weeks. Pb we have w/something about once a week. Celery is once every 3 weeks. Someone else mentioned doing apples along with the celery and pb. I'll be trying that for the next go around.

I have a provider friend who gives the kids ww goldfish crackers with pb and celery. The kids use the celery and fishing rods, dip in the pb and fish for the goldfish. They love it.

[Play Care]

I can understand the confusion - I didn't word it very well. I serve celery w/pb once every 3 weeks. Pb we have w/something about once a week. Celery is once every 3 weeks. Someone else mentioned doing apples along with the celery and pb. I'll be trying that for the next go around.

I do apples with pb and the kids love it. They also like banana with pb. When I've done "ants on a log" the kids **** out the pb and raisins and the celery gets tossed::

[allsmiles]

im right there with ya girl.. i had to get off of the food program actually because the kids would not eat ANYTHING healthy.. i prefer to throw away one side of veggie/fruit rather than two..
i do allow the kids to bring their lunch and you SAID IT.. its pb and j and cheetos with a gogurt for my one dcg. and lunchable with a butterfinger and lays potato chips for my two dcbs..EVERYDAY... LUCKILY!! the other kids are too small to care and go ahead and eat what i prepare.. smh..
i gave the dcg REAL greek yogurt today for breakfast and she said.." i dont eat real strawberries" and took them out..while she wen to town w/ the strawberry jam on her pb and j sandwich

[allsmiles]

hmpph..
my kids will eat all the peanut butter and take two bites out of apple::::