How Many Of Your Kids Actually Eat Lunch?

[Heidi]

I have a suggestion:

Do a "food" unit. Find a bunch of books on how food grows, a few silly books about food (the popcorn shop or green eggs and ham). Have the children help prepare meals, hang up a food pyramid and "my plate", and ask the children to identify what they are eating and what food group it belongs in.

I did this with my kiddos last year, and they loved it. Even the 18 mo's started trying to point out the food groups.

If you don't already serve family style and sit with the kids, this is another way to encourage healthy eating. You can make rules like "start with one spoonful of each", and can help the younger ones. Even if YOU only eat a symbolic amount and then eat again after their napping.

[Lefse&Kids]

I think more than anything I'm frustrated. I have this group of kids who won't eat fruit or veggies, won't drink milk, so if they don't eat any of the main - they don't eat. I know people say if they don't eat that's their problem. I get it, I do. This group of kids also won't eat breakfast unless it's frosted pop tarts or sugar cereal. Most will eat pm snack, but only if there's crackers involved & I don't let them gorge themselves - they get 1 serving.

Anyways, all that to say I end up with whiney cranky kids who drag b*tt on walks. They complain all the time about being hungry and it just gets old. I simply tell them when the when the next meal/snack is and I don't respond to the whines or the crankiness. This has been ongoing for 6 months now. It's getting old - it really is.

I realize this is now a vent, sorry.

The kids here are the exact same way! I can barely take it... I end up throwing away 90% of what I make for them. I set an example and eat healthy in front of them, but that doesn't seem to help. I have managed to switch them from juice to water completely and they no longer whine for pop tarts. Lunch is soooo hard around here.

I don't carry a lot of variety for a reason, but here is what my day looks like for meals...

Breakfast - kids choice of honey cheerios, toast with pb, or oatmeal, and a banana - they ask for chips instead....ugh

Snack - fruit/veggie tray - apples, cheese, celery sticks, carrots, with dips- the only eat the apples and cheese - then ask for more apples and cheese....

Lunch - Swedish meatballs, minestrone, potato soup, grilled cheese, ham subs - they eat the grilled cheese....that's it. then they ask for chips or cookies...ummm nooo, just like yesterday :-)

Snack - my last attempt at getting fruits and veggies in them, and popcorn.

I love some of the ideas on this thread for food - will have to try.

Forgot to say that burritos are frequent as well. Its amazing what veggies you can hide in refried beans. Peppers, carrots, corn, cauliflower, mashed peas, tomatoes. I use a lot of beans for sources of protein, I figure they get enough "meat & potatoes" at home. As long as it has taco flavor to it, the kids will eat it... hope this helps

[melilley]

My kids eat pretty well. I pay attention to what they eat and will make more or less of the foods depending on what they eat, but I always put the minimum for the food program on their plates. I offer at least the minimum and try to make foods that they like, but also make foods that they don't so that they are exposed to them. If they eat they eat, if they don't then they don't. I also try to plan my menu around who is here and what they like, but not always. My kids never tell me that they are hungry, but I also have 2 under the age of 1 and 4 that are 21 months to 2.5 years so they eat almost everything I offer except one child who has a texture aversion-well mom says he does, but he eats some things that she says he won't.
My menu is similar to yours, but I do not serve any sea food. I don't eat it and don't even know how to make it.....

Some favorite mains are:
Ham either plain or in a dish such as the scalloped potatoes, Chicken made all different ways, Mac & Cheese, All beef hotdogs (1-2 times a month), Cheese burgers, Tortilla wraps w/turkey and cheese, English muffin pizzas, any breakfast dish especially eggs, Spaghetti/pasta dishes, PB&J (1-2 times a month), just to name a few. What I make also depends on the season. In the winter I made more roast, casserole and crock pot type dishes. I would like a better summer menu, but I try to do as much fresh fruit and veggies as possible.
They will eat all fruits and most veggies, especially frozen peas-we call them power balls...

[My3cents]

I don't know if you would ever find a menu full of meals that every kid would eat. I even have some that will eat the main course one time, but then act as if it is poison the next time it is served. I make sure that the meals are filling and healthy, and then it is up to them if they are going to eat it or not.

One thing that seems to help some of my picky ones is we call our food weird things. Broccoli=trees ("Hey giant, Are you going to eat those trees?") Spaghetti=worms ("Hurry and eat those worms before they wiggle off your plate!)

I have a hard time with spaghetti because it was called worms as a child.........just sayin

[My3cents]

I think more than anything I'm frustrated. I have this group of kids who won't eat fruit or veggies, won't drink milk, so if they don't eat any of the main - they don't eat. I know people say if they don't eat that's their problem. I get it, I do. This group of kids also won't eat breakfast unless it's frosted pop tarts or sugar cereal. Most will eat pm snack, but only if there's crackers involved & I don't let them gorge themselves - they get 1 serving.

Anyways, all that to say I end up with whiney cranky kids who drag b*tt on walks. They complain all the time about being hungry and it just gets old. I simply tell them when the when the next meal/snack is and I don't respond to the whines or the crankiness. This has been ongoing for 6 months now. It's getting old - it really is.

I realize this is now a vent, sorry.

Parents are probably giving them a load of milk or breakfast in the morning. Most kids will eat if they are hungry. Breakfast at home is probably very different from breakfast at your house- keep serving it and they will come around, or maybe pass on breakfast and move to morning snack.

[My3cents]

Sometimes they'll eat something if they can 'dip' it in something.

Sometimes I also hide things. The other day I made seashell macaroni that had tiny pieces of cauliflower in it. White and white, who knew?

If most of them will eat chicken and fish then I wouldn't worry about variety at the moment. Just pair it with different veggies or even with the same ones over and over if they'll eat it and its healthy.

I have two and one eats great and my grandson eats pretty well. He used to eat great but now is more picky. I make lentil soup that he normally loves but I tried making it another way and it came out kind of thick. He wouldn't eat it and said 'sticky'. Then he ate it once and left the potatoes so the next time I smashed up the potatoes and carrots and he didn't know they were in there and ate it right up.

Also make sure it is cooked well and looks appetizing. I'm sure it is just saying....

Laurel

yes,
I don't know if I like the word hide, but I guess it applies. I am not trying to hide stuff but eat healthier or serve healthier foods. I am more a fan of seeing things being ate rather then hiding it and telling them later they ate it. The sneak factor of it. I think kids eat stuff that other people eat and sometimes I think kids just don't like something and that is ok as long as they at least try it.

Anyway- My point to quoting this is that they have pasta that has vegetables servings in it and it taste good. I get the store brand but I have seen it in name brands and can't remember the name of it.

[LaLa1923]

All of my kids eat now since I took out am snack.

[Heidi]

All of my kids eat now since I took out am snack.

To the OP, that might be a thought. How many meals do you serve and when?

I serve am snack (which meets requirements for breakfast, usually) at 8:45/9
Lunch is at 11:45/12:00
Snack: 3:30 or so.

Those are start times, and we usually sit there for 20-30 minutes

Everyone dishes up (some I do, the older ones self-serve), and then we wait until everyone has their food. Then we say "Bon Apetit'" well, now it's "Bon Apetit', now we can eat" because some of my kiddos rhymed that.

You could also do a prayer, or say "enjoy you meal" in another language.

We sit and chat while we eat, and the children ask to be excused when the meal is over. At lunch, I usually read a story as people are finishing up, although with 2 babies to feed, lately that's fallen by the wayside.