Overcoming the challenge of feeding a family where everyone eats different things

I am extremely challenged with arranging menus in my home because of our three kids. They are fussy and have widely varying nutritional needs (ie, daughter is chubby and gains weight easily like me, son and hubby are both twigs that can eat anything they want in any quanity) and I really want to drastically reduce my bad carb intake which would mean some really strange foods on my table once again (I haven't eaten like that since before kids, and I really miss all the wonderful creative low-carb cooking) but I feel like my kids will starve to death on that diet.

Any thoughts? Has anyone else figured out how to balance this all out?

Thu. Aug 12, 10:49pm

I kind of feel like good eating benefits the entire family, so really, everyone has the same nutritional needs. I find my kids get the fussiest when I get in the habit of giving in to their desires and then try and 'talk sense into them" about needing to eat better. In other words, I give them a platform for complaining! And, really, I'm the one in charge of buying and making the food - this is all on me, I can't blame their eating habits on anyone but myself.

Anyway, I changed my tactics recently and it's worked out well. I have made changes without announcing them or saying anything about it - what I serve is what I serve - period. I make one meal for the entire family and I make sure that with every meal there is something healthful they like. New things require a big, solid taste (no touching their tongue to it and declaring they hate it.) And that's it. They may resist at first, and that's their tactic for getting you to get back to serving what they like, but they will not starve. Never mind that a person can be malnourished and overweight.

I like to consider - what's the trade off? Am I really going to sacrifice good nutrition to avoid some fussiness? Do I want to teach them that they just need to fuss and I'll put on my Short Order Cook hat and make them foods I really don't want them eating? I say, 'nope' I ate what was served to me as a kid growing up - my kids will do the same! And they do.

Friday, August 13, 2010, 10:31 AM

I am in the same boat, and I totally agree with PP. It is our own fault they are fussy, we are the ones buying the food and cooking it for them. I say make them try it and if they don't like it, they can have a peanut butter sandwich. They will not starve. My daycare got ALL the kids (around 30) to eat cooked beets! All they did was serve it on their schedule and by the time they offered it 20 times, everyone was eating them! Of course this took time, probaby several months, but I think it can happen at home, too. They say it takes 21 days to change a habit, so we need to be patient! It can be done!

Friday, August 13, 2010, 12:09 PM

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