I really need help with meals.
 

I'm starting to get concerned about AJ's health because of how little she eats. She used to have a really diverse palate but the older she's gotten the more foods she's dropped from that. When she was 2-3yrs she used to eat as much as I would at meals; now she hardly eats anything.

Lately she's been having a lot of stomach issues and complaining frequently of being nauseated. She's been eating more gluten, and I know that is part of the issue - it constipates us both. But I really think she's just not eating enough, either. And I don't make meals that are well-rounded enough - they're lacking fats and fiber and enough produce - so I'm hungry more often than I'm not, and even large meals (since they're not well-rounded) don't fill me up.

The problem is that everyone here is SO STINKING PICKY. A lot of it is sensory issues; DH and the girls all deal with them, mostly texture related. DH won't touch produce or anything that has produce on it or near it. The girls each like about three fruits/veggies - apples, carrots, cucumber for PJ and peas for AJ. (Actually, PJ also likes berries, and she, unlike everyone else, is at least willing to try new foods. Ironic since she's the one who had feeding issues and had to go through "food school" when she was little!) None of them will do soups, smoothies, broths, purees - anything soft and mushy (other than ice cream, LOL, and mashed potatoes, which DH and PJ like, but not AJ - the girls don't even like the softer apple varieties; I have to get kiku, pink lady, honey crisp, or fuji apples because they're good and crisp). The girls also don't like any of their veggies cooked (except the peas) - have to be cold and raw. No one likes spicy stuff.

The other problem is that I do not enjoy cooking in the least. Partly because I never know what to make, partly because it's so much effort for so little payoff (because someone always complains, or it doesn't turn out right, or it takes ages to make and 30 seconds to eat and 30 minutes to clean up), and partly because everyone is so picky and it's so hard to find something that everyone likes. There are literally TWO meal I make that everyone actually enjoys, but we can't live on chicken fettucini alfredo and chicken and rice casserole forever!

I make sure every meal has protein. The girls eat 2-3 servings of fresh fruit/veggies a day, usually with a meal but sometimes just as a snack. They usually have some kind of pretzel/chip as a side with meals. (Texture thing again - they crave crunch.) They have finally started to eat sandwiches (that's new in literally the last year, and they're 9 and 11!) but because we're gluten free we try not to do a lot of breads/grains because gf they are so bad for you, plus the girls don't like most gf breads anyway. (And who can blame them?)

I have a slow cooker and an IP.

I need examples of well-rounded meals, because I honestly don't know what a well-rounded meal looks like. I can use those examples as a base and then sub in the ingredients my family will actually eat. But I also HAVE to introduce new foods in somehow - it's getting ridiculus how limited everyone's palate is.

:help :help :help

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

Have you tried to make your own GF bread? I know this is only a small part of what's going on. :make more later hopefully.


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Re: I really need help with meals.
 

That sounds really hard. I might start by making variations of your pasta and rice meals.

Here is an alfredo alternative. You can switch up the seasonings or omit them. The recipe is delicious as it is, but could also be good with curry (and omit the Italian seasonings). http://meatified.com/italian-chicken...le-hold-grain/

Here is a chicken rice casserole alternative. I usually double the sauce. This freezes well, with or without the rice. http://www.food.com/recipe/bourbon-chicken-45809

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

Do they eat rice or potatoes (roasted, hashbrowns, boiled, baked etc? Do they like pasta?
Do they eat raw veggies with dip? You might consider having an appetizer tray to munch on. Do they like things with sauce? Do they eat salad?

We have some Sensory issues here too but I don't allow complaining about a meal. After a chorus of yucks once when they were younger I took the food off the table and they didn't eat and I had a long talk about what was acceptable ("no thank you", "I don't prefer onions" etc) I didn't ask them to like or eat everything, only that they had to be polite because they might not like or want the food but I still don't deserve that treatment. In any case now they eat most things, even the one who struggles the most. Except onions, he will pick every last one out) I give him a smaller portion of veggies out of respect and he eats them out of respect.

Growing up we always had a salad first and that had add ins like cucumbers, sunflower seeds and raw carrots. Then a few vegetables and a starch and then the protein. Sometimes jello. We usually had dessert but it was often fruit.

Since they like crunchy, here are a few things that might satisfy that craving.

Salads (with add ins)
Latke or hashbrowns
Pan fried chicken
Raw zucchini
Raw (thin) asparagus wrapped in lunch meat
Freeze Dried fruit/vegetables
Lettuce wraps
Nachos
Roasted chickpeas
Nuts
Nut crusted fish/chicken


Grate, drain water and add into hamburgers or spaghetti or sloppy joes or anything with a sauce. Same with spinach or protein powder



I'd also consider quitting and letting them all figure it out :shifty

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

I'm following along to get suggestions, too. Trying to move to more produce and less carbs is harder than it should be.

Have you talked to your husband about how this is a problem and maybe he could try to help by eating something green?

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

PJ will eat salad, sort of. Abby loves ranch but not with veggies, LOL, just with chicken nuggets and occasionally fries. They kind of like rice. Honestly, I don't think I've ever given them potatoes in any form but mashed or fries. I used to cube sweet potato and saute that in butter and Italian seasoning and they loved it - totally forgot about that!! I'll have to try that again, and regular potatoes, too. Other than ketchup and ranch, they're not big on sauces. Same for DH.

So you did multiple courses instead of everything out at once? Do you feel like that was helpful somehow?

Anything green is considered highly suspicious. :rolleyes Why peas and cucumber have made it through their filters I don't know. If I can't make it miniscule they will pick stuff out. And if they see me prepping it and they know it's in there, they just won't eat it. :(

They don't like nuts. (They don't even like peanut butter! :jawdrop I eat the stuff by the spoonful nearly evey day.) But a nut-crusted something-or-other might go over well if I can get the nuts fine enough. PJ will eat fish but not anyone else. Nachos...never thoughts of that, but that might work. All of us but PJ like chicken quesadillas and I make those for lunch usually a couple times a week.

Thank you so much for the list and ideas. :hug :heart I'm going to try some of these.

This is totally what I'm dying to do but I can't bear the thought of what they'd try to subsist on!

He has no control over. If he so much as smells that a vegetable has been on his food (like if he orders a burger and they put lettuce on it in the kitchen but then take it off before bringing it to the table) he can't eat it. He will eat honeycrisp apples every once in a while - maybe 3-4 times a year. (Not joking.)

I used to, with the Pamela's bread flour, but it was too dense and just not good. :sad Now that they have their artisan flour I should try again; that makes really good cookies, so maybe it would make decent bread? It's been probably 5 years since I made bread; maybe now there are better gf recipes out there than there were back then.


Thank you, I'll check those out!

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

I have a pretty good bread recipe. It's not as light as storebought, but it's so much better.

http://barefeetinthekitchen.com/hone...en-free-bread/

It's a variation of that.

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

sensory or anxiety-related?

anti-anxieties?

what about that book by Jessica Seinfeld where she hides the veggies in other foods?

My kids don't eat as much when they are not in a growth-spurt.

Do your kids like being sick? Would they eat more if they were under the care of a counselor/dietician/doctor for food-related issues?

<That is a real question. I have one friend who enjoys being sick and getting help.>

Do you eat family breakfast?
Family lunch?
Family dinner?

Can you eat without your husband more often? :shifty

Do they eat better at restaurants? With your parents?

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

Only the salad and dessert were separate courses. The veggies, starch and entree were all served at the same time but none of that was brought out until the salads were eaten.

Has your dh ever tried to get help? That sounds really severe.

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

Thank you! Totally will try!

Not sure. Kinda chicken-or-egg when it comes to that. He does have anxiety. We're working on that.

I've considered that, but if they see me putting the stuff in they're not going to want to eat it. And I want them to try new things and to expand their palate, so I want them to actually know what they're eating.

Not likely. Our previous counselor experience revealed that they love the attention in the sessions, but they don't transfer any of the tools/skills the counselor taught to what they do at home. When they get sick I start making them take supplements that they hate, so no, they don't like being sick, LOL.

The girls and I have breakfast together most mornings. Usually lunch too. Dinner can be hit-or-miss, but usually we don't eat with DH because he either eats in his office or in front of the TV and the girls and I will eat at the table.

No better at restaurants either, no, nor with my parents.

No. He has anxiety and we're working on that; hopefully there will be some improvements in that area, too, but I don't know how much is anxiety-based and how much is physiological.

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

oh, I do not have any problem whatsoever about putting veggies in my kids' food. I put a few okra pods in chocolate smoothies. Can't taste. Makes them creamier. I do not think they'd drink it at all if they knew it was in there. I figure when they are teens/young adults, they'll ask me for the recipe. They'll gag and then make them just like I did! :lol

I'm really sorry food is such a struggle. It was such a joy in my house. Maybe you can look on the bright side? They probably won't ever have to go on a diet like I do! ;)

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

Will either dh or kids eat pasta with sauce? That is one thing you can easily hide other veggies in if you blend with a blender

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

With AJ's symptoms, I'd suspect constipation.

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

so they like creamy carb things?

How about shepherd's pie
enchilada casserole (you don't have to make it spicy- it can just be creamy)
baked fries

Cheesy sauces are great for blending carrots or other orange veggies into :shifty

Herbs are really good for you, too. Oregano has lots of antioxidants in it (and they don't need much to get a benefit) as well as other herbs and spices. So if they won't do veggies, do all the herbs they will eat!

Re: I really need help with meals.
 

What about trying to assign the kids to some of the meal planning? If you laid out guidelines (ie. must include one veggie, etc) would they be able to come up with a meal plan they'd like?