Feeding two children has become very interesting. One not very interested in food, one very interested, but only in a handful of things. I’m out of the safe and predictable rut I was in and back in the challenge of seeing how far I can go with what goes on their plate. This has been breakfast lately…
Banana silver dollar pancakes with bluberries (crushed for Peps). Abby ate a thousand pancakes, and one blueberry, at our insistence. She used to LOVE them and now she’s all “yuck”. Wah!
Peps gnawed at hers and I think poked a blueberry.
Peps got a lovely bowl of wheatgerm, natural yogurt and apples and she took one bite then shook her head “no” so violently I thought it was going to fall off. Or she was going to whip herself out of the high chair. We tried it again at lunch with some mashed banana to counteract the sour yogurt, but she was not having it. Couldn’t get her to eat more than one bite.
We have made a breakthrough with boiled eggs and soldiers, something I didn’t even think Abby would put anywhere near her mouth, let alone love it as much as she does. I guess my persistence in trying even the things I think she’ll turn her nose up at is paying off! She calls these “Abby eggs” and asks for them at least once a day.
We fell so far and so deep into a peanut butter rut, that I wasn’t sure deviating would produce much complicity. Peps will put anything in her mouth, at least, but I was surprised when Abby ate this no question. Well, not the blueberries. And not really the mandarine, but cream cheese on wholegrain toast at least made it past her lips. Pepper approved too.
Banana french toast and strawberries was eaten by both. A fun weekend breakfast for everyone! (My recipe is here, and I have a vegan one here).
What’s on the menu at your place?
Dear Boy is obsessed with “bubbles” and “bix” and will eat them with fresh or cooked fruit. It’s pretty much the only meal he will consistently eat, and eat all of that I haven’t varied it much. Every now and then I venture into porridge and yoghurt or french toast. I reckon I’m going to try the boiled egg and dipping soldiers soon though.
I was so surprised, but very pleased as they’re so nutrtitious. Abby will eat porridge, but only if it’s out of my portion in my bowl, and loves yogurt and eats it at least once a day. But that’s about the end of it! Besides sandwiches, bananas and weetbix. Love the cooked fruit idea, we do that too!
We’re in a “No” state of mind with little miss 15mths at the moment too. Lately she has been ‘helping her self’ (under my watchful eye) to a dry Weet-Bix that she ‘sneeks’ from the box!
Oh dear the little darling! That’s so cute. We are huge weetbix fans here, everyone eats them! Abby ate everything until about 13-14 months and suddenly started being picky as hell. Slowly growing out of it though, and I’m so excited 🙂
My 3 year old love dry weetbix too! Pity about the gigantic mess they make though! 🙂
Yes Laura your right, GINORMOUS mess! But at least she’s getting most (some?) in her mouth!
Veggie Mama, might have to try some soldiers & egg.. she hasn’t really had egg on it’s own before; only cooked in to things.
The worst thing about feeding kids today is how fickle they are, loving something one day and being revolted by it the next. I can’t remember being like that but then we didn’t have the choice and range they do today.
So true! I didn’t eat half the things I feed my kids. and i hear stories of much tougher audiences, like kids who only eat white food, so while it’s par for the course, it’s still a pain in the ass.
Yes to runny egg and soldiers. Pancakes are on high rotation (your receipe and tips…best ever). Bugs on a log – celery, peanut butter with dotted cranberries, smoothies, smoked oysters, dates are all popular atm and always Vegemite.
Also, I am so pleased with my eldest, she’s 7 and eats everything except peas and weetbix. Her dinner is always the same as ours and the same amount as mine. I think it’s because I’ve always just keep putting all the stuff on her plate, made no deal about it just answered “oh but that was yesterday” to her “I told you I don’t like cabbage (or whatever)”. Am just hoping the younger two follow her example….no luck yet though 😉
Oh “that was yesterday” is GENIUS! I’m so trying that when they get old enough to reason with. We had a breakthrough last night with Abby eating a piece each of broccoli, carrot, zucchini and mashed potato. I nearly fell off my chair but as you say, just putting it on their plate and not making a big deal about it seems to be the way to go.
Breakfast is all about cheese on toast at our place. Or occasionally stewed apple porridge or muesli with yoghurt but those are hit and miss. Snack times involve a lot of Sao biscuits with cream cheese or hommus – would your two eat hommus do you think? Good for protein and lots of options for what to dip in/spread on.
The answer to that is yes and no! It’s featured in a couple of my other kid food posts (mostly the lunch ones) and while I can get them to eat it now and then, I can’t get Abby to dip anything into it. I usually put it on wraps as a spread and stuff. We love Saos here too, they get eaten every day! And cheese on toast, we can usually get that one eaten!
It is so hard to feed young children Stacey,one day they love something and another day they hate it ,just hang in there and they hopefully will eat what you make,I am glad Pepper at least tries it,My children used to be like that one would eat everything and the other nothing!
Oh banana french toast sounds amazing. My 3 year old love carmens bircher muesli soaked in natural yoghurt overnight with a bit of manuka honey. Porridge is a pretty regular staple too and fried eggs on the weekend. I’ve been a bit spoilt though with a kiddo that eats just about anything. With another little one on the way I’m sure I won’t get so lucky second time round!
Your description of Pepper trying the wheatgerm is HILARIOUS!
Kids are fussy buggers aren’t they? They are also so bloody funny 🙂
My parents whipped Toddler C into shape.
He now eats mostly everything and he eats it at the dinner table!
Miracle!
Veggie are still more miss than hit but other than that he is an eating machine!
In the last 6 months Nella (3) has become SO FUSSY. She used to be a super eater but now has to be coached through each mouthful… UNLESS it’s vegemite on toast or berries of some description which are reliably inhaled. I am trying not to buy into it and continue to serve her up meals that she currently doesn’t like along with a smile and the phrase “sometimes you get what you get, and you don’t get upset.”