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View Full Version : What to feed 2 new mindees very fussy and veggy!



mai-lenabump
08-09-2010, 07:43 PM
i have 2 new starters this week brother and sister boy is 4 so after school only and girl is 2 and full day.
Thing is they are extremely fussy - or so mum says. And vegetarian, but dont like veg.
Mums says they dont like pasta, chips, waffles anything like that, boy wont have things that are mixed together (what ever that means!) i think she means cake and custard would have to served seperate etc they do eat fish but apparently these 2 dont like it. She said just give them pizza jacket potato and beans.
But obviously i cant only ever give them that! And i dont want to make different meals for them than the other mindees and my own kids.
At school they get free school dinners (on a yrs trial everyone gets it) but this boy is so fussy mum sends him with sandwiches. (only 6 kids in entire school have sandwiches and 2 of them are hers!)
I posted this prob on the site where you intro yourself and someone suggested affering quorn or veg sausages etc but as you'll see that's not really an option either.
They do apparently like soup but i know my others are not all that keen so cant do that as a regular thing either, what on earth do i do~!?

I ended up giving the 2 yr old the same as other mindees for lunch today thinking she might just eat it as they were (gnocchi with veg sauce and tuna) but she just put her head on the table and refused!
I didn't offer an alternative just gave her yoghurt when others had there's after lunch.
They get snack at 10am and 3.30pm so not like she'd starve anyhow.
Then did jacket potato cheese and beans for tea. She ate it all and scrapped the potato right down to the skin, used knife and fork as that's what i gave her. But 4yr old boy said oh i dont like the skin it's been on my plate etc etc! I told him to just dig the potato out and leave what he didn't like. He was unimpressed but did eventually and ate most of the dinner.

When mum came i suggested quorn and veg sausages etc, she said oh they wont eat that sort of thing, just give them pizza jacket potatoes and beans that's fine! She was ok about 2 yr old not getting an alternative and totally shocked when i said she had done a great job with knife and fork, as apparently only ever has a spoon at home!
I think it's a case that they have been rather over indulged and with some gental persuassion might try new things but mum seems worried in case they do!
Not entirely sure where to go from here, so thought i'd make soup next week and do it with wraps they make themselves so all the other kids can get different things if soup is not for them and yet still give these 2 fussy ones chance to try new things.

Any Ideas????

claire'scherubs
08-09-2010, 08:29 PM
I have had exactly the same problem with an 8 year old and I am sorry to say it is an absolute nightmare. I have resorted to doing a 'normal' meal for everyone and subsitute her 'meat' with a fishfinger or 2 because that is all she will eat

An example, and please don't laugh, this is mum's suggestion. We have spaghetti bolognaise she has spaghetti and a fishfinger, we have a roast dinner she has everything but the meat and gravy, even if she sees a spot of gravy on her plate she won't touch it. She has learnt that I won't indulge her but I do feel guilty if she hasn't ate alot, but what am I supposed to do. Good Luck with it, I really do know how your feeling xxx

sarah707
08-09-2010, 08:34 PM
A lot of children do not like food touching other food.

In the past I have used a main plate and some little bowls on the plate to keep it separate.

Then I find the child will usually eat.

It sounds like you are in for a long haul. Good luck! :D

Chell
08-09-2010, 09:08 PM
If they eat fish then they aren't veggie. *steps off soap box* :p .

My family are all veggie so the meals I provide for my mindees are veggie. Re: the jacket potato. DS loves the skin on a jacket spuds but prefers it on it's own. I scoop all the inside out and put the crispy skin by the side. He picks the whole thing up and eats it with his fingers.

There is a recipe on the Jus Roll pastry packs where you roll out a square of pastry and cover it with tomato puree, ham and mozerella. I intend to try this but use basil in place of the ham or some roasted peppers or something. I wonder if they would eat this since it is similar to pizza. You could easily make it for everyone and leave part of it veggie.

mama2three
09-09-2010, 07:08 AM
How about introducing new things by putting them on a pizza? slices of quorn sausage for example? Then you can tell kids ( and mum) they liked the special sausage so they can have it with pot and beans next time...
I would tell mum that although she would be happy with them eating the same meal every evening it would be unfeasible at your home due to a) other children b) your healthy eating policy c) ofsted , and that you will need to compromise which will actually benefit the children...

Tina O
09-09-2010, 07:56 AM
Oh good luck, one thing that drives me crazy is fussy eating and I've had two of my own............

Sometimes do you just want to scream ".....for goodness sack just eat it!!!!!" ?????

I'm sure you will find a way through xx

angeldelight
09-09-2010, 08:14 AM
If they eat fish then they aren't veggie. *steps off soap box* :p .

My family are all veggie so the meals I provide for my mindees are veggie. Re: the jacket potato. DS loves the skin on a jacket spuds but prefers it on it's own. I scoop all the inside out and put the crispy skin by the side. He picks the whole thing up and eats it with his fingers.

There is a recipe on the Jus Roll pastry packs where you roll out a square of pastry and cover it with tomato puree, ham and mozerella. I intend to try this but use basil in place of the ham or some roasted peppers or something. I wonder if they would eat this since it is similar to pizza. You could easily make it for everyone and leave part of it veggie.

We did that with the pastry Chell and the kids loved it - thats where I got the idea from - from the back of the packet

It is very similar to pizza well the kids thought so anyway

Easy for them to do themselves also

xxx

kindredspirits
09-09-2010, 08:25 AM
I've got a lovely recipe for veggie curry made with pots and carrots which even my fussy 3 year olf wolfs down if i mash it so it looks like soup! :rolleyes:
Grate some carrot into pasata for your own pizza toppings. Keep up with offering different stuff - if mum just gives in then they are never going to get out of it!

mai-lenabump
09-09-2010, 11:01 AM
thanks! Am off to get the pastry thingy this afternoon. When we make pizza i use passata and veg sauce which is basically all the veg i can think of cooked and pureed. This goes into all the things i make sheperds pie, spag bog lasagne etc so they are always getting veg just dont always know it!

Am so relieved i dont have them 2 today and we are having lasagne for tea! and will try the soup / curry and see what response is like.
One of mine used to be fussy but she learned fussy = hungry and now eats everything, cant really do that with other peoples kids though!

will see how we go next week.

sweets
09-09-2010, 11:33 AM
i looked after a little boy once that didnt like his food being mixed or having it touching anything else so i indulged him and gave him all his food in separate little bowls!

I drew the line once though when he asked me if i could seperate the beans from the sauce! :eek: lol.

pinkbutterfly
09-09-2010, 12:11 PM
Maybe this will sound harsh but I would not go out of my way to please. I have balanced, home cooked meals and snacks and if somebody doesn't like it I will not force it down their throat but I will not bend over backwards to satisfy them with other foods. If they are really hungry they will eat whatever. If the parents are unhappy then they could bring their own food.

Bananabrain
09-09-2010, 12:11 PM
i looked after a little boy once that didnt like his food being mixed or having it touching anything else so i indulged him and gave him all his food in separate little bowls!

I drew the line once though when he asked me if i could seperate the beans from the sauce! :eek: lol.

:ROFL1: :ROFL1: :ROFL1: