Feeding the grandkids. Man cannot live on toast (and cocopops) alone!

Yammy

I have the same problem with one set of GC. One lives on peanut butter and choc chip ice cream and will starve all day until someone gives in. not me I might add. The sibling was like this but now tries what they think is," grown-up food," steak, duck, broccoli, etc.
The one from the other family who attended nursery from a very young age just says I'll try and if I don't like please may I leave it.,I feel this is alright and they have quite a varied diet.

I think we see this from the "stressed adult" side of things but what about the "stressed child"?
You say "until someone gives in, not me I might add" as though this is a good thing.....IMO there shouldn't be "giving in" because it shouldn't be any kind of clash.

Ask what proper meals are acceptable and stick to those. No snacks between meals unless the meal has been eaten. Any fussy eaters get short shrift in my house - they’re now grown up and still fussy but know unless they want to make their own food they have to eat what I provide. And no grumbling. Only special provision is made for vegetarians but then I make the meat lovers eat veggie as well. I will be applying exactly the same principles to GC. Life is too short to be silly about food and I’ve never been interested in being anyone’s personal chef no matter how much I love the fusspots in my family!

When my youngest GS was a toddler, he would eat any amount of cucumber! Now, as a teenager, he is a fridge-raider and a MacDonald's fan - cucumber? what cucumber?

My eldest DGD now 8 steadfastly refuses to even try things before pronouncing she doesn't like them. Her 6-year-old brother is the reverse, a real little foodie who comes up with all sorts of weird and wonderful requests for meals (grapes and peppers chopped up together for breakfast please), he'll request melon or strawberries rather than sweets at the supermarket. I truly thought his sister would be tempted to copy him as he was getting praise for his healthy eating habits, but no, she would just screw up her nose and say it looks disgusting. She's sloooowly getting better, but I do worry as her diet is "orange" processed foods and she is definitely over-weight, though we don't say anything regarding that to her, just try to encourage healthier foods. Not much help really for OP, but just to say it's a battle to be fought by the parents, we can only support and follow what they do.

I have the same problem with one set of GC. One lives on peanut butter and choc chip ice cream and will starve all day until someone gives in. not me I might add. The sibling was like this but now tries what they think is," grown-up food," steak, duck, broccoli, etc.
The one from the other family who attended nursery from a very young age just says I'll try and if I don't like please may I leave it.,I feel this is alright and they have quite a varied diet.

Tough!! You had your chance

What ????

My son has certain 'tastes' & dislikes- its about textures for him, (turns out years later he has aspergers mildly) for years we saw dieticians(in 2 different hospitals,at same time) - at one point he would only eat yogurts- and they said just to feed what he DID like, and worry over the healthy aspects later- so long as he was eating and gaining some weight- his preference was for bacon, chicken, sausages,chips etc all what we consider 'unhealthy' stuff, but he was happy, and slowly gained more weight, he gradually added some other foods, not veg though,but he will have occasional fruit, but he's now 18, he has grown in height quite a bit, he's an average weight, and doesn't have any hang ups over food- he knows what he likes & what he doesn't, he will be ok.And I'm sure your GC will be too Grammajules, its just best not to make a big deal out of it i found.

My GC always say that granny’s food is the best but my 2DD point out that it’s because I only give them what they like!!

When my dd was little, she was ultra-picky. How could her father and I have a child that didn’t like onions or mushrooms?? At one stage, about 5-7 years, she would only eat plain pasta with nothing- at all- on it for meals. If we were away on holiday and went into a restaurant, I would order plain pasta for her, most restaurants would do that, but the kitchen could never resist putting something, anything, on it, eg chopped parsley, then she wouldn’t touch it. Mostly grew out of it, still dislikes onions and mushrooms, also aubergines. Says it’s the texture. OK with the flavour when whizzed into soups and sauces.
Interestingly, tw1nkle’s comment on autism, dd is very dyslexic. Is that autism related?
She is, however, now a competent cook

I try not to worry about it, my grandson only eats here once a week at most, so figure it doesn't really matter (though I do try). We too have success with finger food (he loves baby sweetcorn) and also anything he can dip in ketchup (including broccoli). Nanny also has a treat cupboard and putting a satsuma, carrot sticks etc in there immediately reclassifies them as a treat!!

I remember my grandchildren having a very limited diet, their mum didn’t really know how to cook! When they came to visit me I got them involved in meal prep cooking and serving. They gradually began to eat and enjoy the food they were offered - but don’t expect instant change, if it works it will be gradual. Good luck!

I used to do a ‘bits and bobs’ plate. Tiny ham or cheese sandwiches with the crusts cut off, fruit, cherry tomatoes, a small handful of crisps, tiny yoghurts etc. It actually varied daily, but was a small plate of tasty morsels, nothing too overwhelming. All finger foods and I would introduce a new food each week. Not sure it would work for a child on the autistic spectrum, but it works with most kids. Good luck

Hithere- i think one poster was saying the MAN, was like that when he was a CHILD though!

I think there was a study of toddlers left to eat whatever they wanted and over a certain period they had actually balanced their nutritional needs instinctively. It’s a skill us adults have lost

My three year old granddaughter seems to live on fish fingers!
However, I believe that making a fuss about food causes life-long problems. A person’s taste should be allowed to evolve naturally.

As a child, I was always hungry, and would eat almost anything, though I did hate cabbage and many a tear shed as I had to eat it.. or go without,,,

mind you, I am talking 1940`s and onwards,, rationing and stuff..

imo , and I won`t be humble in this, imo too much stuff for everyone, hence.... kids and obesity!

my 3 are the same, i used to moan at my daughter, but now i think its not my battle so they just have chicken nuggets if there here , no arguing no tears, i hate they only eat the same thing but not worth the hassle

Milliedog

Good suggestions on here about getting children to help prepare a meal. 3 of my grandchildren wouldn't eat mashed potatoes so they each helped me mash it and added dried herbs, butter and milk to taste...
Also read somewhere that if a child says they don't like something just say "That's because you haven't tried it enough times yet". Get them to put 1/2 teaspoon of it on the plate and try it, but don't make a huge fuss about it.

I have tried (was made to as a child at school) cooked cabbage many many times and it still makes me hurl!

Our 4 year old grandson was adamant he didn't like roast chicken with gravy, but he would eat the mash potatoes. Hubby asked him to try one tiny piece of chicken,and he loved it. He said he didn't like the chicken at home. Well, mum is a vegetarian and is giving them Quorn instead of chicken. At least we know now.

I would not worry if his hungry give him fruit or what he will eat He will eventually grow out of it but may be a picky eater all his life.

Good suggestions on here about getting children to help prepare a meal. 3 of my grandchildren wouldn't eat mashed potatoes so they each helped me mash it and added dried herbs, butter and milk to taste...
Also read somewhere that if a child says they don't like something just say "That's because you haven't tried it enough times yet". Get them to put 1/2 teaspoon of it on the plate and try it, but don't make a huge fuss about it.

I have 11 grandchildren and its a bit like having lots of children in that you can't suit everyone. I make one meal and everyone eats it or doesn't, they get dessert even if they don't eat their main and if there are snacks planned or a treat they are allowed that. If they go hungry its tough luck, I don't want to encourage them to snack and graze all the time or to be picky about meals.
Surprisingly I heard 1 grandchild say to her cousin after he said he didn't like lasagne (to her not to me) "Grandma has taken a lot of time to cook meals for us all and she will be upset if you don't want to eat it."
So the rule is you have to try something once and after that you are allowed to say you don't like it, then I don't make it again.
It's always food I've prepared so if its pizza they help me with the toppings and if its chicken nuggets its real chicken and they have helped coat them before they are cooked. I won't cook instant foods.
The nice thing is they say to me later , sometimes months later "oh by the way I now eat .........."
Think of the message that you are giving grandchildren, the greatest one is "as much as I love you we are all in this together" It works for meals, behaviour, Covid etc.

Children on the autism spectrum often have limited food preferences. Often prefer bland coloured food and food that doesn’t change depending on who prepares it, so it’s predictable in taste and texture. It’s not just fussy eating. x

I have an array of grandchildren and step grandchildren. All except one show no interest in food. My granddaughter eats mainly raw veg, which I guess is good but restricted. My grandson in the other family only ham sandwiches and olives and fruit. As for the step ones, I have never seen them eat anything nutritious, which is an obvious worry.

It can take 30+ times of tasting to get a young child used to a new food. So be patient and keep trying.
Sometimes, growing and creating food helps with some gardening starting with cress, potatoes etc. Making fruit salad and pizza faces.