My friend has said that I'm "weird" multiple times due to my dinner selections... My son is a picky eater and instead of forcing him to eat (as people did with me when I was younger) I choose to give him a good variety at every meal. An average dinner for us could be (this is what we're having tonight) - Pork chops, Rice, Potatos, aprocot slices, peas, and jello. My son doesn't like meat much, so I always have rice or pasta and a veggie and a fruit at every meal - even breakfast has a veggie included. Is it really that odd that our meals consist of alot of different things? She's trying to tell me it's "normal" for dinner to be - pork chops and rice.... to me that's just not enough food!
What's a "normal" dinner for you? It'll also help me cause I need more variety! lol... I've expanded my "menus" quite a bit now that I'm a WAHM, but I'm always looking for new ideas!
I think your dinners sound quite healthy. We usually have a meat, carb, veggie, and sometimes a fruit for dinner. Last night we had tacos (meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato), bean dip, chips and applesauce. Tonight is hamburger helper (meat, noodles) green beans, dinner rolls, and applesauce (yes again:D) I think you are doing a great job.
A.,
I think your meals sound great! I do the same thing for my family and my kids are 18 down to 10. They like having choices and after all why would we force them to eat things they don't like. That is a battle that we aren't going to win. Good luck and keep doing what your doing.
Personally, I think pork chops and rice sounds very lacking in nutrition. What about her kids fruits and veggies? What about fiber? Kids need more than meat and starch! You are offering a great selection of flavors, textures, and nutrition; allowing your kids to learn to eat healthy instead of restricting them to 2 things. We often have a strange mixture of food as well...especially if I am making something not so healthy, such as chicken nuggets and such. I will always pair it with a veggie and a fruit. You keep up the good work and let her think you are strange!
L.
I have a 3 year old and a 16 month old and I do exactly the same thing. I do however encourage my children at least take 1 bite of the "main course" but I never force them to eat any more than that. You can't change who they are. . . you can only give them opportunities to try new things. My children are very healthy eaters and they make great choices about food.
I have recently discovered kraft food magazine-it's free! Check out kraftfoods.com and sign up. Also I encourage my 3 year old to help cook and come up with dinner ideas with me. She is more willing to try the new foods if she has helped cook.
I think your meals sound just fine! I try to have several things as well, and try to have healthy things too. My mom found this great thing online, it's called Family Meal Planner. It has dinner menus for 4 days a week and comes with a shopping list so you know exactly what to get at the store. I found it to be very helpful, especially since I work full-time outside of the home. If there is a meal that I know won't work for us, I just pick a favorite for that night.
Keep up the good work!!
Your menu sounds fine to me. I don't think its weird at all.
When I make meals, I try to include at east some sort of meat or fish, a carb side, like potatoes, noodles or rice and some sort of veggie. A couple of favorites that my kids like, one is ground beef seasoned with a little bit of Lawry's Seasoning Salt, white rice and corn and the kids like to mix it up together on their plates, another is a "one skillet meal" that I "threw" together one day, the Rice-a-Roni Fried Rice with almonds (sometimes I will get a small package of slivered almonds too), chicken breasts and french-cut greenbeans and I generally have some sort of fruit or applesauce too.
The chicken dish is very easy to make. I make the Rice-a-Roni per package directions (sometimes I make 2 packages because I have a family of 5), but adding the extra almonds, if desired. Cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and cook them in another skillet until they are white on all sides. Add chicken to the rice just after adding the water. Cook according to rice package directions, but adding the greenbeans, drained, about 10 minutes before the cook time is up for canned. (I haven't tried it with frozen greenbeans yet, but I guess you would add them sooner than the canned)
I think that this reheats wonderfully, I sometimes make alot more than we need for supper so I can have the leftovers for lunch over the next couple days while the kids are in school :)
We also like to do the Hamburger and Tuna Helpers and I generally add veggies into them during cooking instead of making them as a side dish. Sometimes it's the only way I can get my boys to eat peas, especially in the (cheesy noodle) Tuna Helper lol
You are not weird. I try to offer a fruit, vegie, protein, dairy, and carb at most meals. Breakfast this morning was toast and strawberry yogurt mixed with OJ so he could drink the yogurt. Lunch is a cheese sandwich, blueberries and cucumber slices. Dinner will be a protein, veggies, and fruit. Some meals all my son wants is fruit.
It is so important for all of us to eat like this; we do not get our daily allowance of veggies or fruit! We sure do get our sugar though.
Best of luck and keep on doing what you are doing.
A.,
You are fine... Whatever is making you happy and getting the stomachs filled works! And if it's healthy that is the best thing!
Tell your friend she needs to take some lessons from you~ as you are setting a great example in my opinion (and apparently a few others here, too!) ;)
Your friend is probably secretly envious of your skills - I know I am! Your meals sound wonderful, and your heart is in the right place. Your son will grow up with a great appreciation for healthy food from all the food groups. Kudos to you for taking the extra time and effort to prepare and plan such well rounded meals.
Your meals sound just great. Our normal pork chop meal consists of pork chops, green beans and potatoes. We usually have about 3 or 4 things for dinner. But as long as you're cooking healthy, and it sounds like you are.....why stop?? LOL
My family thinks I weird as well, I probably am to most people. And Now just say thank you. I'm a vegetarian and thinking about going vegan, or really cutting back on stuff. My daughter doesn't like to eat vegetables, and has a sensitive gag reflex like my MIL. So if I can get her to eat one, it usually comes back up. I make blue berry smoothies w/ spinach, yogurt and rice milk for her. Any way like that I can get a veggie in I try. Veggie powder mixed in rice milk.... Umm how's spicy pan fried okra for breakfast for strange? We have that once a week. I make green eggs, eggs, a clove of garlic, 2 handfuls of spinach go in the blender. Then scramble and top w/ parmesan cheese. I like salsa on top, adds more veggies. And thats just a start. :) A. H
