It's been so long since I fed kids now I have two I've never met before coming for dinner & I need some ideas of what to feed them. All I know is apparently they can be fussy eaters. I'm thinking chicken pieces & then my mind goes blank. Help please.
duckmoon,
Oct 14, 9:30pm
they arent going to die if they decide not to eat your dinner. I would have a varied meal, which you are obviously giving great consideration to, and if they dont eat it, then that is their choice.
If you want to serve chicken pieces, I would add pasta - and have a sauce which you can put on the side (my kids like their pasta and their separately!!), and then a range of veges, try to have some cooked and some uncooked.
When I have kids over from dinner, I put serving plates in the middle, and with assistance, they can choose what goes on their plate.
And I announce as we start dinner "there are two rules in this house, 1. you dont have eat anything you dont like, and 2. you have to have a good time".
Hope you enjoy your dinner party
wadboy,
Oct 14, 10:12pm
I have found kids visiting at that age like simple things like sausages, fish bites, chicken nuggets and pizza. Fish and chips are always popular. If you do vegetables put them in a cheese sauce. Nachos, tacos, spaghetti bolognaise, macaroni cheese also possibilities.
buzzy110,
Oct 14, 10:58pm
I feed my grandson all the time. His all time favourite food is a mix of vegetables chunked up and stir fried, then cooked in a small amount of meat stock till tender. Take off the heat immediately at that point. I then whizz the vegetables and stock up with about 3 eggs and turn them into fritters. I cook them in egg rings but if you were creative maybe you could find another shape. Pre-cook them and then just reheat when it is time for serving if you like.
This takes care of the vegetables. Give them whatever meat you feel like. I bet the 7 year old will eat up anything with tomato sauce on it. Lol.
When he didn't have all of his teeth I used to whizz up the meat with the vegetables as well.
rainrain1,
Oct 14, 11:25pm
Buy some mince hamburgers, cheese slices, pineapple rings, and some bread buns.
vmax2,
Oct 15, 1:13am
I read an article in the paper recently that said today's children have more sophisticated ideas of what they should be eating when they go out.It suggested feeding them more adult food rather than just chicken nuggets and chips.Your phrase fussy eaters could mean anything.I have 3 fussy eaters but they all like different foods.Two would prefer salad and the other anything fried or with potato in it.
lythande1,
Oct 15, 1:47am
Hungry kids eat anything. Kids that are pandered to, eat this kind of rubbish.
feed them whatever you were intending to make.
sarahb5,
Oct 15, 1:59am
Agreed - the only things I would avoid are overly spicy foods if they're not used to them and some younger children have issues with unrecognisable foods - Mr now 17 used to prefer to be able to see everything he was eating.It was years before I could get him to eat spaghetti bolognese because he wasn't able to see exactly what he was eating.
Keep it simple but there's no reason why it can't be simple and enjoyable.I made my own chicken nuggets which were just chicken breast crumbed with panko and flavoured with whatever came to hand in the pantry.Serve with homemade wedges and whatever vegetables you would usually have - most kids will eat peas and carrots.
sarahb5,
Oct 15, 2:01am
At the ages of 3 and 7 the only things from that list that my kids would've eaten would be the sausages, possibly the pizza if it was hawaiian and the chicken nuggets which I wouldn't have bought anyway.
auntlb,
Oct 15, 2:48am
Stcik with the basics of what you were going to cook for the adults - keep it simple as said above (have pasta & sauce seperate etc) and maybe serve with bread rolls that they can fill up on if needed
rainrain1,
Oct 15, 3:29am
Good god they are only there for one meal.spoil them rotten I say
tjman,
Oct 15, 3:32am
Make sure they know icecream is for dessert.WHEN they have eaten their dinner!lol
samsara11,
Oct 15, 4:43am
My friend's young children frequently came to me for dinner and I always made them burritos - just go very lightly on the spices.They made their own roll ups and it was amazing how many salad items they put in.Every time they came, that was the order 'Mexican".
punkinthefirst,
Oct 15, 4:49am
A three and a seven year old are quite capable of helping to prepare their meal - after which, they'll probably hoover up everything you have cooked together! If, however, they're there as part of a party, it may pay to ask the parents what they're likely to eat. Good suggestions above, though my kids didn't eat special kid-only meals and consequently expected good adult style food at quite a young age.
buzzy110,
Oct 15, 5:17am
Excellent suggestion and by passes the inclination of most people to treat young people like mobile rubbish bins when it comes to food.
I didn't dare say it, but my grandson just loves to have his own place of nicely cooked vegetables and meat. He is only 26 months but he is quite happy to sit at the table and shovel it into his mouth with his fingers. Not the most elegant of eaters but at least his diet is good.
punkinthefirst,
Oct 15, 5:31am
Well, they can handle their own fingers long before they can handle cutlery, and will eat better if they feed themselves. That said, for grandchildren, I found small sizes of special cutlery just for them in op-shops and second hand stores. They weren't baby tools, nothing matched, and I have no idea what they would have been used for originally, but the kids all loved them and still remember them. In fact the youngest (19) stayed with me during the holidays and asked if he could take his set home with him. (Of course he could!)
buzzy110,
Oct 15, 5:59am
Awww. So cute. I love what can be purchased from OP shops and second hand stores so I'll keep a lookout for small utensils for my grandies to use and maybe they will have fond memories as well.
The 26mth old is taking quite an interest in cooking and loves to play at making and cooking things. I wonder if he is old enough for me to actually start him off doing something simple with his fingers. Maybe he could put prepared vegetables into a salad bowl and 'toss' his own salad! - Hopefully it will stay in the bowl.
malcovy,
Oct 15, 6:04am
I would make some flour tortillas, grate carrot and cheese, finely cut some lettuce,dice some tomatoes and a few spring onions.I would have meat finely sliced ie chicken or steak, chili sauce and sour cream available and then all can help themselves at the table.This method worked extremely well for me over the years and I still use it for when my kids are home.Home brand tortillas are okay if time is short but they need to be heated both sides ie dry frypan, and piled on a plate.
sarahb5,
Oct 15, 6:32am
After my kids had outgrown the child-sized cutlery sets I bought dessert sized knife, fork and spoon which were much easier for them to handle than our large cutlery items.The proportions were just much better suited to their smaller hands and, therefore, easier for them to control and learn to use properly.
I didn't cook any differently for them as youngsters than I did for us except for very spicy foods which we love but are not so good when you have to deal with the consequences in nappies!However, not all children do eat that way so a few simple adaptations won't make a meal into nursery food but can make it more child friendly/appealing.At the age of 3 (and to some extent now) my children would have demolished a plate of raw veggies and cold meat/cheese in the blink of an eye but not all children would enjoy that and if you don't know the children who are visiting very well then keeping it simple and easy to eat is the way to go - just makes it more enjoyable for everyone.
lavender32,
Oct 15, 9:10pm
I'm loving the tortillas idea, I can just put lots of salad stuff & shredded chicken etc on table & they can just go for it - adults too. thanks guys.
jennie5963,
Oct 16, 12:38am
Just get mince. I don't know any kids that hate lasagne or homemade spaghetti and meatballs.
sarahb5,
Oct 16, 12:54am
You didn't know my son when he was 3 or even 7 - he wouldn't eat anything "mixed up", where he couldn't identify what was in his food.He loves lasagne and spaghetti bolognese now but wouldn't eat it until he was at least 8 or 9.He's not particularly fussy with the foods he will eat, just the way he will eat them.He loves carrots, for example, but wouldn't eat them cooked until he was about 10.
ruby19,
Oct 16, 2:36am
Our kids loved the bowls of items, then fill their own wrap.We got them to eat salads hummus, etc this way. Even got them eating curry, this way by adding a little grated cheese for them to add.hey as long as it makes them adventurous eaters who cares if it really matches perfectly :-) Now they are both in their teenage years and are and have been very good eaters who love to try new things out, thankfully.
samsara11,
Oct 16, 8:21am
They love creating their own.It is hilarious watching them pile the salad items in lol.
sarahb5,
Oct 16, 9:21am
It still gets messy in our house when we do this and my kids are a lot older than 3 and 7!
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