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Can you recommend a good children's cook book? Feel terrible about my kid's eating - setting myself a challenge to try new things...

5 replies

plipplops · 03/02/2013 15:25

DDs (4 & 5) are really fussy eaters. The only cooked things they'll both eat are fish fingers/chicken nuggets and potato smiles or pizza. Things one of them will eat (while the other cries and has nothing) are sausages, macaroni cheese, spag bol and egg on toast. I feel like a total failure and like I've really let them down.

SO, I want to try and push myself out of my comfort zone, get them involved and try something new. I was thinking of getting an appropriate cookbook and cooking something new out of it maybe 4 times a week, and hopefully getting some support from you guys not to mention some peer pressure to keep going when they're crying at the prospect of something new.

Can anyone recommend a good book please? I'm thinking good photo's to get them engaged, easyish recipes and nothing too out there for my v unadventurous children? I've really got to try and address this and would be really grateful for some support, thanks x

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QueenBoudicea · 03/02/2013 15:33

I think JO's Ministry of Food is supposed to be good for family type meals.

See if the local library has it so you can try it out first.

How about www.bbcgoodfood.com - the children could search for recipes to get them hooked in. Lots of good recipes on there.

My only recommendation would be to aim for something new once a week - 4 times is a little ambitious imo and if it were me I'd get stressed out if you'd made all the effort and they decided they didn't like it.

If you try one recipe a week then you'll soon have a weeks worth.

How are they with soup? Roast dinner?

Do you all eat the same food together as a family?

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plipplops · 03/02/2013 16:11

Thanks for that - I'll have a look at itSmile I think you're right that I might be setting myself too big a challenge - I just feel so terrible about the whole thing (came to a head for me today as we wanted to go out for some food and end up at bloody McDonalds "have one more chip before you have some ice cream" as it's one of the few places they'll actually eat - how hideously cringy and depressing..).

They won't eat soup or roast dinner. Occasionally I cook a roast and DH and I eat it while they sit there and refuse (then go to bed hungry, which doesn't seem to bother them in the least). One time DD1 tried some of her chicken and said she really liked it but has refused since. We don't really eat together in the week as DH doesn't finish work until late, and then tbh tend to stay in that habit on the weekends (so they'll have sandwich type lunch, sometimes us all together, then tea on their own at 5ish and we eat when they're in bed) We eat a lot of things that I can't imaging them ever having - pasta, curry etc and I can't get my head around how we would eat all that together. I think if I can try some new stuff, and try and get them involved in cooking it, then DH and I can always eat it too as it wouldn't do us any harm for me to expand my repertoire!

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QueenBoudicea · 03/02/2013 16:50

Aw - try not to beat yourself up about it. Easier said than done though.

How do they get on in other settings? school/nursery?

I think you have the right approach to trying to engage them in this way - they are old enough to be able to follow the process through.

Do you think it's a taste thing? How about starting off with a simple home-made pizza? Then you could use the same home-made pizza sauce as a pasta sauce.

An excellent basic pizza sauce is:

2 cloves sliced garlic; fry off in couple tbsps olive oil.
Add a tin of plum toms, not chopped.
Cook down on a high heat, then fork through and add a good handful of fresh basil.

You could the add some bacon & red peppers for a pasta sauce the next day.

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WellTravelledPrawn · 03/02/2013 20:08

Not really a cookbook but I can recommend Joanna Blythman's 'The Food our Children Eat' which is a guide to better eating for children and families and how to 'get' children to enjoy good food. There are some recipes in it too and some menu/packed lunch ideas. It's pretty straight talking (about the importance of avoiding junk/eating together) but is pretty inspiring too.
Good luck :)

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plipplops · 04/02/2013 12:09

So I've borrowed the Ministry of Food and Netmums cookbook off a friend - will give them a whirl. Queen Boudicea they don't really go to other settings - take packed lunch to school/preschool although DD1 will have hot dinners on a fish fingers day (but not on the day where it's a big bit of fish in batter)

I had wondered about home made pizza, there's a base mix in the netmums book so going to try that.

I accidentally posted this twice (v similar thread name), so I'm going to sign off on here and carry on over there, thanks so much for your thoughts (might see you over there for updates!)

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