Feeding the family - January post that I forgot to post lol

There was a post on facebook (insert link) that suggested 5 ways to improve dinner time. And it got my head spinning about what our dinners look like. Let me lay it out one person at a time:

1.       Me: no dairy, no wheat, no corn, no sweets. Turkey, chicken or fish ONLY. Minimal rice/potatoes. Limited vegetables (eliminating all the gas producing ones), limited fruit (certain fruits cause me alot of gas as well).

2.       Michael: he is surprisingly picky! He won’t eat most fruits, he is VERY picky on his vegetables, he doesn’t like fish (more than once a month), etc.

3.       Logan: self-proclaimed vegetarian. The only meat he will eat are processed meatballs, turkey bacon and chicken nuggets – which I can’t feed him these ALL the time, they’re not very good quality meats! He is a very good vegetable eater, just as long as they are simple and plain (cooked or raw). No sauces unless it’s cheese sauce, and even then he will only eat cheese sauce on a few things. He is a “can’t be touching” style of eater.

4.       Carter: Carter has been my best eater so far. He is learning some bad habits sadly from Logan but he will eat most everything, sometimes with a bit of a fight. He is just starting to not want certain things. Hes my meat eater. Would eat meat and carbs over vegetables any day.

5.       Damen: milk! ;)

Okay, so that’s a general gist of our meal standards. What do I cook? Well, I am a bit of a health nut (not extreme like some), so my meals generally are a meat, potato or rice, and vegetable(s). A week would look something like this for dinners: 1. Tacos (everyone can then pick their toppings), 2. Chicken, rice & green beans (everyone will eat this except Logan won’t eat the chicken so he’d get nuts or a meat he likes made separately), 3. Tuesdays we always have fries or onion rings with carrots or green beans or broccoli, plus chicken nuggets. It’s kind of “logans day” cuz he has music and beavers and it’s a busy day with little prep time, 4. Soup. Michael and I are the only ones who will eat soup. So I end up making a plate of raw veggies and meatballs for the boys (or something along those lines), 5. Roast or steak with potatoes and broccoli/cauli, 6. Pork chops with peas and corn and salad (peas and corn are not a great vegetable – since they are a carb I never serve them with rice or potatoes). 7. Spaghetti and meatballs: this one is tricky. Carter and Michael will eat it as is. Logan has noodles with cheese on top so no sauce for him, and I make myself a spaghetti squash to have with the sauce. A little extra work, but not a heap. I keep all sauces to the side if ever there is one.

Yes it’s simple and not “fancy” but we are getting good food out of it, and everyone is getting a balanced diet as well. Regardless how picky the kid is, I have a strict VEGETABLE rule. They are required to eat all of the vegetables I serve them, especially since I never make them eat something they don’t like. If they don’t eat the “other stuff” so be it.

Now the article suggested rule #5 was thanking the cook for the meal. I LOVE this rule – I am quickly going to add it into our routine as I never thought about it! And we fight with Carter to stay at the table, but asking to be excused is something we never did as kids, which I’d also like to add to our family routine. So I would like to start using that with Carter and see if he will stop leaving so often because he will have to ask to go and we will politely tell him not yet. Who knows, worth a shot!

Last comment: going out to peoples houses. I get looked at funny I’m sure (even though I do prewarn people) but I pack food when we go places. I firstly ask what they are serving to see what is available for me and what is available for Logan to eat (the other two can usually make it through almost anything). Then I pack Logan a meal accordingly and myself. Now, when I say I pack a meal, trust me, it is a healthy meal – Logan’s not getting snack foods or anything. He’s getting usually a huge amount of vegetables and some cheese or a sandwich or meatballs, etc. And I usually just bring something to match what they’re having, just in a “clean eating” format. I always feel judged at certain homes, but frankly I am not about to force anyone to eat something they don’t like (and it’s not the place to do so – we do work with Logan at trying things, but in the privacy of our home – they don’t need to see the tantrums and reactions to it at their home), and I don’t expect to be catered to so I figure the best solution is just bringing our own, especially since 50% of our family will be participating lol. And possibly more depending whats being served.