I can't help but suspect that we're doing this very differently from everyone else - confirm or deny? How does it work over there?
Here's what it looks like at our house:
At roughly the same times every day (lunch is iffy because naps are unpredictable) - parent makes food in kitchen. Meals always consist of two or three different items - like asparagus, chicken hot dogs, and apple. We have yet to give her anything combined, like pasta with sauce - it's just three separate ingredients - no dishes.
Parent puts child in booster (also in kitchen.) Child refuses to eat anything until whatever is being cooked, which she assumes, usually correctly, is meat. Before the meat is served, she throws anything else on the floor and fusses and points to the stove.
Meat is cut into bits and placed either in bowl in front of dd, or on tray of booster, depending on what's clean. :) Dd eats meat at the speed of light and indicates when she wants more. Parent continues to place meat in front of dd as requested, until it is all gone. Parent then offers next item. dd either eats or drops on floor. Parent offers last item - ditto. Throughout meal, dd indicates when she wants a drink of water and parent also offers.
Meal is over when dd starts to drop whatever is left onto the floor or otherwise begins a refusal to eat, signs "All done", or parent is exhausted. LOL. Parent and dd together wash tray and dd's hands with washcloth.
Whaddaya think? Vastly different from your household? Wanna paint your picture here? I'd love to get an idea of what others do.
Btw - meals at restaurants are a whole different story, because we're all eating together. We just put her food in front of her and we eat while she eats!
Jude