Cooking separate/different foods at mealtime for your toddler?
How many of you moms with picky eaters cook some different for your toddler to eat at mealtime? I have been doing this for awhile, because Joshua refuses to eat any type of meat other than chicken nuggets, will not eat any kind of veggie at all, will only eat fruit pureed...it would probably be easier to just tell you the 5 basic foods he does eat rather than what he won't eat ;)
Everyone told me not to cook something separate for him at meal times, just to give him what we eat, and that if he was hungry, he would eat it. Ummm, not so much :) The chid went for 3-4 days of only eating breakfast. He was cranky and lethargic as ever, and I just refused to let it go on any longer after that.
So, I usually make him chicken nuggets, mac n'cheese, pasta, etc. something quick and easy for me to give him, along with a small portion of our meal--which he never eats.
I was at a playdate the other day, and everyone really gave me a lecture about doing this. I think I've been doing it for so long I hadn't really thought about it. But now I wonder--am I alone in this? Does anyone else fix a few extra foods for their picky eaters as well? I always try to include one thing in my menu that he will eat, but alas, since he only like a few foods, that's pretty difficult to do now days.
Do I just stop making a separate food for him, and let him starve for a week until he finally gives in? But what if he won't? (the child is as stubborn as his mother! ;)). I'm just afraid that I'm starting to hinder his development, rather than helping him by cooking something I know he will eat each lunch/dinner. What do you all think?
Mama to "The Fantastic Four":
DS 02
DD 06
DS 09
DD 12