Whether you consider your kids easy or fussy eaters, there’s no doubt that feeding the whole family one meal seems like an almost impossible task. One day they like something, the next they refuse it, one child likes it this way, the other likes it that way, and don’t even get me started on if the carrot is touching the chicken or you served spiral pasta instead of penne!
Whilst it’s normal for children to go through ‘fussy’ periods where they like certain foods more than others, it doesn’t mean that as parents we need to cater to their every need and cook multiple meals each night to keep everyone happy.
Learning some strategies to have up your sleeve at mealtimes can really reduce the stress, overwhelm and exhaustion that often comes with feeding a family. Not to mention, implementing these strategies can help to build competent, adventurous eaters that have a healthy relationship with food they can carry into their teen and adult life.
So here are my 5 top tips for serving the ONE meal to the whole family.
1.You don't need ‘kid food’ and ‘adult food’
Remember there doesn’t have to always be ‘kid food’ and ‘adult food’. Family meals are designed to be enjoyed by everyone, sitting at the dinner table together. There is no better way to encourage kids to try new foods than to see us eating it first. This may not always be possible depending on timing of meals and parents work hours, but the statistics show that just 3 family meals can have a positive impact, with 5 being more beneficial.
2.Think about what YOU want to eat
We are so used to putting our kids first and this can happen with meal choices too. When it comes to raising competent eaters, offering them a variety of food is the most important thing. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine of offering children the same ‘kid foods’ each week but they will benefit greatly from a variety of different meals so do this by serving meals that you enjoy eating, and use the tips below to serve them to your whole family.
3.Consider instead of cater
One of my favourite terms for family mealtimes is to consider instead of cater. What this means is, instead of catering to your children’s every need and cooking multiple meals a night, pick a family meal to serve and consider HOW we serve that meal to each child. For example, my eldest likes crunchy raw vegetables but doesn’t like soft cooked vegetables. So most nights he still eats the same vegetables as us, I simply put them on his plate raw or very slightly cooked, before I cook them more for the rest of the family. My youngest prefers small bite sized pieces of meat, so when I serve his, I cut it that way but leave everyone else’s as bigger pieces. This is a great way to increase the likelihood of each child trying the meal, without cooking them something separate.
4.Always pair new foods with favourite foods
If you have a cautious/fussy eater this will be a particularly important step. Family meals might be new for your kids so you can always start by serving small quantities of new foods, and pair it with a food/s that is accepted by them the majority of the time. Over time you can gradually increase the serving of the new/family meal. Having a familiar/favourite food on their plate can reduce the likelihood of instant rejection and help them feel comfortable at the table so hopefully they go on to try the new foods next.
Platter style meals where everyone serves themself are a fantastic way to offer family meals. This gives everyone a sense of independence to choose what they want to eat whilst still having variety on offer for them.
5.Ensure a zero pressure environment at the dinner table
This can be a really hard one to get comfortable with but this means refraining from saying things like ‘just try your broccoli’, or ‘two more bites’, or ‘no dessert if you don’t finish your plate’. Creating pressure is not a helpful tactic in the long run. Instead use family meal times for connection and fun. Ask about their day, reminisce on a fun holiday/activity, sing songs, play games etc. Remember it is not up to us how much our children decide to eat (if anything) and allowing them to trust their bodies and listen to their intuition to tell them when they are full or hungry is an essential skill of a competent eater. Remind yourself, you decide where, when and what dinner will be, they decide how much they want to eat.
To learn more about family mealtimes and how to serve ONE meal to the whole family, check out my Family Food Plan here.
For family meal inspiration see here:
*If you are concerned about your child’s diet and it’s impact on their growth or development please seek help from a paediatric dietitian.
