Kid food

[Homemaker]

I babysit for two young kids (3 and 5). There Mom packs them a lunch and an afternoon snack. This worked out fine for a couple of years. But, it was starting to become a chore for there mother who works a lot. Plus, now I have my own daughter (1) and I have to make food for her anyway. So, I offered to start making food for the other kids as well.
Now I wonder if I may have made a mistake? They eat a lot of prepackaged food...and I mean a lot! Their typical lunch items include: Spaghettios, Ramen, Mrs. Grass soup, hotdogs, nutrigrain bars, chicken nuggets, cheetos, lunchables and sometimes just a box of ham. With a side of some kind of fresh fruit. These kids are going to wonder why I don't have any hotdogs or spaghettios. I think I might have bit off more than I can chew. Pun intended.

Any tips or good kid friendly recipes would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sunny]

I really dont know what to say. But if they wont eat what foods you offer in a week or two. I would let the mom know they dont like the type of foods offered. And ask her to start sending lunches again.

But then again. If they see your child eatting the meal you provide. They may start eatting it easier.

I have a very picky neice. And she wouldnt eat alot of foods. But she started eatting many more types of things at my house when she sees my kids eatting it.

I wish you luck. Maybe you can be the enfluience that the kids need to a future of healthier eatting. They say kids are like a sponge and obsorbe lots of info. Maybe when they are older they will remember the things you fixed them..

Sorry for any type-Os. Im a bit tired, not much sleep lately because my two kids have been sick..

 

[moolie]

Kids learn their eating habits from those around them. If they are given healthy choices from birth, they will prefer them--I do, as do my kids (e.g. we all prefer home baked whole wheat bread to nasty white grocery story bread).

I agree with Sunny that they'll either get with the program because they see everyone else eating your food, or you can let their Mom know that it's not working. One thing I would suggest is that you increase your rate to include the food though!

Oh, and one other thought--maybe their Mom packs all the prepared food because she IS so busy with work? Maybe she'd rather that they had healthier food? Try it and see how it goes

 

[freemotion]

Hmmmph. It is a good opportunity to get some nutrition into those kids and teach them good manners at the same time.....

 

[Dirk Chesterfield]

Their typical lunch items include: Spaghettios, Ramen, Mrs. Grass soup, hotdogs, nutrigrain bars, chicken nuggets, cheetos, lunchables and sometimes just a box of ham.

I would start by making the food you give to them look like what they were getting before. Wholesome soup to replace the Ramen & Mrs. Grass. Homemade spaghetti, goulash or ravioli to replace the Spaghettios. Baked chicken cut into "fingers" with honey mustard or tomato dipping sauce to replace the chicken nuggets. Healthy sandwiches cut into hors d'oeuvre shapes to replace the lunchables. Dried apples or raisins instead of the nasty nutrigrain bars. Fish tacos instead of hotdogs.
Keep up the fresh fruit and try to introduce cut veggies with some kind of healthy dipping sauce like yogurt or peanut butter to keep the kids interested.
Cheetos will be very hard to replace.

 

[Denim Deb]

Their typical lunch items include: Spaghettios, Ramen, Mrs. Grass soup, hotdogs, nutrigrain bars, chicken nuggets, cheetos, lunchables and sometimes just a box of ham.

I would start by making the food you give to them look like what they were getting before. Wholesome soup to replace the Ramen & Mrs. Grass. Homemade spaghetti, goulash or ravioli to replace the Spaghettios. Baked chicken cut into "fingers" with honey mustard or tomato dipping sauce to replace the chicken nuggets. Healthy sandwiches cut into hors d'oeuvre shapes to replace the lunchables. Dried apples or raisins instead of the nasty nutrigrain bars. Fish tacos instead of hotdogs.
Keep up the fresh fruit and try to introduce cut veggies with some kind of healthy dipping sauce like yogurt or peanut butter to keep the kids interested.
Cheetos will be very hard to replace.

About what I was going to suggest.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Their typical lunch items include: Spaghettios, Ramen, Mrs. Grass soup, hotdogs, nutrigrain bars, chicken nuggets, cheetos, lunchables and sometimes just a box of ham.

I would start by making the food you give to them look like what they were getting before. Wholesome soup to replace the Ramen & Mrs. Grass. Homemade spaghetti, goulash or ravioli to replace the Spaghettios. Baked chicken cut into "fingers" with honey mustard or tomato dipping sauce to replace the chicken nuggets. Healthy sandwiches cut into hors d'oeuvre shapes to replace the lunchables. Dried apples or raisins instead of the nasty nutrigrain bars. Fish tacos instead of hotdogs.
Keep up the fresh fruit and try to introduce cut veggies with some kind of healthy dipping sauce like yogurt or peanut butter to keep the kids interested.
Cheetos will be very hard to replace.

Great advice! It may be an uphill battle though. My sister does daycare and 2 of her kids (not "her" kids, but her daycare kids) pretty much only eat a few things she provides (healthy stuff). Their parents eat out 95% of the time.

 

[JRmom]

I can sympathize! When my husbands two boys were young and they stayed with us, it was always a battle to get them to eat "our" food. They were used to canned spaghetti, boxed mac and cheese, etc. I don't think they had ever had an apple or orange before, or any kind of veggie.

I just treated them like my daughter and put the food in front of them without making a big deal of it. They learned pretty quick to eat or go hungry. I tried not to be too mean... I would make homemade spaghetti, homemade mac and cheese, and they loved anything we would grill. I even got them liking brussell sprouts!

 

[TanksHill]

Just think of it as an amazing opportunity to change their lives. You can do it.

 

[VickiLynn]

It has a lot to do with presentation. You can make your chicken look like "nuggets" or make faces with the veggies. Instead of serving a whole apple, cut it up and serve it with cream cheese or peanut butter dip. At my sister's daycare, the kids will eat pretty-much anything cut into the shape of a french fry.