Friday: Takeaway Time!
Once a week, we either use Cook homemade frozen meals www.cookfood.net. or a takeaway and this week it’s Wagamama! Use this opportunity to order a new side dish to experiment with and ff your child isn’t keen, then it doesn’t matter, as more for you!
See below on how to serve this kind of food to your child depending how advanced they are.
Lunch suggestion: Finger sandwiches with raw veggies
Serving suggestion:
- A large dollop of long-term thinking (don’t focus on just one meal)
- A cup of cheerful conversation (no bribery, just connection)
- A pinch of salt (how you should take all food rejection!)
- Lashings of laissez-faire (the less you micro manage, the better)
How to serve this meal to your child
Beginner: ‘My child refuses any new meals’
If your child is new to takeaway food, order some familiar sides like rice or naan bread so there’s no pressure to try anything new. Don’t get disheartened if they only want to stick to what they know, it still isn’t a waste of time as your child can still smell and see the new food and this is building up familiarity and exposure. Your child can also see you eating the meal too, which is great role-modelling!
Intermediate eater: ‘My child may try this new dish but I’m not sure’
Choose a day when you can eat all together. As above, offer the meal with other components your child usually eats so there is no pressure. It doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t touch the new meal, it is all about your child getting used to seeing new food and taking it in and also seeing you eat it to give them confidence for future meals. My son is still weary of food with sauces in, so he picks the meat out, which to me, is still very impressive!
Advanced eater: ‘My child eats most things I give them and is not phased by new food’.
Serve the new meal and if they unexpectedly do refuse it, the best advice is not to panic and don’t feel bad. It’s just one meal. Say non-confrontational words such as ‘you don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to’ and see if they can try a bit in their own time. If they don’t, it is best to move onto the next mealtime and write it off and try another time!
