What to feed grandchildren?

by JUNE
(Ga)

My three grandchildren, ages 13, boy, 6, boy, age 9, girl, brothers and sister. What to feed them?

My educated son-in-law and daughter allow the kids to make the menu; cereal, pop tarts, chicken nuggets, and bread, bread, bread, sweets, sweets, sweets. They have developed a palet for sweets and carbs. The youngest is like he is shot out of a cannon all the time.

Is it wrong of me to try to force them to eat healthy? I want to try to change their eating habits because I refuse to cater to these picky eating habits.

So, what should the MeMe feed them?

Any and all advice and suggestions is appreciated. J

Comments for What to feed grandchildren?

Click here to add your own comments

Little by little
by: Wee Zer

What happened to soup and sandwiches?
Ham and cheese
Grilled cheese
Turkey sandwiches
Tuna sandwiches
Ham salad sandwiches

Slap some lettuce and tomatoes on them. Mayo or mustard and some pickles on the side.

When I was a kid I wouldn't eat green veggies. I basically got scurvy. I was scratching and had scabs. It was horrible. The doctor figured out what was wrong with me and insisted that I had to eat green veggies. My Mom was a saint and only made me eat a little every night. I finally got to like them but wasn't forced to eat bowlfuls.

So maybe if your grandkids are not into what you serve them tell them they have to eat one or two bites and that is it. If they get a taste for something they might like it down the road. Good luck!
What to feed grandchildren
by: Sherry/ NC

Whatever kinds of food I make for my grans they eat it. Whatever their parents make and set before them that is what they eat. They have been taught this is the way. They get good healthy foods and then some treats; pie, cake, cookies, and candy!! Everything in moderation!

Go for it!! It works in my family!
tough one
by: Anonymous

This is difficult.

If you can have a couple of sweet things that they like (my grandkids like oreas, Drumsticks chicken and Drumsticks ice cream and peppermint york patties. To get them they have to eat broccoli.

Maybe you can think up menus that are fun and they do enjoy.

Otherwise just watch them when it is not food time because food and menus is really the parent's responsibility. Grandparents are just for fun and sometimes answers to "old time" questions.
Feeding the grandchildren
by: Elna Nugent, Lenox, MA

Dear June, You are so right to be concerned about what to feed the children. I have eight grandchildren, so I understand, although my adult children are quite health conscious and they know I will have snack dishes of almonds,pecans, sunflower seeds and peanuts for them to choose from.

The easiest way perhaps --is to make a list of fruits, nuts, vegetables, breads , dairy and cereals and ask them to put check marks against the ones they like the best. But they can't skip a category.

Photos of delicious foods help a lot when making a list.
The trick is that they have to pick favorites from each category. You can make a game of this and you can have a list for each chlld so you will know what they like.

Good Luck and many blessings.

You live in a state that has wonderful marvelous citrus and pecans and all sorts of wonderful fruits and veggies all year long.
foods for kids
by: Elizabeth Spokane

I have the same problem - 3 grandsons, ages 12, 7 and 5. Their mother tries to feed them semi-healthy foods (veggies and chicken mixes) and they waste the food.

They eat chicken nuggets and corn dogs (although I have noticed they don't like the corn dogs much anymore). The youngest likes eggs because his aunt encouraged him to take a bite and try them when he was younger, and now he likes them. The oldest likes broccoli because I kept him trying it. The middle one doesn't like to eat meat much at all. They all eat too much junk food and candy when they can get it.

I haven't come up with a good solution yet, although I am growing a garden and I am hoping that I can get the boys to try eating things direct from the garden when the time comes.
Food
by: plp green bay

This can go both ways meaning you cannot serve anything but "green" or organic or whatever to the kids. You are totally puzzled on how to make things, It seems like everything you know how to make has something that they cannot have. BUT IN THE END, you do what the parents want. They are the parents. If the kids are unhealthy or overweight, that is a true concern.
Oatmeal if cooked well can be good
by: Anonymous

Try for oatmeal cooked well sweetened with s little brown sugar or syrup or even chocolate flavored.

A small amount of powdered baking chocolate mixed in with a little brown sugar tastes good to me.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Family Matters.