Thursday, September 29, 2011

Sweet potato pot pie


(sorry for the horribly lit photo)

This was yet another attempt at "fun food" as a ploy to get my 5 year old to eat dinner. Isn't it a cute fun seasonal dinner? I thought so. Basically it's a pot pie, with mostly chicken and sweet potato in the center and a lovely puff pastry crust over the top, and a jack-o-lantern face cut out.

My older two children loved it. Emma, not so much.

On a previous day, I made mini mummy meatloaves. Which was basically individual meat loaves made in muffin tins, with mashed potatoes piped over the top to look like mummy wrap, and green peas for the eyes. (both ideas came from a magazine but it escapes me as to which one at the moment)

Incidentally, Emma didn't like those either.

I am at a loss. I feel like giving up and letting her just eat her favorite staples like always (Greek yogurt or peanut butter bread). At least they are both healthy. But she's not getting a very well rounded diet with such few likable choices. I am giving her some "Carnation Breakfast Essentials", which she calls her "protein milk" because when I read the nutrition label, apparently that was the word that stuck out to her. Or maybe it's because of my own protein obsession. Whatever the case, it's like chocolate milk to her, but better, and she drinks it. So I'm a little less worried about her lack of variety with the food she eats. Only a little though.

We have gotten tough on her. We make her try everything. We send her to her room when she doesn't eat. But that backfires because she just falls asleep. I'm so hoping that it's just a phase. I mean, I know it is, but I want it to end. Now.

Any more fun food ideas that might be extremely-picky-child-friendly?? Preferably that include veggies AND meat.

1 comment:

Jess said...

Em is the same way. Dr Lien says she is calorie driven and as long as she is getting the nutrients/vitamins she needs through a multivitamin or enriched foods like bread and cereal she will be fine. She said that if you force calories into her with shakes and what not she will just refuse other things later because her body has met it's calorie quota for the day. Dr. Lien suggests offering and encouraging because it takes up to 50 times of exposure before little ones will actually try stuff. That's just what our pediatrician told me about my picky skinny taller than average girl.