Parents, would your child(ren) eat this?!


Question: Parents, would your child(ren) eat this?
Had to make a meal plan for an eight-year-old child. Would your child(ren) eat this? I'm kinda hoping for more than a "yes" or "no" answer--If you could explain why your child(ren) wouldn't eat it, it would help me greatly. I mean, is it physically too much food ('cause calorie- and nutrition-wise it's just about dead on)? Would these foods not appeal to them?

Thank you for your time. :)



Breakfast:
1 cup oatmeal
1 slice 100% whole wheat bread topped with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
8oz skim milk

Snack:
Banana

Lunch:
? cup peas and carrots
50g chicken tenders (breast meat, cooked in oven)
1 baked potato topped with 1 tablespoon butter

Snack:
Apple

Dinner:
? cup mixed vegetables
? cup brown rice
? large plain hamburger
8oz skim milk

Answers:

It depends on the kid. If he/she is used to eating this kind of food all the time then yes. If you are caring for a kid used to eating lots of fast foods or prepackaged things like boxed mac and cheese, chips and sweets, then no.
It sounds healthy enough, but a little bland if you are not offering condiments like ketchup or mustard.



What you're offering seems healthy and balanced, and I don't see why it wouldn't be acceptable, apart from the fact that it is all healthy, and the child may want a treat at some point? Children are notoriously difficult with food. How about making a list of good and healthy foods and let the child have a say on possible alternatives which you both can agree on? And perhaps you can sneak in a little treat here and there, something not too bad but nice? I allowed my children a treat each day. That may help.



well i AM a children, except im not 8. im 16. and 8 year olds usually eat whatever their parents give them. however they might complain.
kids usally dont like oatmeal, so maybe replace that with cereal (unless your kid has a food alergy or something idk)

and i understand you want your kids to eat healthy, but give them something sweet maybe after dinner so tehy have something to look foward too. bc rice and hamburgers dont sound real good unless that is followed by ice cream.!! :)

you dont have to take my advice, but it would help i assume. :)



No. It's WAY too high carb for my kids. All they'd do all day is sleep. Their breakfast is ham and eggs, half a grapefruit, and skim milk. Lunch is tuna fish salad on lettuce, cottage cheese, a piece of fruit and water. Dinner is salad, roast chicken/beef/pork, steamed vegetables with butter, and more skim milk. Fruit is available all day long.



i odnt think i could eb considered a kid. but a teen.... or a youth.. :)
but i would gladly eat that mealplan... sounds very tasty!

i would start your child on this, so he/she gets used to healthy food, and likes it!!



I wouldn't do skim milk. Need something to drink for lunch. Don't want both my snacks fruit. Maybe put banana on toast for snack instead. Boring oatmeal. Put something in it



I would eat that XD And kids probably would too.

I was 8 at one point in my life.



i would eat it sounds great.............seeing I am a kid. But knowing me I would most likely want to eat more



I'm sure a child would eat this if he/she were hungry enough, but I think you might run into difficulty otherwise. Though everything is nutritious and healthful, it also sounds terribly bland and boring. Children are simply young "people", and as such need, or at least want things that taste good. That dinner sounds like one of the least flavourful meals I can imagine. The veggies might have some flavour if they're fresh veggies to begin with, but the rest just won't do. If you really want to stick to a healthy diet for your kid, at least bone up on the use of seasoning and/or condiments. You don't have to go crazy with the condiments and add lots of extra calories, but there is a reason they exist: to add flavour to otherwise bland foods. Herbs and spices, on the other hand, add no extra calories, but do add a little zest.
To me, the only things that actually sound "good" in the menu are the toast & PB, the banana, and the apple. If you're raising the child to be an ascetic who has no use for any sort of pleasures, I say go for it. However, once that child discovers that there are foods that taste good, you'll have a really hard time getting them back to your table. If you can make your healthful foods actually taste good, there's a better chance that he/she will continue eating such foods in the future.
Good luck.

Father of two, now grown, boys. Twenty years of working in the food industry.




The consumer Foods information on foodaq.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007 FoodAQ - Terms of Use - Contact us - Privacy Policy

Food's Q&A Resources