Dinner Deconstructed

Do you have picky eaters in your household? Well, I do!

Over the past few months both girls have become increasingly picky about the foods they will or will not eat; Anna Claire is the worst {she particularly detests meat and I can't really fault her for that}, and as long as it's something Mallory can dip in ranch dressing she's usually okay. More often than not, though, dinner for the girls looks something like this:

I refuse to be the mom that cooks one meal for the children and something different for the parents. My compromise is what I like to call "dinner deconstructed." The food in the photo above was not what Walter and I ate but it's constituent parts. I took this pic last week, so I think it was pasta, green beans, mushrooms, almonds, chicken, and Alfredo sauce. Before I mixed everything together, I made Anna Claire's and Mallory's plates. This is about as far as I am willing to go to make them something "different" to eat, but it doesn't always work.

Just last night we {by "we" I mean Walter and me} were eating homemade vegetable soup, and Mallory informed me she doesn't like to eat things that are all mixed together. What child doesn't like vegetable soup? Mine did until about six months ago! I think that's what gets to me the most. The majority of the foods they won't eat are all things they used to gobble up!

Breakfast isn't that much of an issue; I guess they wake up starving after refusing to eat supper the night before. Lunch all depends on what's being offered {Corn dogs? Yes, please.}. Dinner is the real battle. Of course it would be; we're all tired and hungry!

Our go~to menu items these days:

broccoli

tomatoes

avocado

corn on the cob

chicken {may be "oven fried" or plain white meat}

macaroni and cheese {homemade only, not the stuff from the box; talk about being picky!}

spaghetti

plain pasta

bread in any way, shape, or form 

If I'm serving something not on this list; it's a total toss~up whether it will be eaten or if we'll have a complete meltdown at the kitchen table. Oh, how I hope this is a phase ~ one that is almost over!