"My child's day on a plate: Three kids, three very different dietary preferences."

I have three very specific kind of eaters in my home – all of whom are increasingly difficult to feed.

My almost-twelve-year-old son is a food connoisseur who prefers camembert cheese and olives to anything else, my eight-year-old has a sensory disorder which means he finds it incredibly difficult to eat anything much at all and my six-year-old daughter is the best kind of eater – she’ll give anything a go.

The problem with having different kinds of eaters is that it makes it incredibly difficult to make one meal that they’re all happy with. Over time I’ve learned to stick to making meals that are simple, and can be easily modified to make them all happy.

What I want to eat for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner rarely comes into the equation, which is pretty annoying but at the end of the day, happy kids aid my digestion so we all win as long as I stick to their rules of eating.

This is what we ate today. Please keep in mind that it was only their fourth day back at school, so I was a little rushed. It’s not our best effort, but it’s definitely not our worst either.

Breakfast.

This year I decided to start a new morning routine which would see me waking up at half past five in the morning, exercising, getting ready and packing up the school bags before the kids even woke up. In my head it would transform our mornings from rushed, stress-inducing messes to calmer, better starts to the day involving lots of hugs and time for me to linger over my morning brew.

I’m not really sure what happened but by this morning that was all pretty much all out the window. I just couldn’t get up at 5.30 this morning and I have no energy to exercise in the morning. I’d rather sleep. Today I accidentally slept in until 7.10, and it’s a work day so it was really rushed.

As a result, we ate breakfast in the car. I am always prepared for days like this. When I buy breakfast cereal I pack a few little snack bags up for mornings just like this.

This morning our car breakfast comprised of Nutri-Grain which is now healthier, and a nectarine. That’ll have to do.

Lunch.

Remember my oldest is a bit of a food snob, so instead of ham or Vegemite he prefers salami on a soft white roll. I also give him carrot sticks on the side, because I know that white rolls probably aren’t the best option.

I’ve tried feeding the kids sourdough bread so many times, but the only way they’ll eat it is if it’s dipped in spaghetti sauce – but more on that later.

Each of my children have different food preferences, complete with different bread preferences. My daughter used to eat salami on a hard roll but apparently her friends refuse to sit with her due to the smell, which I found shocking – I didn’t think people were food-shamed at school anymore. So she has ham on a hard roll with carrot sticks.

My little boy does not do carrots, or salami, or ham. He eats a plain roll, and crackers. Not ideal.

Afternoon snack.

I normally try and throw a few reasonably healthy food items together before my kids come crashing through the door, otherwise they will inevitably reach for junk from the cupboard. This afternoon I had just enough time to wash some grapes, unwrap a cheese stick and open up a packet of plain rice crackers.

When we are in a rush I always try and include some fruit or vegetable sticks so they get as much healthy food as possible. They don’t get to eat anything else until at least some of the healthiest food in front of them has been eaten.

Except for my little boy. He still won’t eat any fruit other than bananas but we’re working on it.

Dinner.

I wish I could make spaghetti every night because it is one of the easiest dishes to hide veggies in. All I do is sneak a little vegetable puree into the meatballs. I once tried grating raw vegetables into them but the kids wouldn’t have it so, I started using the puree and it works like magic. Then I grate the peeled zucchini into the spaghetti sauce and it just disappears. Today I also included some baby eggplants my mum had grown in her garden.

Dinner was pasta, meatballs, the sourdough bread I mentioned before (the kind that they’ll only eat if it’s dipped in spaghetti sauce) and salad.

Here’s how my kids eat salad.

My son eats the tomatoes only, my daughter eats the lettuce only and my little boy doesn’t touch it. It’s just a garnish to him. But I think it’s still important to put it on his plate. One day he may surprise me.

Nutritionist review.

Jo, you get top marks for organisation. Even when things don’t go according to plan (let’s be honest, most of us can relate to hitting the snooze button instead of jumping out of bed), you have a backup plan in place to ensure your kids still have food in their bellies first thing in the morning.

For those rushed mornings, try adding a 200ml UHT carton of milk to their breakfast on the go. With a longer shelf life and attached straw, these milks will add protein and calcium to your kids’ mornings and you can easily keep them in the fridge for when you’re pressed for time.

As for the rice crackers, swapping to a cracker with a lower GI and more fibre will ensure your kids’ afternoon snack provides them with more nutrients. Wholegrain crackers or multigrain corn thins are both suitable options that most kids actually enjoy.

Your ability to please a whole range of tastes is fantastic. As a mother, there is nothing worse than slaving over a hot stove to then have your kids knock back what you have made. Your creativity with hiding vegetables in meatballs and sauces is great for boosting your kids’ vegetable intake without them even realising. And the fact you keep dishing up salads in the hope your kids will one day branch out and expand their taste preferences is a great step – keep it up and like you say, one day they may surprise you.

How do you balance your kids’ day on a plate?

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