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For me it would depend on the circumstances. If it's a food they've eaten just fine before but aren't in the mood for it or whatever, sorry kid, but you're not getting something else! But if it was a new food and they just honestly didn't like it after trying it I would make them a sandwich or something and wouldn't want them going hungry.

I have always heard that it is best not to make an issue out of food. As DD gets older, she will eat what we eat or one pre-determined thing that she can make herself (cereal or PB&J). That's the choice. For now, DD gets a wide variety of foods so if she refuses something I don't sweat it and I will offer her more of something else she is eating (she gets 2-3 things per meal). If she is hungry enough, she will eat.

Nope. Instead of pitching it, I stick it in the fridge and reheat it for his next meal.

I give her a large selection at every meal. I get a bento box or a muffin tin and fill it with six food options. Whatever she doesn't eat stays in the tin, I refill the extra sections with other foods, and she gets it again.

I find that within the course if the week, she balances her own diet out pretty well. I think she eats what she needs.

P.S. None of the options are empty carbs/fillers though. She doesn't know those foods exist.

See this photo here? She ate certain things and left others. I put new options in whatever sections she emptied for the next meal, but left the ones she didn't. Eventually she usually eats a little of everything over the course of a day or two.

I find she's much more likely to eat a new food if it's presented this way.

@Arden: Yes! I do this with a silicon ice cube tray.

Also - odd thing I discovered tonight: Kitchen shears. DD would not eat anything I set out for her - green beans, chicken, corn tortilla with some melted cheese. She was whining but I know she likes those things. So I cut them up smaller and viola, she is eating everything. Kids are weird.

@Foodnerd81: No. He tossed it once or twice and realized really quickly that if he throws his tray, he has no food! He'll pitch it when he's finished though, which is frustrating

@rahlyrah: can you mix finely chopped spinach or broccoli in with his eggs? And will he eat pouches or smoothies? Those are always hits for us and get veggies into him.

@Foodnerd81: Nope. She did a couple of times but quickly learned that the food went away when she did that. She never throws the tray now. She'll occasionally throw a piece of food though.

@rahlyrah: we waste food here too. Last night she wanted my Dad to feed her. If he put a veggie (with cheese on top) with the meat or rice, she would spit it out. Did to me again tonight. She just won't eat veggies but sweet potatoes. Frustrating.
@Foodnerd81: R has been eating off a plate since 10-11 months. She will pick it up and start to throw it over when she is done. But she thinks she is helping

We plan on doing what our parents did with us. We are provided a meal, that is what is being served. You don't have to eat it but we aren't making anything else. Children will not starve themselves. They will eventually eat. They may not be happy about it and they may choose to skip some meals but they won't ever get to the point of starving themselves.

I give her a bunch of random stuff but I'll take all the food away if she's throwing it. If she's hungry, she will usually eat it but pick out what she wants. Peas can stay, carrots go flying. We have stand bys like cheese and hard boiled eggs and bananas she will eat. I don't mind getting her that...or yogurt especially if she's teething-then she will ONLY eat soft food and I cannot blame her! But she's only 1. She never refuses a whole meal but she will only eat pieces of it, if that makes sense

And it really is presentation for mine, too. Certain shapes she will eat over others. And if I parcel it out and not do it all at once.

Babies are weird

@Mrs Hedgehog: I agree!

@blackbird: re parceling it out- so true. She can have a few pieces on her tray that she doesn't want anything to do with, but if I pick one up and pretend to or actually take a bite, she will eat that one.

Nope. I don't make D anything else. I saw my mom make separate meals for my younger brother and saw what a bad habit they were in. There's no reason D can't eat what I make. If he doesn't eat he won't starve.

@Arden: that is an awesome idea.

I think it depends on the circumstances. At that age though, I would just offer plain yogurt if he wasn't interested in dinner. He would almost always eat yogurt and then I knew he was getting something. As he has gotten older and we can reason with him, I usually don't offer anything else if he is being bratty/picky, but if he genuinely doesn't like something, then I'll make a little sandwich. It is pretty rare that I make something separate though.

We are also at a point where DD just isn't very hungry at dinner. She eats everything I leave for our nanny during the day, which includes a wide variety of foods and colors, so most of the time she just picks at dinner. Unless she's in a growth spurt. Then watch out!

When I was worried about my little girl's weight gain I was more accommodating, but now if she (or my boy, who's less picky) doesn't eat what's on the dinner plate, well, too bad! No yogurt (their current go-to) for dessert. I DO try to always include SOMETHING I know they like, but I don't build the whole meal around pleasing them.