Needs some kid friendly meals..

[rose80]

My little one has become recently a super pick eater. I am having a hard time trying to figure out what to cook for dinner because I have a feeling that he wont eat it. Any simple, healthy but yummy recipes anyone have out there?

Thanks a head of time

[sidewalker]

you didnt say how old or what he/she wont eat.
But I find you can hide veggies (if they dont like them) inside other things...like spaghetti sauce.
My fav thing to do is add maybe garbanzo beans to spaghetti sauce (put a can in the blender and make it a mash) then just add it to either homeade or prego (or similar)
you cant really taste it, and it adds to the sauce and makes it thicker.
(Ive also added kidney beans the same way)
blenders are good for hiding things......

[LeBeau]

Need to know Mister Fussy Britches age before I can offer any real advice but, in general, kids like unexpected foods- there's no reason at all not to have ham and eggs for supper, for example, or grilled cheese and tomato soup.... make mini-meatloaf in fun shapes (the baking aisle can provide inspiration with all those cute novelty cupcake pans and cookie molds).

I've always been a very adventurous eater and I think it's because my mom was smart enough to invent a "Three Bite Rule". I had to take 3 real bites of whatever she put in front of me and then, if I really did not like it, I didn't have to eat it- it took all the fun out of the "I don't wan't THAT!" game.... and if there's a veggie or fruit, a protein rich item and a carb, if the child only takes 3 bites of each, he's not going to starve- 3 good bites is about half a serving of most things.... and that's another thing. Don't fill the plate- put a little of everything on the plate, but just a little- an overfull plate can look daunting and make a kid resistant to even making a start on it.

If you read labels, you'll find that the serving size for most things is about half a cup or 3 to 4 ounces, and those servings are based on *adult* needs, so pay attention to serving size- measure servings for a while to get used to what a serving really looks like.

If he's old enough, say over 5, get him involved in preparing meals- kids can hardly resist eating something they made.

If all else fails, use bribery- set up a chart and put a star or a checkmark on it for every night he eats a decent amount of his dinner and when he has a week's worth of checkmarks, he gets a special treat- extra play time, a new box of crayons, anything really, that makes him smile.


One thing I don't recommend is punishment- the last thing you want is to increase the stress associated with mealtime.

Good luck

[nimuay]

If you can grow any of your own food - even lettuce or herbs in a window pot, you might get him interested that way . . . fresh peas still warm from the sun, uncooked, are quite different (and in fact the ONLY way my son will eat limas is that way). Cucumbers are much more interesting if you've picket them yourself.

You can try something like winter squash with butter and a little brown sugar . . . makes a difference!

One other thing that my son adored - make a dip of peanut butter or almond butter or sesame. Add garlic, olive oil, some water and some salt and use it for whatever fresh veggies or even (with a little more water, as a sauce) for cooked ones.

[string of pearls]

The whole family sat down together to eat our evening meal whether you call it supper or dinner. I always served an entree (meat or seafood), a starch (rice, noodles, or potatoes), and a vegetable and/or salad. Casseroles, for example, might have all three combined in one. These would be served with a vegetable or fruit salad. But children usually prefer simple food, and three separate items might work better. All children seem to like hamburgers, sloppy joes, tacos, hot dogs, fried chicken, and pizza.

If something was new, you were required to take at least a taste of it before refusing any. Some of my children's favorite foods were acquired this way. Also, they were not allowed to leave the table to get or fix anything else to eat.

All of my children eat almost anything and will try new foods. We laughingly called my son an "A" person as his favorites were asparagus, artichokes, and avocados, things that even many adults won't eat. Some foods my children and grandchildren request are French toast, homemade spaghetti, quiche, crab omelets, manicotti, and gumbo. My grandson loves an apple stuffed with peanut butter.

As long as you present healthy, balanced meals varied from day to day, I wouldn't worry about it. If the child is hungry, he will eat.

[nimuay]

I forgot to mention smoothies - you can get veggies and fruit along with protein. Look for recipes and adapt!

[Heliba]

My daughter is very picky as well, but here is a way I finally got her to eat bananas....
Take a tortilla shell, and spread Nutella on it. Wrap it around a whole banana, and slice it into medallions.
It's quick, easy to make, and easy to eat. My daughter eats this for breakfast and I am happy to know that she has had at least one healthy meal that day!! LOL!

[jaeusa]

This is healthier than a happy meal and super cheap too. You need a package of hot dogs ( I use turkey ones ), a box of jiffy corn bread mix, and a handful of cheddar cheese. Make the cornbread according to the box, chop an entire pack of hotdogs into little bites. Add the hotdogs and cheese into the cornbread mix and spoon it into a muffin tin ( little hands like mini muffins best here) and bake it at 400 until the cornbread is cooked through. Put mustard, ketchup or ranch on the side for dipping. I serve this on busy nights with a salad and a glass of milk. The leftovers do well for lunchboxes and snacks the next day. My little girl says it tastes like a corndog.

[HardHeadedWoman]

Different names for different things. My household calls them "beetle hats". Its fried bologna, mashed potatoes on top of the fried bologna, slice of cheese on potatoes and oven heat until cheese melts.

My kids love those even now and they are 26 and 21 now lol

[Momma Ann]

making breakfast for dinner is a treat.

But do not indulge the pickiness too much. He won't let himself starve. Picky eating is a battle of control. Don't engage and it will not be fun for long.

I indulged my son and at 26 he still eats like a jerk. Only when his friends make fun of him does he actually try new things. Idiotic and my fault.

[amanda7181]

make pizza mac & cheese. use noodles & pizza sauce and all their favorite pizza toppings or use english muffins to make homemade pizzas

[jaredsmermaid]

Kids like carrots and ranch dressing.

Or make the food look good with different shapes...cut sandwiches into little triangles, push all of the veggies into a heart shape, arrange it however you think will look cool

Aloha from far away............ Sent from my iPhone using PrisonTalk. Haim shelli.

[Scotties_Girl21]

This one my daughter loves. Get uncooked spaghetti noodles and stick them through uncooked hot dogs and boil it, then put spaghetti sauce with hamburger meat mixed in on it lol they look like an octopus and she loves it haha

[sidewalker]

My step daughter got a surprise one day. (meanie step mom that I am)
She didnt like the homeade mac and cheese I made because it wasnt orange.
lol.
Next time she was over and I made mac and cheese, I colored it green

One other time we had purple rice.

I would also put milk in these plastic cups that were red (no, not red solo cups!!)
and I secretly added strawberry Quick to it without telling them. They kept saying OH! You added strawberry to the milk! I said no I didnt!! Its the reflection off the cup.

Yeah, Ima brat

[JackieFlorida]

I found a picture of the hot dog with noodles in it - what a cute idea

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d368S3LC_v...Squidbits1.jpg

[chiclet]

Spread hamburger all over the bottom of a baking pan, put frozen tater tots all over the burger then put cream of celery soup (or mushroom, whatever you like) all over the tater tots. Now you have meat,mashed potatoes and gravy! Bake in oven till burger cooked and taters browned.

Also,you can add alot of veggies to scrambled eggs if you put them through the blender, first. I always add cottage cheese to the eggs, it makes them fluffier, plus crushed Doritos corn chips. Once the spicy, cheesy cornchips go in, my kids will eat those eggs, even if I added blended broccolli! You can cook and shred carrots, also, to add.

[JustHeather]

I make meatloaf with ground turkey and use bbq sauce instead of ketchup..and add shredded carrots etc..it cooks in and ya cant taste it.. my kids dig it..but my kids beg for brussle sprouts..lol

[sidewalker]

I like to add the dry onion soup mix to meatloaf. OMG good.

spaghetti is usually a good meal kids like.
I sneak in (sometimes) some beans into the sauce. I blend them in the blender (Ive used chickpeas, and those red beans oh KIdney beans, in cans) blend them and add to prego or other ready made sauce.
It does alter the taste a bit but not that much. Plus it adds fiber.
And they are never the wiser for it.