A weekly menu for picky eating children?

**MomToTwoBoys** · 10-04-2008, 02:21 AM

I figured that we needed a whole thread dedicated to the items that you find your picky eating children just can't resist. It seems to be a running theme in my household and lucky for me, the theme is constant. If a kid doesn't like something today, there's a 100% chance he won't like it tomorrow...not even with all of the coercing in the world with promises of ice cream afterwards (I have tried this, it failed...my kids are too smart).

The meals have to at least be healthy in the terms of a main dish, a side dish and a salad/cooked vegetable or other substitute. You can include nifty substitutions too, like cheese sticks and/or apple slices for a vegetable substitute.

Meals that can be cooked from scratch would be great because it would focus on two aspects of the forums that we try to exercise on a daily basis: stockpiling and being frugal, but being healthy at the same time.

Let's get those creative juices flowing and share, share, and share some more!

**sunshine** · 10-04-2008, 03:26 PM

Picky wasn't allowed in our house, as our kids were growing up. . . so what sort of things are you looking for?

**MomToTwoBoys** · 10-04-2008, 06:57 PM

My kids are odd:

One child won't eat vegetables at all, but will eat everything else.

The other child won't eat certain meats and barely will touch rice, but will generally eat everything the adults do.

I want the kids to eat healthy and I don't want them to starve, but when I want to make healthy and they refuse to eat it it leaves me in a bind. I looked for kid friendly recipes but with one kid who can detect even the smallest bit of an onion in something (and refuses to eat the entire dish), it's tough. The one who refuses to eat the vegetables is also autistic.

**sunshine** · 10-04-2008, 07:46 PM

Well, that certainly makes it difficult -- what about tomato sauces like spaghetti? pizza? etc?

**sunshine** · 10-04-2008, 07:56 PM

home made chicken strips or nuggets
ranch pasta salad (homemade to eliminate any of the uglies they won't eat)
orange jello with grated carrots and pineapple in it?

**sunshine** · 10-04-2008, 07:59 PM

hamburgers ( can you puree some veggies to add to the meat mix? I do zucchini, carrots in mine)
french fries
pea salad

**kittykatstrong** · 10-05-2008, 01:06 AM

I took out of the library this book http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/index.php I really needed a blender for alot of the recipes but a good book overall.

**jkbmum** · 10-05-2008, 06:00 PM

my kids have grown up in a house where picky is not allowed...some things they won't eat..but i don't cook them...like mushrooms,liver,and mustard
also they can't say i don't like it...unless they have tried it..
my kids are big vegie and fruit eaters

**joyofsix** · 10-05-2008, 07:34 PM

I just try for simple things that aren't 'mixed'. Then they can each eat the stuff they like. I always offer fruit and bread&butter.

**Momto2Boyz** · 10-06-2008, 08:20 AM

I try not to let my kids be picky and we do have the rule that they eat what is on the table, but they are still picky about certain things.

Here are some things that my kids love!
Veggie side dishes in our house include sweet corn, green beans or broccolli with cheese (becuase those are the three veggies that both of my boys will eat).

English Muffin pizzas - whole wheat english muffins (toasted), add homemade pizza sauce (tom sauce with your fav Italian seasonings), then add your kids favorite toppings and cheese. I add fresh tomatoes to the sauce, a little garlic, and my kids love it becuase they are allowed to top their own pizzas before they go in the oven!

Tacos/Nachos - This is one of the few times I can get both kids to each raw tomatoes & lettuce voluntarily!

Broccolli cheese soup - My kids love this soup with hm bread. Brown half a chopped onion in a bit of oil. Add a large can of chicken broth (or 3 cups of hm chicken stock). Add a can of evaporated milk and heat. Cut up 1/2 a pkg of velveeta cheese (I use the Aldi's brand and it saves $1.50). Add either cooked, fresh broccolli or a pkg of frozen broccolli, and heat through. Add 1/4 cup of flour to half a cup of milk and stir, removing lumps. Add to soup to thicken. Add as much flour & milk mixture necessary to make it as thick as you desire (if you like thick cream soup, you may need to double the mixture). Add salt and pepper if desired, and serve warm with fresh bread!

Meatball subs - You can use a combination of lean meats (any combination of lean gr. beef, pork, sausage, etc.) and add in any type of veggie that is in season. Find a good meatball recipe ( I usually make up my own) and you can add any type of shredded veggie to it that you would like. Certain veggie's work better than others, shredded carrot or zucchini work really well. The kids will never know that they are in the meatballs! Serve on whole wheat sub rolls!

Fiesta Chicken - Cooked, shredded chicken ( I buy bone-in, cut up chicken on sale then boil and debone & save the stock in the freezer). In a skillet, add chicken, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of corn and seasonings to taste (onion powder, garlic powder, chili pepper & paprika). Serve over pasta or with tortillas.

Homemade hot pockets - Scoop out the insides of a hamburger bun ( a good job for the kids) Place your favorite fillings inside the bun. Wrap buns individually in foil and place on a grill and heat for 20-30 minutes. The beauty of this, is that you can make the filling both healthy and kid friendly! We do ham & cheese or pizza sauce with cheese and pepperoni or veggies. You can try just about anything.

Plus, I have found that if my kids help me cook and see how things are made, they are more likely to eat it. My 4 year old loves to help me in the kitchen, and he is more likely to try food with onions or peppers if he's helped make it and saw how it was put together!

Good luck!

**Momto2Boyz** · 10-06-2008, 08:22 AM

I forgot to add that my kids will also eat mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. Just cook cauliflower, put it into a blender with just a splash of milk and a little bit of butter, salt & pepper for flavor and give it a whirl until it resembles mashed potatoes!

**McD** · 10-06-2008, 09:34 AM

Would creative renaming help??

Wesley is quite a bit younger than your boys, but he is super picky. We have to 'creatively name' things. Corn Dogs are hot dogs on a stick. Mashed potatoes are smashed up cheesy tots. Spaghetti is red mac n cheese.

I have also found that rolling his mashed potatoes into balls helps him eat them.

**maggied45** · 01-05-2013, 11:50 PM

My daughter and I have just been mulling over the same problem. Three of her children are picky - but about different things - and the other will eat anything and everything. So, we came up with - making large quantities of what they individually like, putting it in the freezer, and letting them have it more than once a week. That saves her cooking three different meals a night. I should mention 2 of her kids have autism, and two are toddlers, so it's not really about being permissive, just avoiding meltdowns.

A tip about the onion - If you add a whole (peeled) onion, you get the flavor but can take it out before serving and the kids will never know it was in there. Same for peppers if they hate them too. Good luck - it's a never ending battle with kids. I remember a time when my son wouldn't eat anything but hot dogs for about 3 weeks.

**onencgirl** · 01-06-2013, 10:12 AM

None of my kids were picky growing up. My grands on the other hand are a mess when it comes to eating. I figure they have been raised on fast food so that is all they want. If I had to feed them on a daily basis I would be fixin to pitch a fit on a daily basis.