Kid Friendly food ideas?

scookiemonster

Hi all! I need some suggestions. I don't have kids, but this weekend some good friends of ours are coming to visit and bringing their three kids. They will be with us for four days and their kids are ages 10, 8, and 2. Due to money constraints we'll be doing most of our eating at home. Breakfast is easy (I figure cereal, eggs, pancakes, etc.), and I can get cold cuts and sandwich stuff for lunches, but I'm kind of stuck on dinners. I don't want to just feed them hot dogs and hamburgers and spaghetti for four days, but I'm not really sure what else to do. I asked the mom what they like to eat and she wasn't super helpful - just said "oh, they're easy, they'll eat anything". I know she's trying to be easy going and not be a demanding house guest, but I could use some more guidance than that!

The only real food constraints are that I am gluten free (but I'm good at adapting recipes, so that's ok) and one of the kids is lactose intolerant. I am a good cook and can handle most home-cook recipes, and I have a kitchen fully-stocked with all necessary cooking tools and appliances.

Any ideas you can share would be great! I want to feed them foods that are healthy and fun and guest-worthy, but nothing too crazy or expensive or time consuming, as I'd rather be focused on my guests. Also, I'll be cooking for 7 of us, so something easy to make in larger quantities would be great - I'm really more used to just cooking for 2.

Thanks!

gatorginger

Home made pizza one night should be a hit

Kids love chicken nuggets and macoroni and cheese

Flab2fitfi

Have a gander at my diary. I'm gluten and milk free (plus a few others) and most meals I'm cooking for my 4 kids ranging from 3 to 14.

One thing my kids love is fried rice( well that's what we call it) which is cooked rice fried (we use a small amount of olive oil) with meat and veggies - we usually use chicken but most meats work well including bacon. Also can add a couple of eggs scrambles up a few mins before its done. I usually cook the rice in the morning so it dries out.

rosemaryhon

My kids love Mexican night ~ make your own tacos & fajitas ~ put out bowls of ground beef, chicken strips, veggies, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream. Usually I serve with rice & beans and corn on the side.

maddymama

Hi,
I am a mom of two little ones (ages 7 and 4). Could you ask the mom again for more guidance? It sounds like she is trying to not be a burden, but tell her it's more of a burden for her to not give you specifics. A brand name for cereal for the am, almond milk, etc.? Or offer her a few ideas (spaghetti and meatballs, or grilled chicken, rice and veggie sides) and see what she thinks.
My kids love ham, veggies on the side, and a baked sweet potato. Mine also love meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies on the side. We also do lots of soups and stew in the crockpot and bake bread in our bread machine.
Also, keep in mind that what they love one day they might hate the next. Don't take it personally. Sometimes traveling is stressful, and that is how they express their stress.

edited for spelling

Acg67

Whole roasted chicken, caramelized onions and roasted new potatoes

scookiemonster

Could you ask the mom again for more guidance? It sounds like she is trying to not be a burden, but tell her it's more of a burden for her to not give you specifics. A brand name for cereal for the am, almond milk, etc.? Or offer her a few ideas (spaghetti and meatballs, or grilled chicken, rice and veggie sides) and see what she thinks.

Thanks! I've tried a few times actually, and I just keep getting "Oh, they're easy! They eat everything!" or "I'm sure whatever you make will be fine!" I think she's just really stuck on trying to be easy (which I appreciate!), and maybe doesn't have anything specific in mind. According to her they love fruits, veggies, etc., and eat whatever she feeds them, pretty much. I'm sure that's true and I'm sure if they really were picky she would say so, it's just leaving me a little blank on what to plan to feed them, and I want to be able to buy my groceries ahead of time so I don't miss out on quality time with my visitors.

You guys are giving me some great suggestions, so thank you! We'll definitely be doing pizza at least one night (we're in NY, so pizza is a must), and I'm getting some great ideas for the other nights. Keep them coming!

scookiemonster

My kids love Mexican night ~ make your own tacos & fajitas ~ put out bowls of ground beef, chicken strips, veggies, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream. Usually I serve with rice & beans and corn on the side.

Thanks, that sounds perfect! I actually do this for my husband and I sometimes, I just kind of forgot about it. That's a great suggestion so that everybody can have what appeals to them.

jr235

My daughter likes things with components. Make your own tacos, nachos, pizzas, pasta bowls.

She also likes things to dip. Celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes and some sort of dip (ranch, cheese, hummus, salsa). Same principal for fruits. Apple slices, strawberries, bananas, kiwi, pinapple (whatever you have where you live) with peanut butter, nutella.

dressagester

Why do you have to dumb down your meals? Maybe don't make it spicy or terribly exotic - but just serve them good food.

Ruchell

I think if she keeps insisting that they'll eat everything then maybe they really will and you shouldn't stress too much!

That said, one of my son's favs is cubed chicken breast and rotini pasta tossed with pesto sauce. Super easy and delish for the adults too.

conniemaxwell5

Maybe her kids really do eat anything. Mine did. I'd cook simple recipes so you have more time with your friends but don't go all out just to please the kids. Have some snacks like ants on a log, cut up fruit, etc. in case they don't eat well at meal time so they can munch between meals if that's allowed by their parents.

Factory_Reset

As a mom myself, if she told you anything

She meant it

Have some choices and she can go from there

fivethreeone

Kids aren't aliens with alien food needs, they just have smaller mouths and a need to dip things in ketchup. Give them whatever you give the parents, but with ketchup.

zytah

chicken fries/nuggets/fingers, mac n cheese, grilled cheese, quesadillas, meatloaf, fried rice, kid "sushi", noodle soup, lasagna, twice baked potatos go into our regular rotation. kids are 4 and 22 months. usually theyll have a small portion of what everyone else is having and i will make small side dishes just for them like some kind of potato, green beans or fruit.

_Waffle_

Kids aren't aliens with alien food needs, they just have smaller mouths and a need to dip things in ketchup. Give them whatever you give the parents, but with ketchup.

That's true. My son likes everything with ketchup. Grilled chicken, with ketchup. Grilled cheese, with ketchup. Basically if you can dip it in ketchup he'll eat it. I don't know if this masks true flavors or if the high fructose corn syrup is just that addicting but whatever the case is this seems to work.

Contrarian

Liver!

Factory_Reset

Kids aren't aliens with alien food needs, they just have smaller mouths and a need to dip things in ketchup. Give them whatever you give the parents, but with ketchup.

That's true. My son likes everything with ketchup. Grilled chicken, with ketchup. Grilled cheese, with ketchup. Basically if you can dip it in ketchup he'll eat it. I don't know if this masks true flavors or if the high fructose corn syrup is just that addicting but whatever the case is this seems to work.

How bout bbq nuggets?

He like those

AllonsYtotheTardis

these are a big hit with my kids:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/08/sesame-encrusted-baked-chicken-tenders.html

they are easy, and healthy too!

(and totally dip-able, ahahha!)

thesupremeforce

Kids aren't aliens with alien food needs, they just have smaller mouths and a need to dip things in ketchup. Give them whatever you give the parents, but with ketchup.

That's true. My son likes everything with ketchup. Grilled chicken, with ketchup. Grilled cheese, with ketchup. Basically if you can dip it in ketchup he'll eat it. I don't know if this masks true flavors or if the high fructose corn syrup is just that addicting but whatever the case is this seems to work.

How bout bbq nuggets?

He like those

Are they dipped in ketchup?

_Waffle_

Kids aren't aliens with alien food needs, they just have smaller mouths and a need to dip things in ketchup. Give them whatever you give the parents, but with ketchup.

That's true. My son likes everything with ketchup. Grilled chicken, with ketchup. Grilled cheese, with ketchup. Basically if you can dip it in ketchup he'll eat it. I don't know if this masks true flavors or if the high fructose corn syrup is just that addicting but whatever the case is this seems to work.

How bout bbq nuggets?

He like those

For sure. Nuggets in ketchup are a staple in his menu of things.

lynn1982

Another way to go about it is by asking what the kids won't eat. Or ask what their favourite foods are. I know some kids can be super picky, but others really will eat anything. My nephew will eat pretty much anything you put in front of him (he's almost 2), but I remember when my cousin was little and would only eat plain pasta and ketchup. If the mother is telling you that they will eat anything, then maybe they will?

timbrom

Kids aren't aliens with alien food needs, they just have smaller mouths and a need to dip things in ketchup. Give them whatever you give the parents, but with ketchup.

Goes for adults too. When I was in the college cafeteria I referred to ketchup as "food lubricant." Helped things go down.

belle_of_the_bar

My daughter loves sweet potato fries and grilled chicken nuggets. I think she would eat it every day if I let her. I'm also gluten free, so I totally understand that, but you can also make fruit kabobs with grapes, melon chunks and strawberries or pineapple. It's fun and sweet and you can do lots of them or let the kids help you with it. Have fun with your friends and the kids. : )

Cadori

As a mom myself, if she told you anything

She meant it

Have some choices and she can go from there

Agreed. If she had a picky eater she would have gladly told you the list of foods her kid would eat.

My kids eat anything so I don't cook anything different, I just cut it in smaller pieces for the 1 year old.

But most kids love chicken nuggets or fish sticks with french fries or tater tots or mac n cheese. And yes, they love to dip: ketchup, BBQ sauce, ranch.

scarrletti_girl

I would say tator tot hot dish but there is gluton in that. so..everything else I can think of has gluton and dairy in it. I know you wanna make something "awesome" but maybe ask the kids directly what they would like to eat lol i know sometimes that is easier.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

My kids will eat pretty much anything I eat. She may not cook different meals for them but feeds them the same thing she eats, only with less sauce.

I say get what you want and just put the sauce to the side for the kids. My 3 year old wants to dip everything in Cholula hot sauce. Seriously, just get regular food and have the mom help you cook it up and plate it.

Mine would be unhappy with hot dogs and nuggets. Pizza, however, they will eat. With bacon and black olives.

Kamikazeflutterby

As some have mentioned, it is hard to tell others what kids eat because the favorites change quickly. Especially with little kids. When I visit places with my toddler the best I can tell people is she'll eat about anything because in the roulette of toddler appetites that holds true. I don't want to have someone specially buy chicken nuggets when I know she's just as likely to eat chopped up lemon pepper chicken. In her world it's all chicken.

Basically, buy stuff you won't mind eating if the kids refuse it. Then you won't feel resentful if you have a bunch of leftovers, and if the mom was wrong about her kids eating "anything" then she can make the last minute runs to the grocery store and it will all work out in the end.

The advice on ketchup is great. Toddlers love to dip their food in stuff. Ketchup dipped apple sticks **shudder** are a favorite here.

The advice to have a taco night is also great. Kids are more likely to have food they help make or assemble.

A main meal with an easy side would be good too (just because it doubles your chances of part of dinner being acceptable), but I don't know what convenience foods meet your dietary needs.

ygglove

I agree with most everyone else, they probably are easy. Most parents will tell you what their kid likes.. My kid will literally eat ANYTHING- I'm a picky eater- but she has an amazing palate. I wouldn't sweat it too much- but if you are still worried about it.. just make it fun. Kids like anything fun. For instance, my nephew would NEVER eat dinner for my sister.. he always said everything was gross.. and one day I pretended like I needed a super boy to go fight monsters with me (but only SUPER boys ate ALL of their dinner).. he hasn't had a problem eating since. Obviously you can't make dinner a game- but you could make it a fun project- by letting them help you.. Good luck!

rml_16

Kids aren't aliens with alien food needs, they just have smaller mouths and a need to dip things in ketchup. Give them whatever you give the parents, but with ketchup.

QFT

Heath_Bar

One thing I've learned about my kids (5 & 6) is that when we eat at someone's house, even if they make the exact same meal we have at home, they are "too busy" to eat much at one time. They really would rather have an afternoon snack, small dinner, and then popcorn later. I would keep lots of different snacky stuff around, all the fruits & veggies mentioned to dip (ranch, PB), cheese slices with ritz crackers, pickles, olives, ants on a log, trail mix. They also love smoothies.