Healthy meal ideas for picky eaters?

tolygal

I'm trying hard to use less processed foods in my home, but my kids are just not eating. They are 16 months and almost 4, by the way. I am looking for some ideas on less-processed foods that they will eat. They will eat fruit loops, chicken nuggets, mac & cheese and hot dogs all day, but I hate giving them those things all the time. I don't mind every once in a while, but not all the time! I would love to get some ideas of kid-friendly, fresh foods that don't require a lot of cooking time (or cooking knowledge since I am not a good cook).

As hard as it is for people to not say it, I'm really not looking for "they won't starve themselves" LOL - I know that already! And I do keep offering the foods they don't like, and always will strongly encourage them to try it, but they would rather sit there and go hungry than to eat something they "don't like." I don't care what anyone says, I feel miserable if I put my kids to bed knowing that they are hungry and I will not do it. There must be more healthy foods that kids will love! I'd really like to make my whole family a meal that I will eat too, rather than having something different all the time.

Mrbackslap

Natural Peanut butter, you can make your own Mac and cheese using fiber pasta or even your own chicken nuggets using ground chicken. It will take more time but its a lot better for your children then boxed foods.
A friend of mine stop buying soda and juice for her kids and sneaked in crystal light.
They love it and got off the soda.

NoAdditives

As you make the transition you can get organic versions of the foods they already like. There are organic chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc. that are minimally processed and are made from natural, high quality ingredients. I have a 2 year old little girl and I know how frustrating it can be to get a toddler to eat. One thing that has helped her a lot is eating meals as a family at the dinner table. She will almost always eat what we're eating if we all eat together. But, there are still time when she doesn't want our meal. When that happens I offer her other healthy alternatives until she chooses something she likes, usually cereal or yogurt. There are lots of organic cereals out there that taste just as fruity as Froot Loops but are made with fruit juice coloring, natural fruit flavors and less sugar. One even comes in fun bunny shapes.

becomingsara

If you can budget for it, there are healthier, natural options available, sometimes even at Walmart (but more than likely at health food stores). And yes, their tastebuds are fickle...so keep offering, and even try and change the way it looks (ie put cooked cauliflower in a ricer and mix it in with some plain white rice).
There are a few different cookbooks for sneaking in the good foods, until their palates get used to the new tastes.
Pumpkin muffins are SUPER easy, and full of vitamins (1 box spice cake mix, 1.4 or 1.2 C water and a can of pumpklin puree; mix it with a mixer, and pour into 24 lined muffin tin cups; bake at 350 for 15 mins or so)...

Also smoothies are AWESOME for vitamins, minerals etc. Sneak in vegetables there too: carrot juice, spinach, pumpkin there too!
It really is all about disguising the good foods until they get used to the good stuff and don't remember the lure of the bad :0)

Best Wishes!
~ Sara

NoAdditives

Natural Peanut butter, you can make your own Mac and cheese using fiber pasta or even your own chicken nuggets using ground chicken. It will take more time but its a lot better for your children then boxed foods.
A friend of mine stop buying soda and juice for her kids and sneaked in crystal light.
They love it and got off the soda.

Crystal Light is made with artificial sweeteners, which aren't good for anyone, especially growing children. It's much better to find juices that are naturally low in sugar (and no high fructose corn syrup) and to then dilute them with water. When my daughter drinks juice her cup is about 25-30% juice and 70-75% water.

kitkat415

I would start by making some simple swaps they probably won't even notice. Like for breakfast give them whole wheat waffles with a little bit of natural sugar-free maple syrup. Chances they notice are slim. They make great meat-free chicken nuggets that taste just like the real thing and pack more veggies. Be careful though because a lot of vegetarian fare is still filled with artificial ingredients. Fun snack ideas like string cheese or apple dippers seem to get kids interested. Turkey roll ups with low fat cheese are also pretty yummy. There's also a lot of natural substitutes that look and taste like the real thing like white whole grain bread. Good luck!

MissEllie0426

I feel your pain! I have a 4 year old and a 6 year old...both are picky! They love fruit which is a great thing...vegetables are another story...corn, potatos, and sometimes broccoli! They love peanutbutter and I have managed the switch to whole wheat bread with no trouble at all (I do have to cut off the crust but I can deal with that). Hotdogs and mac and cheese are a staples in our home...I recently tried turkey hotdogs and veggie hotdogs...they ate them without complaint...they noticed a difference in color but I just said it was they way the stove cooked them (yes, I lied to my children...it was easier than using the word veggie). I know they are hungry and I agree that alone will not be enought o get them to eat something they do not like...so I agree with you on that one!

So I guess my only suggestions are the ones that have worked for me...go from white to wheat...breads, pasta, cereal (my boys love oatmeal they eat that for dinner on a regular basis.) Try veggie or turkey dogs...they also have veggie nuggets but they do taste a littel different (nothing ketchup can't hide). Fresh fruit seems easier to fit in even if you have to offer some type of dip to go along. Do they like yogurt? I make dinner and if they won't eat any of it...I offer pb&j or oatmeal...I know as a child I was very picky and I grew our of it...so I don't push them. I like you just keep offering them foods over and over!

Mrbackslap

Natural Peanut butter, you can make your own Mac and cheese using fiber pasta or even your own chicken nuggets using ground chicken. It will take more time but its a lot better for your children then boxed foods.
A friend of mine stop buying soda and juice for her kids and sneaked in crystal light.
They love it and got off the soda.

Crystal Light is made with artificial sweeteners, which aren't good for anyone, especially growing children. It's much better to find juices that are naturally low in sugar (and no high fructose corn syrup) and to then dilute them with water. When my daughter drinks juice her cup is about 25-30% juice and 70-75% water.

Yes yes its bad but its way better then a big ol glass of soda any day.

NoAdditives

Ok, now that my 7 month old is down for a nap I can type with both hands and think more clearly! So here are some more thoughts...

I disagree with hiding or disguising vegetables. It may get them to eat them but it won't teach them that vegetables are yummy. I also think it's silly to dress them up into animal shapes or things like that. My daughter loves broccoli, green beans, salad and will choose fruit over cookies any day. But I think she might just be weird!

She did have a hard time getting to this point though. At 6 months old she refused to eat purees so she didn't get exposed to as many foods as i would have liked. She only had her front teeth and there wasn't much she could safely feed herself. She got a lot of fruits but not as many vegetables. She has definitely gone through her picky phases. We just kept offering her different foods and we always let her eat off our plates. Seeing us eat different foods made her curious.

Dipping fruits like apples, bananas, peaches and strawberries in vanilla yogurt is really yummy. When I want my daughter to eat carrots or salad I give her a little bit of ranch to dip them in. Toddlers and young kids LOVE to dip. I've even heard kids will dip broccoli into ketchup. It sounds gross, but if they eat who cares? One big thing about toddlers and young children is that chewing a lot of adult foods can be difficult. That's a big part of why they like chicken nuggets and hot dogs so much. So if they're having trouble with real meats you can try baking the meats instead of grilling, or cooking them in a slow cooker. Make sure that vegetables are soft, steaming works great. And lastly, try preparing foods in different ways. (My daughter hates raw mushrooms but loves them if they're sauteed in a little olive oil.)

Oh! and you just have to be persistent. It can take a child up to 20 times of trying a new food before they'll actually eat it.