I NEED QUICK N' EASY HEALTHY MEALS 4 KIDS TOO!

MyKidzMom

My kids are very picky eaters but I want to fix healthy foods, not only for me but for them as well. Any ideas on some healthy quick easy to fix kid friendly foods?
Thanks

merebear

I have a friend with three boys and she brought in left-overs today that looked yummy and she said her kids loved it!.....She used the healthy farfalla pasta (in a yellow box) because the kids won't eat wheat pasta, light Ragu sauce, cauliflower and broccoli steam and serve mix, and sprinkled with low fat mozzerella/parmesan cheese. You could also cook ground turkey meat instead of beef if your kids won't do the veggies!

Good Luck!

lutzsher

A huge favorite of my kids is to make their own soft tacos. We use ground turkey or chicken spiced up with a bit of chili powder, garlic and paprika, whole wheat soft tortillas and LOTS of lettuce and cucumber. I have also replaced the sour cream with plain yogurt and no one noticed. They LOVE getting to build their own tacos and its a really quck and easy weeknight dinner.

Chenoachem

My 3 year old loves veggie burgers. I get Morning Star Tomato Basil Pizza Burgers and they taste good and are only 120 calories. I put a side of steamed vegies and some sprinkled cheese on it and it is a good low calorie meal.

mellers1313

A huge favorite of my kids is to make their own soft tacos. We use ground turkey or chicken spiced up with a bit of chili powder, garlic and paprika, whole wheat soft tortillas and LOTS of lettuce and cucumber. I have also replaced the sour cream with plain yogurt and no one noticed. They LOVE getting to build their own tacos and its a really quck and easy weeknight dinner.

I love this one, woooow, My boys would love it, Cheers.

lisawest

I'm having problem with this, also! My 2yo is totally in "chicken nuggie" or peanut butter mode right now. I will make chicken nuggets myself sometimes. I cut boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into small pieces. I take the pieces, dip them in egg white, and then in crushed corn flakes. I then bake them. I haven't tried this yet, but I always intend to try baking up a BUNCH on a weekend, and then freezing them so I can just warm them up throughout the week.

GreenieBean

I am watching food network right now and Giada De Laurentiis is making healthy kid friendly foods. She is making pizza pot pies right now and they look sooo good. They are individual servings with veggies, tomato sauce, chicken and cheese. For the very top she put some pizza dough that you can buy at the store in the bakery area. It's a versatile recipes where you can switch ingredients in and out and use reduced fat cheese and what not.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pizza-pot-pies-recipe/index.html

there is the link to the recipe. She has a lot of healthy recipes that kids would like!

chocolateandvodka

oooh! ooh! i love this one! i'm a picky eater too that never grew out of that stage! it's pretty sad actually but here's a few things i love to make for myself and they are kid-friendly also!
summer smoothies make great snacks and/or breakfasts. customize your own recipe using frozen yogurt and natural fruit or frozen fruit, skim milk and ice. hint: frozen fruit is almost always sweeter in taste than natural, but doesn't always have the same nutritional value.
- easy peasy toast spread. Make your whole wheat bread toast or english muffins even more scrumptious and satisfying with this yummy topping. use 1 tablespoon natural or reduced fat peanut butter, a whole banana and a smidgen of honey, smash and spread on the top of your toast! note: the topping does not keep well, so i would recommend making only enough for one time use.

- low fat mac and cheese! always a favorite. for lots of flavor and nutrition in every bite use tortellini in place of macaroni. for volume with lower calories/fat use whole wheat pasta. once your noodles are cooked, spray them with a PAM or nonstick spray to keep them from getting rubbery. soften 1 oz per serving of 2% VELVEETA and skim milk over low heat until melted, mix with the cheese with the mac and sprinkle parmesan on the top! way less fattening than .50¢ mac-in-a-box.

- i love tex-mex food because it's quick, simple and cheesy! this is one of my favorite go-to recipes in a pinch.
use chicken, ground turkey or lean beef (all about the same calorie count but beef has the highest fat content) and cook thouroughly over medium heat. add a can of DRAINED diced tomatoes and green chiles for spice, a tablespoon or two of weight watchers whipped cream cheese, add spices to taste (i use chili powder, minced onion, and a bit of garlic powder) and simmer over low heat. try to keep it as dry as possible. in another pan, mix refried beans ( i like Rosarita's fat free refried beans - 100 calories and no fat, tons of fiber) and a tablespoon of fat free sour cream and heat until stir-able.
to prepare - use a rubber spatula to serve a small plop of the bean mixture onto a flour tortilla (corn tortillas tend to crumble in this recipe) spread even, sprinkle a bit of cheese over the top, add a small spoonful of the meat mixture and smash together. place smashed tacos into a pan that has been lightly sprayed with PAM, when all of your toppings have been used, bake tacos as they are at º350 for about 7-10 minutes. remove and serve! these are way less messy than regular soft tacos and you can add your lettuce, tomatoes, etc afterward if you want. Picky eater note: i don't like tomatoes AT ALL and i love this recipe. if you want picky eaters to eat it, don't let them watch you make it. these also reheat well.

i have more recipes if you want!

TheMaidOfAstolat

Hate to say this...but get the mindset of 'kids eat kids food' out of your heads. We teach our children what to eat. Who says that they need to eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or corn dogs? All of these are found on 'kid' menus around the country. Why won't our kids eat healthier foods? Because we haven't tought them to. My daughter eats what we're having for all our meals (no special kids meal for her). Either she eats it or she doesn't. My daughter didn't eat fries or chicken nuggets until she went to a friends house for a play date. She hadn't ever seen chicken nuggets before (she was 4 years old at the time). She actually asked her friends mom to make her a salad.
We need to expose our kids to what 'adult' food is. If you wouldn't eat it...why should your child? I don't mean to sound harsh or critical....if I come off that way, sorry.

aippolito1

I found this link just now & thought I'd share it. http://askgeorgie.com/?p=1863

jessw86

I think any food that kids can help with is something they will enjoy and want to eat because they made it themselves. I love to make my own mini pizzas on english muffins. Put a lil pizza sauce some turkey pepperoni and low fat shredded cheese, pop in the oven on broil just to melt the cheese and it's done in no time and I'm sure your kids can help with that. Two others are healthy versions of chicken pot pie and lasagna... I use fat free cream of celery soup, skinless chicken breast, mixed veggies, and reduced fat crescent rolls on top, it taste just like the regular thing. For the lasagna I use healthy harvest pasta (because lets be honest with all the other stuff you barely taste the pasta anyway), low fat shredded cheese, cottage cheese and spinach, if it's mixed in they won't even know it's there! and ground turkey instead of beef. Just some ideas.

stormieweather

I make pizza with/for my daughter sometimes:

WHole wheat pita
Pizza Sauce (can make your own, if you like)
Organic pepperoni (no antibiotics or preservatives)
Mozzerella Cheese.

The pita is just the right size for her, she can help spread out the pizza sauce and sprinkle the cheese, and finally, lay down the pepperoni's. I make the same thing for me, except I dont' like pepperoni, I use feta cheese and black olives.

lvfunandfit

Hate to say this...but get the mindset of 'kids eat kids food' out of your heads. We teach our children what to eat. Who says that they need to eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or corn dogs? All of these are found on 'kid' menus around the country. Why won't our kids eat healthier foods? Because we haven't tought them to. My daughter eats what we're having for all our meals (no special kids meal for her). Either she eats it or she doesn't. My daughter didn't eat fries or chicken nuggets until she went to a friends house for a play date. She hadn't ever seen chicken nuggets before (she was 4 years old at the time). She actually asked her friends mom to make her a salad.
We need to expose our kids to what 'adult' food is. If you wouldn't eat it...why should your child? I don't mean to sound harsh or critical....if I come off that way, sorry.

I feed my kids what we are eating, unless it's spicy. A lot of times, the food doesn't look appetizing to them. Unfortunately, my 3yr old has colon issues and is only 22 lbs due to severe cramping and her not wanting to eat. So, I will make her a different dinner. I need her to eat rather than go hungry. Sometimes she'll drink a meal replacement shake if she isn't feeling well. I always have whole wheat, all natural mac n cheese made for her ready to heat up as our back up.

My 14 month old is an amazing eater!

Go to items are 100% all white turkey hot dogs, turkey burgers (97% lean), turkey meatballs, all white chicken nuggets with whole grain and flax breading (homemade), chicken tacos (mild), or I'll just give them steamed veggies, grilled chicken and cheese. Whole wheat pizza dough with toppings and cheese.... all natural whole wheat mac n cheese or whole wheat pasta with pureed veggies in the sauce.

Both kids love yogurt and cottage cheese topped with fresh fruit.

Freeze bananas dipped in chocolate for a snack/dessert.



The book Deceptively Delicious has a lot of recipes that show you how to sneak veggies into foods.

ACarp24

Hate to say this...but get the mindset of 'kids eat kids food' out of your heads. We teach our children what to eat. Who says that they need to eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or corn dogs? All of these are found on 'kid' menus around the country. Why won't our kids eat healthier foods? Because we haven't tought them to. My daughter eats what we're having for all our meals (no special kids meal for her). Either she eats it or she doesn't. My daughter didn't eat fries or chicken nuggets until she went to a friends house for a play date. She hadn't ever seen chicken nuggets before (she was 4 years old at the time). She actually asked her friends mom to make her a salad.
We need to expose our kids to what 'adult' food is. If you wouldn't eat it...why should your child? I don't mean to sound harsh or critical....if I come off that way, sorry.

Such a good response! I don't personally have kids yet, but when I do I hope they are like your daughter. I know that I will definitely try to pass on my good eating habits to them.

foxyforce

Hate to say this...but get the mindset of 'kids eat kids food' out of your heads. We teach our children what to eat. Who says that they need to eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or corn dogs? All of these are found on 'kid' menus around the country. Why won't our kids eat healthier foods? Because we haven't tought them to. My daughter eats what we're having for all our meals (no special kids meal for her). Either she eats it or she doesn't. My daughter didn't eat fries or chicken nuggets until she went to a friends house for a play date. She hadn't ever seen chicken nuggets before (she was 4 years old at the time). She actually asked her friends mom to make her a salad.
We need to expose our kids to what 'adult' food is. If you wouldn't eat it...why should your child? I don't mean to sound harsh or critical....if I come off that way, sorry.

i think this is sound parenting. and how i plan to raise my kids! my dad made me sit at the table until bedtime if i didn't finish what was on my plate (not that it was portion control, i just hated what he made...mainly mushrooms!).

and another thing, my little cousin loves peas and corn...and all of them eat veggies before dinner. they go crazy for their carrots. it is learning behaviors, be better than the media and other kids and teach them right.

kcdrake

Bump!
I've been wanting some comfort food lately and not known how to make a good alternative.

chocolateandvodka

Hate to say this...but get the mindset of 'kids eat kids food' out of your heads. We teach our children what to eat. Who says that they need to eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or corn dogs? All of these are found on 'kid' menus around the country. Why won't our kids eat healthier foods? Because we haven't tought them to. My daughter eats what we're having for all our meals (no special kids meal for her). Either she eats it or she doesn't. My daughter didn't eat fries or chicken nuggets until she went to a friends house for a play date. She hadn't ever seen chicken nuggets before (she was 4 years old at the time). She actually asked her friends mom to make her a salad.
We need to expose our kids to what 'adult' food is. If you wouldn't eat it...why should your child? I don't mean to sound harsh or critical....if I come off that way, sorry.

i think this is sound parenting. and how i plan to raise my kids! my dad made me sit at the table until bedtime if i didn't finish what was on my plate (not that it was portion control, i just hated what he made...mainly mushrooms!).

and another thing, my little cousin loves peas and corn...and all of them eat veggies before dinner. they go crazy for their carrots. it is learning behaviors, be better than the media and other kids and teach them right.

had to respond to this....
my mom did the same thing with me - fed me whatever the family ate. i NEVER got "kid food" growing up. but still, i'm the world's pickiest eater. some kids are just that way and there isn't anything you can do about it. it may be a biological issue (texture, acid quality, etc) or maybe it is just mental. this is good advice and i plan to have a similar parenting style if i have children, but trust me - you can not make your kids like something by constantly making them eat it, or punishing them when they refuse. a parent should be able to tell when a kid is just being obstinate and when he truly doesn't like something.

for instance - my mom used to love corned beef hash. :sick: just the thought of it makes my stomach churn even today. she served it to me one day when i was about 5, i STILL REMEMBER THIS almost 20 years later. i tried it, but i couldn't finish it because it was so disgusting. she made me sit there until i finished it - which did not happen, so she covered it with Saran wrap and saved it for the next meal. we went on like this for almost 2 days when she finally realized i would rather starve than eat that stuff. the same was true for many foods (cauliflower, carrots, coconut, etc.)

TheMaidOfAstolat

Hate to say this...but get the mindset of 'kids eat kids food' out of your heads. We teach our children what to eat. Who says that they need to eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or corn dogs? All of these are found on 'kid' menus around the country. Why won't our kids eat healthier foods? Because we haven't tought them to. My daughter eats what we're having for all our meals (no special kids meal for her). Either she eats it or she doesn't. My daughter didn't eat fries or chicken nuggets until she went to a friends house for a play date. She hadn't ever seen chicken nuggets before (she was 4 years old at the time). She actually asked her friends mom to make her a salad.
We need to expose our kids to what 'adult' food is. If you wouldn't eat it...why should your child? I don't mean to sound harsh or critical....if I come off that way, sorry.

i think this is sound parenting. and how i plan to raise my kids! my dad made me sit at the table until bedtime if i didn't finish what was on my plate (not that it was portion control, i just hated what he made...mainly mushrooms!).

and another thing, my little cousin loves peas and corn...and all of them eat veggies before dinner. they go crazy for their carrots. it is learning behaviors, be better than the media and other kids and teach them right.

had to respond to this....
my mom did the same thing with me - fed me whatever the family ate. i NEVER got "kid food" growing up. but still, i'm the world's pickiest eater. some kids are just that way and there isn't anything you can do about it. it may be a biological issue (texture, acid quality, etc) or maybe it is just mental. this is good advice and i plan to have a similar parenting style if i have children, but trust me - you can not make your kids like something by constantly making them eat it, or punishing them when they refuse. a parent should be able to tell when a kid is just being obstinate and when he truly doesn't like something.

for instance - my mom used to love corned beef hash. :sick: just the thought of it makes my stomach churn even today. she served it to me one day when i was about 5, i STILL REMEMBER THIS almost 20 years later. i tried it, but i couldn't finish it because it was so disgusting. she made me sit there until i finished it - which did not happen, so she covered it with Saran wrap and saved it for the next meal. we went on like this for almost 2 days when she finally realized i would rather starve than eat that stuff. the same was true for many foods (cauliflower, carrots, coconut, etc.)

I totally get that. I'm a vegetarian (raised in a house of omnivores). My mother was told by my doctor to 'feed' me meat even if I had to be force fed. Let's put it this way...whenever it was put in my mouth I spit it back out (my mom finally resolved to giving me PB and J and Instant Breakfast drinks and a multi. I've never eaten meat and I don't plan to. I don't force my child to eat what she truly doesn't like (eggplant, radishes, and brussel sprouts)...but there is always another veggie that she needs to eat. She is given options for some foods (she doesn't eat shrimp or fish-so she'll have a edamame instead for her protein). I'm flexable and I am not a fan of 'the clean plate club'...she eats til she's full and if she wants more later...it'll be in the fridge. Although, she must at least try the food (no more than one bite-and if she truly doesn't like it, she can spit it out).

raelbee

Hate to say this...but get the mindset of 'kids eat kids food' out of your heads. We teach our children what to eat. Who says that they need to eat chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or corn dogs? All of these are found on 'kid' menus around the country. Why won't our kids eat healthier foods? Because we haven't tought them to. My daughter eats what we're having for all our meals (no special kids meal for her). Either she eats it or she doesn't. My daughter didn't eat fries or chicken nuggets until she went to a friends house for a play date. She hadn't ever seen chicken nuggets before (she was 4 years old at the time). She actually asked her friends mom to make her a salad.
We need to expose our kids to what 'adult' food is. If you wouldn't eat it...why should your child? I don't mean to sound harsh or critical....if I come off that way, sorry.

I do the same thing with my 18 month daughter. Children learn healthy eating habits from their parents, and I hope to set a good example. Unless it's really spicy, our daughter eats what we are eating and is exposed to all kinds of yummy, healthy, and colorful foods. Her first favorite foods were black beans and hummus