Cooking for an over weight teen

asuarez7711

Hello,

I have been working out and eating a lot better, and I can manage very well, with what I put together, since I am not picky.
But I am running out of ideas for my 13 year old. I do chicken breast, ceaser salad, salmon, baked potatoe, brocolli, corn, tuna salad. but teens are so picky sometimes. She does not eat many veggies or fish. Please give me some ideas I may whip up for dinner, so that she does not get tierd of eating healthy.

thank you so much.,

Ailed

Lizzy622

Chili with lots of veggies (onions, peppers and celery) and beans and very little meat. Tacos (soft shell) with grilled chicken lots of veggies (lettuce, tomato) and salsa and just a touch of cheese. White whole wheat pasta has been a lifesaver in my house. My kids hate the regualr whole wheat pasta. I like taking a jar sauce and doctoring it up with extra veggies and sometimes white beans for protein instead of meat.

kariannmbc

You can also make chicken fajitas at home, stir-fry lots of peppers, onions, carrots (thinly sliced into strips), celery, etc, with chicken, and just enough BBQ sauce to make it saucy, and serve in soft tortilla shells. We had that probably once a week and it was always a huge treat.

theCarlton

http://pinterest.com/all/?category=food_drink
Endless supply of recipes

sammielealea

I made meatloaf last night. I grind carrots, celery, and mushrooms up and add that to the ground beef (have also done this with turkey), and it makes it so nice and moist and tastey. I also do this to spaghetti sauce and lasagna. Note that I'm note sure if it alters the taste a lot, because I have been doing this for so long and we love our veggies ( I know this method is used to "trick" people into eating more veggies, so I'm not sure how well that actually works ).

annepage

Baked taquitos-corn tortillas or flautas-flour. Fill with shredded chicken breast or lean ground beef and whichever tortilla you choose, spray with a bit of olive oil spray and bake in the oven. You can also do oven baked corn tortilla chips with salsa if your teen eats salsa. Serve with salad.

"Lasagna" casseroles without the noodles (you could sub. eggplant or zucchini) and incorporate a lot of veggies with it and 'hide' it with the tomato sause, just go easy on the cheese (either low fat/low cal like part skim or fat free ricotta or use a more strongly flavoured cheese and do so sparingly).

Mix half whole wheat spaghetti noodles with 'white' for spaghetti (unless she can handle all of it being whole wheat). You could add diced carrots and zucchini to the sauce.

If you want more ideas, feel free to message me. I've got a bunch.

Dianescraps

My teens, and I like wraps, salads, turkey meatballs.

When we go to the produce store I let my kids pick pretty much anything they want.

I also don't serve foods family style, the food is dished onto the plates, then put on the table. Any extras stay in the kitchen. Except extra veggies, those I do put on the table.

jakidb

I would say try "ground turkey"--with the right "seasonings" you can do miracles. I have a 21 y/o who told me she hated meat loaf. I used ground turkey, seasoned it well, even added manwich sauce to my recipe and NOW my dtr LOVES meatloaf. Even with non-meat products (morning star, boca, etc), they have some really "tasty" burgers you can try. Good luck

coulibalymuso

I'm in the same boat - except mine won't eat any ground meat whatsoever! Makes it tough sometimes

Rose_bee

If she's 13, she's old enough to learn how to cook her own meal when she doesn't like what you've prepared.

kelleyannclemons

Had these for dinner last night and had to share:

Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925744-loaded-mashed-potato-cakes

Turkey, Bacon, and Swiss Melt
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925740-turkey-bacon-and-swiss-melt

moonmistmm

Alright, I was a teenager until last week, so maybe I can help you out. I've also been overweight my whole life and somewhat picky. It really isn't difficult to make certain things healthier. I ate pretty healthy growing up (my mom is a nurse), so here are some of my favorites.
-greek yogurt/yogurt parfaits
-turkey burgers
-bison/buffalo burger (or whatever you want to use it for, it's almost the same as lean ground beef, taste wise, to me)
-salads...with fruit. My mom and I don't really like tomatoes and traditional salad toppings, so we eat a lot of fruit.
-tilapia is a less fishy tasting fish that I actually will eat...sometimes.
-shrimp that isn't fried
-whole wheat or multigrain pasta
-eggs. Omelets are really good, and not just for breakfast!
-meatballs...you can make them with ground chicken or turkey
-turkey bacon
-roast chicken
-stir fries!
-sweet potato fries
-zucchini and pumpkin can be used in a lot of healthy baked goods

Most of these obviously aren't centered on veggies. I just prefer my veggies raw and separate from everything else. But pea pods, carrots, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens are all yummy to me! Good luck

Also, keeping junk food out of the house will probably help her.

mayae14

Lentil, vegetable, or minestrone soup
sweet potatoes
salmon, tilapia, or chicken breast
shrimp or with sauteed vegetables
arabic salad or fattoush (very easy to make)
spaghetti squash with tomato sauce
egg frittatas
spinach dough pies
vegetarian chili
etc.