Trying to cook food I CAN eat that my kids WILL eat.

Bump because I struggle with the same thing and hope someone has some really good suggestions (that are easy too since I don't have enough time to cook stuff with tons of ingredients or prep time).

I know this is going to make me sound like a hard person...but I cook whats healthy and if they dont eat it they don't eat. I was raised on pretty healthy eating habits anyway...as are my kids. But I get the occassional whine or pout whenever theyre not in the mood for grilled chicken and veggies.....or when we pass McDonalds. They know what chicken nuggets are and taste like...AND they think of it as a treat. I just buckle down and get tough with them. Tell them about healthy food and good fuel for their bodies. Also, make it fun. If they have veggies and fruits and healthy things that they like ..try to incorporate them into the meal. If you consistently pound it in daily and YOU stay dedicated...it will rub off and they'll have these healthy habits for life.

A lot of times you can make healthier versions of kid-friendly meals (instead of kid-friendly diet foods). Baked chicken instead of fried, mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. I know growing up my parents would make tacos, but they would eat a bit of meat and fillings over lettuce instead of using the shells, but my brother and I still ate the shells. I'm sure there are some veggies your kids like - choose those and let them add a little butter or cheese if they prefer. Of course you could compromise, say baked chicken with two side dishes like mashed potatoes and broccoli and you could just eat extra broccoli.

Hope this helps!

I know this is going to make me sound like a hard person...but I cook whats healthy and if they dont eat it they don't eat. I was raised on pretty healthy eating habits anyway...as are my kids. But I get the occassional whine or pout whenever theyre not in the mood for grilled chicken and veggies.....or when we pass McDonalds. They know what chicken nuggets are and taste like...AND they think of it as a treat. I just buckle down and get tough with them. Tell them about healthy food and good fuel for their bodies. Also, make it fun. If they have veggies and fruits and healthy things that they like ..try to incorporate them into the meal. If you consistently pound it in daily and YOU stay dedicated...it will rub off and they'll have these healthy habits for life.

I did this with my kids too. My youngest doesn't even like fast food or fried foods. They get used to it soon enough. When the got to their teens they may have eaten crap when I wasn't looking, but at home it was healthy foods.

Anyone have ideas on how to make meals that are diet friendly that kids will actually eat?I don't have the time or money to make separate meals everyday. I have a few recipes that fit both bills, but they grow old fast.

I do the separate meals things a decent amount, esp for breakfast. SO and my son are boys, so when I go meatless they aren't exactly on board with the idea...

But I make a really yummy baked fish stick that I found on cookinglight.com-- Mild fish like tilapia, cod, etc is perfect, and it probably would work well with chicken, too.

Crush rice krispies, pepper, salt in a ziploc bag. If you are feeling adventerous and the kids like it, you can add some other seasonings as well. I'm thinking cayenne or chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, italian blend, or even cumin or paprika.

Dip fish (or chicken) in skim milk and roll in the crushed cereal.

Spray a baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil for quick clean up) with cooking spray and cook until done. Flip them over halfway through.

Cool on a wire rack and serve with baked sweet potato fries.

If you need better instructions, check out cookinglight.com. You won't be disappointed-- 85% of my dinners come from that site.