Question to those with young kids
MommyRobot
Posts: 268 Member
What do you feed your little ones for dinner? I don't mean every night, but like some nights if I want to have a salad, my husband will eat a salad with me...but unfortunately my 3 year old won't. He eats lettuce in things, but he won't eat a salad. I really don't have the time, nor desire, to cook two meals a night, one for us and one for the LO, but I don't want him eating a PB&J every night either. So, any quick easy meal ideas for kiddos on those nights when we are eating salads or something like that?
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What do you feed your little ones for dinner? I don't mean every night, but like some nights if I want to have a salad, my husband will eat a salad with me...but unfortunately my 3 year old won't. He eats lettuce in things, but he won't eat a salad. I really don't have the time, nor desire, to cook two meals a night, one for us and one for the LO, but I don't want him eating a PB&J every night either. So, any quick easy meal ideas for kiddos on those nights when we are eating salads or something like that?
I make my kids homemade chicken nuggets all the time with baked sweet potato fries - and you could throw a few extra nuggets on your salad. Just cut chicken into strips, dip in egg white and roll in panko (mixed with garlic powder, salt, ital seasoning - whatever you like) and bake in the oven.0 -
we heat him up his own meals, usually like ravioli or pizza or something. He won't eat salads either, but those other meals are really not hard to make.0
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That's a great question. I'd like some ideas too. My wife and I struggle with the same thing with our two year old. Our eight year old will eat 99% of what we do, but the little guy is a different animal!0
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depending on what type of salad you are eating could you give him everything that is in the salad but without the lettuce as a base. My daughter has now gotten to the point where she pits lettuce out so if I am having a cobb salad or taco salad I give her everything else but the lettuce. She feels like she is still eating what I am and is happy0
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EasyMac.
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Honestly, I heat up a hot dog in the microwave, cut up some tomato, give her a few pieces of spinach and maybe a string cheese and she's a happy camper. Takes 2 mins.0
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My daughter loves macaroni, so sometimes I make her the cups of easy mac and add some tuna and crumbled crackers. I also add the new single servings of peas on occasion. She loves it!0
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Ground turkey tacos for them. Taco salad for me.0
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Pasta, a tv dinner, a personal made pizza with premade crust is very quick., a cheese soft taco, bacon, fruit and cheese for a dinner, brkst for dinner, my son is oober picky so I always have to make him his own regardless so this topic i am used too. fish sticks, chicken nuggets, some kind of a wrap, a lunchable etc0
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When we have salads, my son has a pu pu platter of some of the ingredients. For instance, he'll have green peas, crackers, oranges(or apples), and scrambled eggs if we are having an Asian themed salad. Mexican salad night it will be black beans, cheese, and corn chips. I keep the toppings separate, because I also have a picky 8 year old who likes to eat all the parts separately.0
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my little one loves cauliflower and brocolli with cheese sauce. Very quick and easy to do. Or pasta with a pesto sauce. Both are very quick meals.
A baked potato is also a good accompanyment to encourage kids to eat salads
Other than that, we usually batch up kid size portions of stuff like bolognese or shepherds pie.0 -
My kids will eat the salad only if they can choose what goes in it and help make it. Generally its pizza toppings. So if they don't want the salad I know I can throw it all on top of two peices of bread, bake it a few minutes, and they have pizza sandwiches.0
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I use things like spagettios, soup, light hotdogs, chicken nuggets or sometimes I have left overs from a previous night. I also sometimes add some veggies with those small cans of veggies you get on the veggie aisle.0
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I sometimes just make a little chicken breast and some veggies. My kids always like to dip their chicken in ketchup or bbq sauce so I can just boil a piece. It doesn't take long and I don't have to worry about seasoning it.0
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I try not to do EasyMac more than once every couple of weeks. It is so gross and has no nutritional value whatsoever! Usually, if my 4-year-old doesn't want what we're having for dinner, I give him some string cheese, a bowl of fruit, or I quick steam him some broccoli. Sometimes he'll ask specifically for a Nutella sandwich or PB&J or a hot dog. Generally, though, I try to get him to eat at least 3 bites of whatever we're having for dinner before I make him something special. We've been trying for about 8 months to get him to eat what the family eats and it isn't always easy! He is really picky and hates certain textures.0
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Usually I try to plan our salad nights the day after having a big meal that will have leftovers. My oldest (4) has started eating some types of lettuce, but not all the time. So the hubby and I have our salads and the boys will eat the left over turkey/chicken/pork.. or whatever we have. Most of the time we just grill enough chicken for two nights so the adults have grilled chicken salads and the boys will have chicken with the left over veggies from the night before.0
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No offense to anyone and I know each child is VERY different and I also know a lot of pediatricians suggest feeding underweight picky eaters junk food just to get them to eat. BUT, they do say that it takes 6-8 times of putting a food in front of a child before they might start eating it, and then it's a big "might". But, starting good, healthy eating habits with your children early is so key to ending our obesity epidemic. Feeding your children Easy Mac and hot dogs while you eat something healthy is just sending the wrong message, in my opinion. Give them what you're eating...and then add a little something to the plate that you know they'll eat, like a piece of fruit or something. Your kids won't starve themselves. They'll just eat more at breakfast.0
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My kids are just leaving the "little" stage, ages 12 (13 next month), 11, and 9. I wish I had started healthy eating sooner. Years ago we made a rule of one dinner. That's all there is to eat, if your hungry you will eat what has been made. I'm not saying it's been easy. We made unhealthy dinners for so long my kids are a little freaked out by all these new veggies. My oldest especially! If I were to make a suggestion, start now. Add to their meals, don't take away. If you are having chicken nuggets add a salad on the side instead of fries. Good luck!0
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Grilled chicken or any meat that can be used on a salad. I make a big pot of brown rice or beans every week. So I just have to reheat and serve. Im pretty good about always having left overs ready for the kids. I cook about 2 times a week and save the left overs for the kids. I also have a tub full of cut veggies so its less work at dinner time. I spend 2 night a week making meals for the whole week.0
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My 3 year old is so picky and I also usualy have to make her a seperate dinner but the nights that my husband and I have salad, she eats some of the ingredients. Some night I make her a grilled cheese, hot dog, mac and cheese, cereal, grits and toast... My daughter will eat any meat that we make but getting her to eat any "good" sides is very difficult!! It makes it very difficult when watching what you are eating and not everyone in the house is on the same page... Thank God I just got my 18 year old to start watching her weight and she signed up for Myfitnesspal.. so that should make it easier!
Good luck0 -
I have three boys ages 5, 2, and 1, and we keep a lot of kid-friendly items that are easy to heat up for dinner. We try to include the children in what we are eating as much as possible, but always have the alternative items just in case. For example, we like to have grilled salmon, and the 1 year old loves it, but the 2 and 5 year old are not fans, so we make them chicken nuggets on that evening. Also, I am a big fan on the frozen steamed vegetables bags that are microwavable, so every night everyone has to eat their veggies.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
I also have a 3 year old, and we sometimes run into the same issue. I don't normally have a separate "meal" for her, though, I normally just scramble her an egg and give her a variety of fruits and vegetables on the side. Or sometimes cottage cheese or yogurt for the protein, and fruits and veggies on the side. (by the way, my daughter won't normally eat fresh vegetables plain, but loves them dipped in a little bit of ranch) Kids are different, but my daughter is normally content without a cooked meal. She's happy with just a variety of foods that she likes.0
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My kids will eat salad. What are you putting on it? If you do chicken and cheese or whatever, just give home some of the toppings.
But quick kid friend ideas: quesadillas, frozen chicken nuggets, hot dogs, black beans (my kids LOVE them even the baby), keep some cooked chicken in the fridge (my kids will eat that with ranch), sugar snap peas, carrots, canned green beans, mac and cheese of course, deli meat sandwiches, wraps...0 -
One thing is to never let your kid have control over what's for dinner. Having them involved in the cooking/making process encourages them to eat what's on the table. At that age, you really need to introduce to him all sorts of foods. We typically make it a rule that you have to take a no thank you bite.
I know that dinner can be a battle, but you definitely aren't a short order cook. I think it is normal for kids to be picky like that, but you have to stick to your guns and keep introducing the same foods over and over. A lot of times it's more texture that's the issue.
Another tip is to put really small amounts of new foods so it's not so overwhelming. There are times that kids want to push your buttons.
Now that my kids are older 10 and 8, if they don't eat what's on their plate, they don't get anything else to eat. That sure did change the picture.
Like I said, keep introducing new foods from time to time.
It'll get better.0 -
No offense to anyone and I know each child is VERY different and I also know a lot of pediatricians suggest feeding underweight picky eaters junk food just to get them to eat. BUT, they do say that it takes 6-8 times of putting a food in front of a child before they might start eating it, and then it's a big "might". But, starting good, healthy eating habits with your children early is so key to ending our obesity epidemic. Feeding your children Easy Mac and hot dogs while you eat something healthy is just sending the wrong message, in my opinion. Give them what you're eating...and then add a little something to the plate that you know they'll eat, like a piece of fruit or something. Your kids won't starve themselves. They'll just eat more at breakfast.
I agree.0 -
:sad: I know the feeling!!! I have a toddler and a skinny minny 10 year old who needs all the calories and fat I can shove down her throat!!!! Both are CRAZY active and I worry about their bodies not getting enough of the stuff it needs to have the get-up-and-go to stay healthy. I make them a 'normal' dinner and then make myself, and the hubby if hes not at work, a healthy option. I save leftovers from my meal for lunch the following day. I'm also learning how to make my kids favs more healthy as well. Better for all of us, and it feels awesome to up the veggies and knock the carbs down a notch for them,too!!!!
They love their Mac n' cheese and pizza and all the normal kid stuff and just cause I'm on a diet doesnt mean I want them to have to sacrifice those things so, I've come up with a RULE for myself that works AWESOME!!! When making them mac n' cheese or another 'no,no' food for me, I allow myself no more then 3 bites of it using my sons baby spoon. If I can limit it to only 3 bites, I dont have to record it. That way, I get my craving out of the way without undoing my day and its such a tiny serving, its guilt free!!!! 0 -
I make lettuce roll-ups with lunch meat and cheese. I let my kids choose the dressing and their veggies to put on them. Hopefully this helps.
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My son has been very open to try new things (4 years old) and loves salads but he won't eat enough of a salad like I could to fill me up so I add in something of his choice since my salads are full of vegetables.
My salads include: lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, califlower, cucumbers, corn, green peppers, radishes, croutons, italian dressing0 -
Good question! I have two kids, 8 and 5, and I give them what we eat however like yours they aren't big on salads. So on nights, like last night when my husband and I had greek salad with chicken, I made them a sweet potato and broccoli/carrot/cauliflower mix to accompany their chicken. They don't always like what I give them, but I made up my mind pretty early on in this parenting adventure that I was not making separate meals every night. I make one meal, and they can either eat it or they can go to bed hungry. My kids are active and eat healthy snacks (fruit, whole grain crackers, and cheese or yogurt) throughout the day and they are growing well so I know they aren't starving if they don't like dinner. I have a rule in my house that no matter what I put on that dinner plate, they have to take a thank you bite. If after that they still don't like it, they don't HAVE to eat it. 8 times out 10, their faces light up when they realize that it's actually yummy and not poison. Now don't get me wrong, I still do fish sticks, and chicken nuggets, or mac and cheese on nights when I'm not making a big dinner for all of us or when we are short on time but the majority of dinners are comprised of a protein a carb, and a veggie. Good Luck and it looks like you've gotten some good ideas to help you out!0
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