I do a lot of “make your own” meals, where I put things in the middle of the table and everyone assembles their own. It usually ends up being a lot of wraps/rolls/bowls but everyone can customize their own and there are fewer complaints (except for the requirement that the picky kid needs to eat at least 1 piece of veg).
Tacos. Fajitas. Bún. Vietnamese rice wraps. Sushi rolls. Green souvlaki. Shawarma. Kafta.
We are Chinese so even when we eat more traditional meals, we serve it family style and have a protein, a stir fried veg, a soup, and eat it with a bowl of rice.
Goulash. And if you make a big pan you have leftovers. My adult child and the 4-year old I nanny love it. You could also do Johnny Marzetti (basically Goulash with cheese) If you use small elbow noodles it is great for little ones.
Basically it is noodles, ground beef, tomato sauce and seasonings. If you are interested I can post my husbands recipe.
Mac and cheese, make your own pizza is a hit with kids (just use naan or some other flatbread), chicken pasta salad, totchos (nachos with tater tots instead of chips), chili (you may have to tone down the spice for kiddo), loaded baked potato soup, tacos, cheese burgers.
Ham and cheese pinwheels (puff pastry from the store rolled out, layer of ham, layer of shredded cheddar cheese) roll it up, slice into bite size pieces and bake. Serve with veggie sticks. Pizza pinwheels same process.
If your kid will eat fish, my kids loved this cheat salmon Wellington. Puff pastry rolled out, slather on a good amount of cream cheese mixed with dill, place salmon filets on top (spread the fish out so that when you cut the pastry you have enough to cover the fish and seal.
Homemade chicken fingers are a hit but a bit more work than the other things I listed.
Salads. Quick and easy. My 5 year old actually prefers them over normal junk food that toddlers gravitate towards for some reason. Not complaining, obviously.
Grilled cheese is tried and true as well.
I second salads. Of any kind. The traditional with lettuce and toppings, plus finger salad, pasta salad, couscous salad, fruit salad.
My kids are in elementary school now, but when they were really little, we had finger salads all the time. Strips of sweet peppers and carrots, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken cut into strips. With a small side of the dip of their choice.
I do an unstuffed pepper skillet and my 1 year old loves it! Also chili, spaghetti and meat sauce with garlic bread, bbq chicken on the grill with pasta salad , hotdogs/cheeseburgers with corn on the cob
I try to batch cook bases when I have the time and I freeze them in single use portions in a little plastic bin so I have easy access to what I need and it doesn't get lost in the chaos of the rest of my freezer. For example, I have home made pizza sauce, parmesan panko crumbs, streusel topping, and a shallot red wine reduction that I put in burgers in there right now. I've also done the base of Alfredo sauce so I just have to heat it and add cream and cheese.
2 boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese with a pound of browned hamburger mixed in. Can also add a tomato sauce for poor man's hamburger helper. We usually served alongside a vegetable medley or we would make honeyed carrots because they were simple and sweet enough that kids like them.
Kids (and adults!) will enjoy their veggies much more when roasted and covered in cheese lol. Even if it's not the most "healthy" method of preparing veg, it's better than no veg at all.
Not a specific meal/recipe but I cheat on a lot of things that usually require prep/chopping like using minced garlic and ginger from a tube, frozen vegetables and even the occasional packet of microwave rice. When my youngest was really tiny and wanted to be carried everywhere I also used a fair amount of pre-chopped veggies (sliced mushrooms, diced onion, etc) so I could cook one handed
For better or worse, we the following to let our picky eater choose:
Vegetables:
- Carrots
- Peppers
- Frozen peas (yummy as a cold sweeter snack)
- Tinned corn or fresh depending on what’s good
- Kohlrabi with salt
- Avocado (technically not a vegg, but whatever)
Fruits:
- Melons, nectarines, peaches, apricots, berries - whatever is in season and on sale.
Protein:
- Eggs (fried, scrambled, garam masala omelette)
- Peanut butter (with carrots to dip)
- Chicken fingers (frozen)
- Tuna (she’s on a break apparently)
- Cheese strings or babybel
- Ground beef (flattened in freezer)
- Fried cod or smoked salmon
Carbs
- Toast
- Noodles
- Rice (in a rice cooker)
- Potatoes
- Tortillas
Meals end up being:
- Eggs, avocado, toast
- Spaghetti bolognese with carrots, celery and onions
- Garam masala omelette, peppers, toast
- Taco night
- Cod fried in brown butter with potatoes and peas
- Egg fried rice
I'll get a pork shoulder and slow cook it on the stove while doing chores. Then turn it into chili verde, carnitas, and pulled pork over the next few days. Thai and Mexican foods are pretty easy and versatile once you get the basics down. and have been totally toddler friendly for mine.
Minestrone!
Add all of this to a pan, boil for 10 mins and serve with cheese on top:
* pre chopped veg
* garlic
* tomato paste
* broth
* cannellini beans / Lima beans / beans - 2 cans
* handful of pasta
It’s soooo quick. Used to blitz it for my baby, but he eats it like this now
Also zucchini soup with fish fingers
edit: serve blitzed soup with a straw to kids !!! It’s a mama hack for the ages
My 5yo doesn’t eat vegetables. He has ASD and therefore a very limited palate. He would, however, eat veggies when it’s hidden in cream soups, so I make cream of pumpkin/sweet potato/mushroom at least once a week.
I do a lot of “make your own” meals, where I put things in the middle of the table and everyone assembles their own. It usually ends up being a lot of wraps/rolls/bowls but everyone can customize their own and there are fewer complaints (except for the requirement that the picky kid needs to eat at least 1 piece of veg). Tacos. Fajitas. Bún. Vietnamese rice wraps. Sushi rolls. Green souvlaki. Shawarma. Kafta. We are Chinese so even when we eat more traditional meals, we serve it family style and have a protein, a stir fried veg, a soup, and eat it with a bowl of rice.
A loaded baked potato spread is another fun and easy one
“Picnic” spread - crackers, cheese, hummus, avocados, tuna salad, cucumbers Toddler can mix and match and it’s balanced - she loves to dip dip :)
Goulash. And if you make a big pan you have leftovers. My adult child and the 4-year old I nanny love it. You could also do Johnny Marzetti (basically Goulash with cheese) If you use small elbow noodles it is great for little ones. Basically it is noodles, ground beef, tomato sauce and seasonings. If you are interested I can post my husbands recipe.
Delicious!
Mac and cheese, make your own pizza is a hit with kids (just use naan or some other flatbread), chicken pasta salad, totchos (nachos with tater tots instead of chips), chili (you may have to tone down the spice for kiddo), loaded baked potato soup, tacos, cheese burgers. Ham and cheese pinwheels (puff pastry from the store rolled out, layer of ham, layer of shredded cheddar cheese) roll it up, slice into bite size pieces and bake. Serve with veggie sticks. Pizza pinwheels same process. If your kid will eat fish, my kids loved this cheat salmon Wellington. Puff pastry rolled out, slather on a good amount of cream cheese mixed with dill, place salmon filets on top (spread the fish out so that when you cut the pastry you have enough to cover the fish and seal. Homemade chicken fingers are a hit but a bit more work than the other things I listed.
Thank you! Great ideas.
Salads. Quick and easy. My 5 year old actually prefers them over normal junk food that toddlers gravitate towards for some reason. Not complaining, obviously. Grilled cheese is tried and true as well.
I wish mine would eat salads! Or any veggies for that matter
I second salads. Of any kind. The traditional with lettuce and toppings, plus finger salad, pasta salad, couscous salad, fruit salad. My kids are in elementary school now, but when they were really little, we had finger salads all the time. Strips of sweet peppers and carrots, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken cut into strips. With a small side of the dip of their choice.
I do an unstuffed pepper skillet and my 1 year old loves it! Also chili, spaghetti and meat sauce with garlic bread, bbq chicken on the grill with pasta salad , hotdogs/cheeseburgers with corn on the cob
I try to batch cook bases when I have the time and I freeze them in single use portions in a little plastic bin so I have easy access to what I need and it doesn't get lost in the chaos of the rest of my freezer. For example, I have home made pizza sauce, parmesan panko crumbs, streusel topping, and a shallot red wine reduction that I put in burgers in there right now. I've also done the base of Alfredo sauce so I just have to heat it and add cream and cheese.
I’ve been cooking larger amounts of rice/pasta to use with other things and it’s helpful.
Chicken pasta salad. Cold. Quesadillas with chicken Club sandwich Soft tacos
Tuna melts
2 boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese with a pound of browned hamburger mixed in. Can also add a tomato sauce for poor man's hamburger helper. We usually served alongside a vegetable medley or we would make honeyed carrots because they were simple and sweet enough that kids like them.
Kids (and adults!) will enjoy their veggies much more when roasted and covered in cheese lol. Even if it's not the most "healthy" method of preparing veg, it's better than no veg at all.
Not a specific meal/recipe but I cheat on a lot of things that usually require prep/chopping like using minced garlic and ginger from a tube, frozen vegetables and even the occasional packet of microwave rice. When my youngest was really tiny and wanted to be carried everywhere I also used a fair amount of pre-chopped veggies (sliced mushrooms, diced onion, etc) so I could cook one handed
For better or worse, we the following to let our picky eater choose: Vegetables: - Carrots - Peppers - Frozen peas (yummy as a cold sweeter snack) - Tinned corn or fresh depending on what’s good - Kohlrabi with salt - Avocado (technically not a vegg, but whatever) Fruits: - Melons, nectarines, peaches, apricots, berries - whatever is in season and on sale. Protein: - Eggs (fried, scrambled, garam masala omelette) - Peanut butter (with carrots to dip) - Chicken fingers (frozen) - Tuna (she’s on a break apparently) - Cheese strings or babybel - Ground beef (flattened in freezer) - Fried cod or smoked salmon Carbs - Toast - Noodles - Rice (in a rice cooker) - Potatoes - Tortillas Meals end up being: - Eggs, avocado, toast - Spaghetti bolognese with carrots, celery and onions - Garam masala omelette, peppers, toast - Taco night - Cod fried in brown butter with potatoes and peas - Egg fried rice
Thank you! This is a helpful list of foods to refer back to!
I'll get a pork shoulder and slow cook it on the stove while doing chores. Then turn it into chili verde, carnitas, and pulled pork over the next few days. Thai and Mexican foods are pretty easy and versatile once you get the basics down. and have been totally toddler friendly for mine.
Minestrone! Add all of this to a pan, boil for 10 mins and serve with cheese on top: * pre chopped veg * garlic * tomato paste * broth * cannellini beans / Lima beans / beans - 2 cans * handful of pasta It’s soooo quick. Used to blitz it for my baby, but he eats it like this now Also zucchini soup with fish fingers edit: serve blitzed soup with a straw to kids !!! It’s a mama hack for the ages
English muffin pizzas Garden salads Sloppy joes Chicken salad sandwiches Grilled cheese and apple sandwiches Chicken strawberry salad
I forgot about English muffin pizzas! I’ll try those this week.
My 5yo doesn’t eat vegetables. He has ASD and therefore a very limited palate. He would, however, eat veggies when it’s hidden in cream soups, so I make cream of pumpkin/sweet potato/mushroom at least once a week.
Tortellini with pesto. Breakfast for dinner. Grill up a bunch of chicken breast and use them in all sorts of things. Chicken noodle soup
pasta! blended veggies such as carrots and spinach into the pasta sauce :)