Almost everything I cook for my 6-year-old son, he rejects and i have to settle for getting him a happy meal or a PB&J. these things are fine for lunch, but when dinner time comes, he only wants things he knows well, like mac & cheese and processed junk. Does anyone have any recipes that kids will WANT to eat?
2006-07-03 14:42:15 · 19 answers · asked by jc1129_us 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
Here are some websites with kid friendly food.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/kidfriendlyfood/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_kids/
http://kids.cdkitchen.com/
Maybe you can expand his taste.
2006-07-03 14:47:18 · answer #1 · answered by Ginger/Virginia 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Who's the adult here? You are being ruled by a 6 year old. Sounds like unhappy meals for a very longtime unless you nip this one in the tail soon.
There are recipe books that are family friendly and healthy. Making dinner time a fun event that includes children helping and being involved with the meal preparations can make for less finicky eaters.
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I recommend the following book:
The Big Book of Recipes for Babies, Toddlers, and Children : 365 Quick, Easy, and Healthy Dishes (Spiral-bound)
by Bridget L. Wardley, Judy More "Combining foods in the right proportions gives children the healthy balanced diet they need to thrive (see p.l2-l3)..."
More than a cookbook, this indispensable kitchen companion not only offers delicious recipes for every day of the year, but also contains a wealth of information on child nutrition—from weaning and introducing solids to packing lunches and serving up party foods for older children. It emphasizes an easy approach to food preparation, with no complicated measurements or methods. Most important of all, there’s a wide variety of recipes for every stage of childhood development, complete with 50 "first food" recipes, 7-day meal planners, and sound snack ideas. Practical tips accompany the dishes, including methods for promoting healthy eating habits that support brain development and a strong immune system.
I hope this helps you. Good luck!
2006-07-03 21:57:46 · answer #2 · answered by Active Denial System™ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry I have no recipes and don't have kids but felt sorry for you, so had to post. :) Most kids love spaghetti bolognese and home made healthy pizzas.
My suggestion would be to buy or borrow from a library, childrens cook books/ cooking for kids..lots of "fun" food recipes and ideas that he might be tempted to eat. I'm sure there would be some healthy cook books out there as well.
And of course he shouldn't be expecting a special meal just for him everytime you sit down to eat dinner. He needs to learn to eat what you're having. I don't know if you're cooking with spices etc, as some kids are fussy with things like that.
2006-07-03 22:12:22 · answer #3 · answered by xanadu88 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My husband and I have had some very UNHAPPY experiences with McDonald's food- including a case of food poisonning that knocked him for a loop for a week.
Find some fun things and get the boy to help you make them. He'll be less likely to protest since he'll have a bit of pride in having done it all by himself.
Otherwise, you could put the food on the plate in front of him and tell him eat it because you're not getting him a Happy Meal. That's what one of my cousins and her husband had to do with her son, who was about the same age and well on the way to becoming- well, a brat. When he learned that his parents were his parents and weren't going to budge, he started eating healthy and otherwise paying attention. And on the whole, I think they're all a lot happier.
2006-07-03 22:12:19 · answer #4 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My youngest went through a time when she wouldn't eat anything healthy. But I noticed that she always ate the "free samples" at the market. In fact, she loved them. So, I started cutting her food up into bite sized pieces, putting toothpicks in them and calling them free samples.
Don't laugh. I'm being serious. It worked. She got over it, and began to eat better.
I also found out that my kids would eat JUST ABOUT ANYTHING as long as it was dipped in Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. So you might try offering it with the meal.
Recipes??
Wraps are fun and healthy...you can sneak lettuce and veggies in with the protein, and the whole wheat tortillas taste better than the plain (I think so).
You might try letting him in the kitchen once in a while to help prepare the meal...he would be likely to eat something he helped create.
Hope this helps.
2006-07-03 21:50:05 · answer #5 · answered by artistagent116 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here are a few ideas....try giving him a muffin size portion of whatever it is you cook, or try putting different foods in a muffin container and letting him choose what he is to eat. Also, try the Parenting magazine, it offeres different kid friendly meals each month. In fact, they just did an article on this in the May issue (Get your child to try new foods (and like'em)...great tips! I would also suggest, letting him cook with you. I don't have kids of my own (wish I did) but am a teacher (Kdgn,14 yrs) and a proud Aunt!
Good luck and don't give up! At least he isn't eating you out of house and home...yet!
2006-07-03 21:51:16 · answer #6 · answered by funwittythatsme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's 6! Starve or veggies.
It's not a good idea to let a kid feed on junk food (fast food, processed food, mac and cheese in a box) for every meal, or even every day.
2006-07-03 21:51:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe I'm not the best person to answer this question, but I have 4 kids, 25 17 16 14 and I always just gave them what they wanted, It was easier on all of us. Everyone was happy. If they are hungry they will eat!
2006-07-03 21:50:23 · answer #8 · answered by nemraC 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kids usually like spaghetti. You can make spaghetti sauce with a lot of vegetables such as squash, carrots, onion, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Just cut them very small so they don't see them in the sauce. The sauce tastes the same. Tell them that broccoli spears are trees. You could put the food on your sons plate like a happy face and he can have fun demolishing the food.
2006-07-03 21:51:41 · answer #9 · answered by papricka w 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get him into the kitchen with you, have fun together! turn a boring egg into a happy sun (with cheddar rays and ketchup eyes and smile), let him "cook" with your help of course and turn his junk habits into healthy ones one step a time, you can start with mac & cheese with tuna chunks and a salad aside, and slowly reduce the amount of junk and increase the healthy stuff... Good luck!
2006-07-03 21:54:35 · answer #10 · answered by lola 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most kids are like that. As long as they are healthy why worry? Let them eat what they want. It is a stage and they will grow out of it.
2006-07-03 21:50:58 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋