What is an easy dinner that kids will love?

Question

We have elementary school aged children. 1 of which is very picky. We need ideas to get him to try new foods or to try things fixed a different way. Should we keep trying foods he doesnt like? is it true your tastes change over the years?

Answer 1

I know how you feel, my boyfriend has the taste buds of elementary school children, haha. I've tried these recipes and he's absolutely loved them. Slowly introduce different things like peppers on things they love - like pizza. That will slowly get them into the groove of trying new things. Hope they help you hun :)

Oven Fried Chicken and Fries

2 large baking potatoes (about 1 lb.), unpeeled
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 pkt. SHAKE 'N BAKE Original Chicken Seasoned Coating Mix
1/4 cup GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp. honey

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick strips; place in large bowl. Add dressing and cheese; toss to coat. Place in single layer on large greased baking sheet.
BAKE 12 min. Meanwhile, coat chicken strips with coating mix as directed on package.
TURN potatoes over with large spatula; push to one side of baking sheet. Place chicken strips on other side of baking sheet. Bake an additional 15 min. or until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Mix mustard and honey; serve for dipping.

Tacos

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Taco Seasoning Mix
3/4 cup water
12 lettuce leaves, torn
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
1 cup TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Salsa
3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
12 TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Taco Shells

PREHEAT oven to 300°F. Crumble meat with wooden spoon in large skillet. Brown meat; drain. Stir in seasoning mix and water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium. Simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally. Spoon into serving bowl; cover and keep warm.
MEANWHILE, tear lettuce into small bite-sized pieces; place in serving bowl. Spoon cheese, salsa and sour cream each into separate serving bowls.
PLACE taco shells on baking sheet. Bake 3 to 5 min. or until crisp.
SERVE taco shells with seasoned meat, lettuce, cheese, salsa and sour cream. Let everyone build their own tacos.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1-1/2 cups TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 prepared pizza crust (12 inch)
1/2 cup red pepper strips
1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Pizza! Mozzarella & Cheddar Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min.
SPOON chicken mixture evenly over crust; sprinkle with peppers and cilantro. Top with cheese.
BAKE 10 to 15 min. or until cheese is melted.

Pizza Pasta Salad

3 cups penne pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
4 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Hard Salami, chopped
1 cup KRAFT Natural Mozzarella Cheese Crumbles
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

TOSS all ingredients in large bowl.
COVER and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Chicken and Rice Divan

2 cups fat free milk
1/2 cup KRAFT Mayo Light Mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups MINUTE Brown Rice, uncooked
1-1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix milk, mayo and seasonings with wire whisk in 13x9-inch baking dish.
ADD rice, chicken, broccoli and 1 cup of the cheese; mix well. Cover with foil.
BAKE 30 min. Remove from oven; stir. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Continue baking 5 to 10 min. until chicken is cooked through. Let stand 5 min. or until liquid is absorbed.

Answer 2

Get the kids more involved in making the meals. Have them suggest new things to try. Get them excited about making something new on a regular basis -- however often your household could handle this type of uproar.

You could do some sort of "ethnic night", where you would make a real big deal of it. A party. You would try all sorts of foods from a particular region of the world after making decorations and maybe even making costumes. This might be extreme, but it would also be a way to get the kids to learn about some other part of the world.

Make sure through all of it that the kids know...

-They won't always like everything, but they'll usually find something new that's fun

-You won't be mad if they don't like something, as long as they give it an honest try

-There can be a wide variety of ways to make something, so if they had a rice dish they didn't like, that doesn't mean rice is horrible (for instance)

Answer 3

Yes, tastes definitely change over the years. I would just keep trying different things each day to see what he likes. For example, if he likes one type of Chef Boyardee food, there are a million other CB foods that look different, but taste very similar. If he likes grape jam on bread, try strawberry or blueberry jam other days.

Or, you can just tell him straight out that the class is not going to adjust their food schedule just for him, because children need to learn discipline eventually. If he has a choice between eat what's offered or go hungry, he'll start trying new things eventually.

Answer 4

A fun meal is to make ram en noodles and add color to the water as you boil them-blue or green-drain the water when the noodles are ready and then add the seasoning packet and place on a plate-meanwhile boiling hot dogs sliced four ways half way down so the dog is still intact ( this way it resembles an octopus when done) place the octopuses in the noodles (the swamp) and add mustard smiley faces. Pickle crocs with olives for their eyes can be added to the fun or whatever you creative mind can think of for the theme! My son loves this fun and easy dish and his friends always ask The Swamp when they come over! You can involve you kids in the fun and maybe they can come with something on their own!

Answer 5

Most kids like macaroni and cheese. There are lots of brand names that can be purchased inexpensively. You can add a little cooked hamburger to create a simple variation. It generally takes about 20 minutes to prepare. Serve it with some fruit as desert.

Oh! Tastes do change. Some of the things that kids don’t like today they will love later.

Answer 6

Try new foods but don't push...we have a rule that they have to take one bite at least. Yes their taste will change. My kids went from loving spaghetti to hating it back to loving it....Here is an oldie but goodie.
pigs in a blanket....
8 hot dogs
4 (3/4-oz.) slices American cheese, each cut into 6 strips
1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
Heat oven to 375°F. Slit hot dogs to within 1/2 inch of ends; insert 3 strips of cheese into each slit. Separate dough into triangles. Wrap dough triangle around each hot dog. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up. Bake at 375°F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Answer 7

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 8

Pizza english muffins.....spread tomato sauce on 2 halves of an English Muffin,add some Mozzarella cheese and cook them in a toaster oven for about 10 minutes.....Don't know a kid alive that doesn't love them. They can have fun making them too. Another can't miss treat that kids love is Oodles of Noodles.

Answer 9

My husband's kids loved hamburger helper, and mac and cheese with tuna fish and peas. I never had tacos as a kid, so that was a nice treat! I loved my mom's salmon loaf. And yes it is true that tastes change over the years. I hate steak now.

Answer 10

my Italian mother had a very effective (yet mean) way of dealing with a picky eater. She would say, "O quest' o niente", which is Italian for "this or nothing." In other words, we either ate what we were served or went hungry. She is not a very good cook, so we heard this expression very often.

Answer 11

Happy Meals