I’ve done search after search and read blog after blog for “picky eaters”. I read what others are feeding their kids and looking at the pictures and I think to myself seriously….you think YOU’RE kid is picky?! I wouldn’t be able to get my kid to eat over HALF of this stuff! Is this you too???
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I try, I really do. I try to stay away from pre-packaged meals and give them low sodium, high fiber, fruit and veggie foods. But at the end of the day, they gotta eat something. If they end up eating pre-packaged Salisbury Steak with some frozen broccoli or bananas, I’m okay with that. As long as I can get them to eat SOMETHING healthy with every meal and they’re out in the fresh air or active indoors for a while each day – I call that a win!
So what do I do? Well, once a month I try to make and freeze a few meals I know they will eat over and over. And yep, over half of them come from a box or can. Do I want a lecture? No, I do not. My kids are healthy and happy. So if you’re reading this and starting to find yourself cringe…move along to some homemade noodle and veggies pureed in sauce group cuz I ain’t got time for that!
Hamburger Helper
Double Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper to be exact. I buy the 2-pack because it tends to be cheaper. I do not do a full pound of meat because my kids just push most of the meat aside. If I have extra meat, I’ll put taco seasoning in the remainder and freeze that too for future quesadillas or “Taco Tuesday”.
I’ll make up the meal and put in containers that will equal 2 servings. I use these 2 cup storage containers for freezing here.
Fair warning…when taking them out of the freezer to unthaw they will not look like the day you made them. The noodles may break apart. But it still tastes the same!
Sloppy Joes
I use the regular Manwich can. Same containers as the Hamburger Helper here. 2 servings per container.
Pancakes
My son LOVES pancakes with Nutella. I make at least 2 batches of pancakes at a time (20+) and freeze 4-5 each on a paper plate in a Ziploc bag. I do let them thaw completely before microwaving them. They have the same texture & taste as if you had just made them. I follow the normal Pancake recipe on the Bisquick box but do add a couple of things:
- Sugar – I may do a Tablespoon or less
- Vanilla Extract – about a Teaspoon
- Almond Extract – about ½ Teaspoon
- Do I have a reason why I add these thing? No, not really. I just think it adds a little different flavor.
Chicken and Rice
This is something I ACTUALLY make from “scratch”! Of course it’s the plainest Chicken and Rice you’ll ever have. No seasoning, no veggies, no cheese. I boil a 1-2 cups of water WITH a chicken bouillon cube then add 1-2 cups of white rice. I bake 2-3 chicken breasts and shred once cooled. *Tip – once the chicken is cooked, cover with tin foil for a while (I may do for 1-2 hours) so it gets more moist. I throw the rice and chicken in a 9×13 glass Pyrex baking dish (I like this one here). I’ll add 1-2 cans of Cream of Chicken and some milk (it’s okay if it’s a little soupy, it will bake off). If you need Gluten Free, I’ve found Walmart’s brand of GF Cream of Chicken is actually pretty good and inexpensive. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. That’s it! Portion it out and freeze. When you take it out to thaw and notice it’s a little dry, add a little more milk to it prior to putting in microwave.
Taco Meat
Pretty self explanatory right? Freeze in portions.
Meatballs
Frozen meatballs to be exact. My kid’s favorite is the Walmart brand (Homestyle, not Italian – God forbid there’s any seasoning in there). I’ll put in a Crock-Pot with 1-2 packs of gravy mix/water in first and whisk it in (use a Crock-Pot liner for the love of pete! Who wants to wash a nasty pot of meatball sauce?!). Add the meatballs and cook on low for a couple of hours stirring occasionally. They don’t have to cook long because the meatballs are already fully cooked. Portion and freeze.
I cannot stress PORTIONING enough. I love doing 2 serving portions because I can switch it up and alternate week after week…especially with the little amount I have to work with.
So you might be wondering, why aren’t you giving them what you eat? And if they don’t like it, they can starve? Well…because I want my kids to eat and I don’t want them to starve! Yes, I may be “spoiling” them in some people’s eyes…but this works for my family. My husband and I like flavor, especially spicy foods. And that’s something our kids just can’t tolerate. We also have kids (my daughter in particular) that are highly sensory, so we need to keep that in mind as well. And yes, we do have them try new things but we don’t force them to eat a whole plate of something that’s going to make them miserable.
When we eat together, it’s usually just a variation of what the kids are having. If they have plain eggs and sausage, we’ll have an omlete with sriracha, avocado and salsa on top. If they have taco meat with Frito’s Scoops, we’ll have fish tacos with cilantro sauce, and slaw. We’re still having the same “base”…we’re just being more boujee with our portion.
What else are my picky kids having?
- Spaghettios – there’s actually some fiber in there so that’s good, right?!
- Quesadillas – I use a couple of pieces of sliced deli/lunch meat if I don’t have any other meat that’s ready in the fridge
- Salisbury Steak – yep, it’s full of Sodium…but they like it
- Eggs and Bacon – breakfast is for anytime of the day!
- Pizza – at least once a week
- Spaghetti – plain as plain can be of course. More noodles, less sauce and meat. And heaven forbid there’s a small bunch of tomato from the sauce that snuck in there…
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Hot Dogs
- Chicken Patties
- Chicken Breast
- Chicken Tenders – Either frozen or from the store’s Deli. I’ll put in the air fryer
So there’s most of the protein that they eat. And as I said, over half of it is not necessarily good…but I do make sure they get at LEAST 2 servings of fruit and veggies a day. Here’s what my kids like:
- Apples. If you have the chance to get Sugar Bee – please try! They are very good. Crispy and sweet. Otherwise we usually do Pink Lady, Honeycrisp or Red Delicious
- Oranges or Cuties
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Cantaloup
- Grapes. If you have the chance to try Cotton Candy grapes (green) – try them! They legit have a hint of cotton candy flavor. We also prefer the Black grapes over Red.
- Pineapple (fresh)
- Peaches (100% juice – cup)
- Broccoli (Birds-Eye, frozen). So my daughter is pretty boujee about her broccoli. I do the 3-2-1 method in the microwave. 3 minutes, drain, wipe out bowl, put broccoli back in. 2 minutes, drain, wipe out bowl, put broccoli back in. 1 minute, drain, wipe out bowl, put broccoli back in. Butter and salt.
- Carrots (raw)
- Corn (canned – Del Monte)
- Green Beans (Canned – Del Monte)
We’ve tried a LOT of different Green Beans and we’ve found that Del Monte is the most consistent. Does anyone else have issues with canned green beans like we do??
Do they like anything mixed together? Nope. Do they like a fun spin on fruits and veggies – like ants on a log? Nope. Have I pinned five thousand “kid friendly” blogs and tried a lot of them with no luck? Yep. I told you…They.Are.PICKY. But again, sensory issues really limits our options and creativity.
What do you feed your kids? Please comment below so I can try something else!
