Yahoo Lifestyle "She Always Asks For Seconds": Parents Are Sounding Off On The Meals They Make For Their Kids When They Are Absolutely Desperate For Them To Eat Something
This is the Tasty Potluck, where we ask members of the Tasty community for their best cooking tips, solutions, and recipes — and share the best ones with all of you. If you have something to add to this conversation, use the comments to speak your mind!
Of course, everyone wants their kids to eat well-rounded, nutritious meals, but let's be real. Sometimes, we just need them to eat something without a fight.
Recently, we asked the parents in the Tasty community: "What's the one dish or recipe that always gets a free pass from your kid in their picky-eater phase?" Whether you're struggling to get your little one to eat something besides plain pasta or just need a stress-free dinner idea, these parent-approved dish ideas might be your saving grace!
1."Hibachi veggies with either white or fried rice and steak or chicken. My family always loved watching the fun hibachi chefs prepare the meal in front of us, and they'd actually eat all parts of their meal instead of ignoring parts of it! Whenever we make it at home, they associate the food with the fun family dinners at the Japanese steakhouses."
"I think the seasoning on the veggies and the fact that you sauté them on a griddle helps with the bitterness and texture that turns off a lot of picky eaters.
You can add any condiments you like to the rice, so it's more personalized to everyone's tastes. The chicken and steak are great ways to get in some lean protein, and when it's cooked all fancy and cut into individual, little-human-sized pieces, it's more enticing for some reason!
I'm a veteran elementary school teacher. When parents mention that they're having trouble getting their kids to eat or to eat a variety of foods, I always suggest trying hibachi, and almost every time, it's a huge success! Even my husband, who is an adult man but can't stomach a lot of green veggies because of the bitterness, will happily eat zucchini and squash when they're cooked hibachi style!"
—Anna, 24, Virginia
2."It's not a dish per se, but I make 'Hulk smoothies' as a compromise to my child for not wanting to eat vegetables. I do a handful of spinach, cucumber, and asparagus with water, half a banana, and half a pineapple or mango. For my kid, drinking veggies is easier than chewing because it's faster and less gross."
—Anonymous
3."Even my over-the-top, ultra-picky 11-year-old likes this one: broccoli, carrot, and cheese orzo. We end up doubling the recipe, but there are never leftovers because everyone in our family of four has multiple servings."
—Lisa, Saskatchewan, Canada, 39
4."My daughter will always eat tuna salad — canned tuna with mayo, mustard, and pickles — served with more pickles. Always. She's only 5 years old, but she'll eat an entire can of tuna by herself, no problem. It's the one thing I know I can get her to eat when she won't eat anything else!"
5."My daughter loved spinach until she started school, and the other kids told her it was nasty. I added chopped frozen spinach that I blended to fine bits to my meatloaf mix, and she (and her friends who came over) always asked for seconds. They called it the pretty meatloaf because of the green bits they thought were sparkles."
"My advice is also to let your kid participate in the cooking of vegetables. My daughter did not like Brussels sprouts until I let her manage the air fryer one day, and she charred them a bit. Turns out she likes them when the outer leaves are very crispy."
6."My kids love homemade egg fried rice. It's got grains, protein, and veggies, so I'm happy about that!"
7."My kids will eat baked apples on days they don't want to have fruit. I cook them plain and serve them with cinnamon. They taste like dessert! I like it because it's super easy."
—Anonymous
8."My daughter is the pickiest eater, but she loves a good bowl of black beans and Spanish rice."
—Anonymous
9."I make nachos with whatever leftover meat is in the fridge. First, I heat it in a skillet with very finely chopped veggies, usually bell peppers. My kids also have fun helping out by laying out the chips and piling on the cheese."
10."Macaroni, on the fact that we both absolutely love it."
—Anonymous
"Mac 'n' cheese. It’s so simple to make."
—Anonymous
11."Green apples with lemon and salt as a snack. It's nutritious, and kids love the combination of flavors, and so do I. It never fails and satisfies a sweet craving."
12."Pasta with butter and salt ONLY. The shape of the pasta or the type of butter used doesn't matter. My daughter will gulp that bowl down."
—Carissa, Illinois
13."Chicken over rice is easy, cheap, and my kids love it. I put two to three frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and covered them in a mixture of softened cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and an Italian dressing season packet. Cook on low for six hours, shred the chicken, and serve over rice."
—Anonymous
14."A broccoli stir-fry is my kid's go-to dinner. It is just broccoli fried in sesame oil and then steamed in Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce. It is a great source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium."
—Kim, California, 42
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15."Beef jerky, cheese, and fruit. Or I replace beef jerky with hard-boiled eggs; for some reason, my kids love hard-boiled eggs."
16."We mix a pound of ground beef and a packet of taco seasoning into boxed mac 'n' cheese. I've never known a kid who doesn't love taco mac 'n' cheese."
17."I'll make boxed mac 'n' cheese and dino chicken nuggets, or chicken wings with Old Bay Seasoning. My kids would eat this twenty meals in a row if I let them."
18."Peanut butter and Nutella sandwich with no crust."
19."Deconstructed tacos. If you put all the ingredients together, they will find something to be bothered about, but if you separate everything and let them put it together, they are more likely to eat more of the ingredients on the plate. Go figure."
—Anonymous
20."These are two of my go-to's: first is French bread pizza. I cut a loaf of French bread in half and add marinara and cheese. The second is breakfast for dinner. I'll make scrambled or fried eggs with shredded hash browns I cook in in the waffle maker. I'll add pancakes if I'm feeling fancy. They're both super easy and require minimal cleanup."
21."Quesadillas with queso chihuahua."
22."I always make more rice than my family will need when I'm making dinner and refrigerate the leftovers. That way, no matter what, I have something the picky eater likes. My kid also hates cooked veggies, so I always cut up some raw ones (peppers, celery, carrots, etc.)."
"If I made something my child didn't like, I would quickly nuke some rice and cut up a veggie while plating.
Also, chicken nuggets are a freezer staple.
Cheerios are basically toddler kibble.
Boxed mac 'n' cheese and ramen are always in the pantry, too.
My kid tries and likes more things every year, so it is getting easier."
What's your "go-to" picky eater solution? Share your favorite fail-safe snack or meal in the comments or submit anonymously using this form. Your suggestion could be featured in an upcoming Tasty post!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
