What do your kids like to eat for dinner?

[bisous]

Since I'm starting to cook just for kids, I'm looking for more variety in things that they eat and that they like.

My kids get excited about lots of stuff that just isn't the very most nutritious, although I try to use fresh ingredients, natural products, and cook from scratch where available. The stuff they like includes kid staples like chicken nuggets, pizza, quesadillas and hotdogs. I've convinced them to like a few more adventurous food items like pesto, orange chicken, and minestrone soup.

What do your kids like?

TIA!

[TwinFoxes]

Nothing. :irked: (ask me how dinner went tonight).

[barkley1]

My kids got all excited about a buffalo (yes! A little spicy!) chicken wrap the other night. Weird. I think it was bc it was wrap/burrito look and feel. Novelty maybe, but I'm going to look for other wrapped entrees now!

[MMMommy]

DDs love curry chicken over rice. Curry of any kind, so long as I make it mild and not spicy.

Skillet chicken is a hit with them as well - chicken drumsticks marinated in olive oil, the juice of two lemons, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic. Layer a cast iron pan with sliced potatoes and onions (salt and peppered), pour a little water over the potatoes, lay the chicken drums on top of the potatoes and bake in the oven. They love skillet chicken! I use this recipe as a base, but change the marinade and use all drumsticks.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20743907,00.html

Fried rice is another popular dinner for the kids - ham or Chinese bbq pork, green onion, egg in the fried rice.

[Momit]

Turkey tetrazzini (I made it with Christmas leftover turkey and DS has been begging me to make it again, I might try it with leftovers from a rotisserie chicken and see how it goes over)
Crock pot lasagna
Hamburgers on the George Foreman grill
Soups like chicken noodle, split pea
Tuna melts
Aidell's sausage or kielbasa on the George Foreman
BBB salsa chicken

[rin]

Some of our sure-fire meals are: bean burritos, Mac n cheese, spaghetti n meatballs, and kind of pasta with red sauce and olives chopped in, fish sticks with tartar sauce or mayo and usually a side of sweet potato fries, most kinda of fish with a sauce (tonight they inhaled a miso-ginger salmon), seafood scampi, usually grilled chicken, quesadillas, salad with romaine lettuce (not baby or any other kind usually), turkey burgers with sweet potato fries, turkey meatloaf, very mild Texas chili with sour cream. They are typical preschooler/toddlers and occasionally just don't eat for whatever reason, but most of the above are pretty safe bets.

Eta: forgot sausages! They love the TJs ones; their favorites are the smoked Apple Chardonnay, the mild Italian, and the feta spinach ones. They also like the sweet chicken apple.

[crayonblue]

Nothing. :irked: (ask me how dinner went tonight).

Totally this. Mine will both eat mac and cheese and pizza. Beyond that, well, one likes nuggets and one doesn't. One likes hamburgers and the other eats no red meat. Neither like grilled cheese. One likes soup but the other gags at the thought. Both like apples, bananas, mandarin oranges and strawberries and no other fruit. Who are these children of mine??? I will eat almost anything and loved spinach as a kid. These must be DH's kids. ;)

I have found that both like "fondue night". I cut up a bunch of the above mentioned fruit, add slices of cheese and pretzels and melt some nutella and let them have at it. No complaining at least! Oh and they both like plain pasta with parmesan cheese. No sauce and no butter.

[bisous]

Cool ideas! Twinfoxes I have a lot of sympathy for you. I started this because I realized there are so many things that I make that the kids won't eat. :(

[twowhat?]

You mean in terms of healthy food? LOL. Very little.

However, both of my kids love avocado scooped straight out of the shell with a bit of salt.
DD2 LOVES roasted brussels sprouts. In fact tonight her dinner was half an avocado, applesauce, and a TON of brussels sprouts - like 2 adult servings. She walks into the house, smells them cooking, and GETS EXCITED. DD1 only likes the crispy roasted leaves.

CHEESE. Almost any kind of cheese! They love cheese so much it kind of makes me sick.

Roasted chickpeas. Both of them love these and they're healthy!

I honestly can't think of anything else healthy that they eat apart from fruit. And DD2 eats fruit while DD1 does not. Both girls eat VERY little veggies - DD2 will occasionally eat broccoli and DD1 will occasionally eat cauliflower. That's it. I make lots of smoothies in the summer where I can hide spinach in a smoothie with blueberries (blueberries hide the green color the best as long as the smoothie is fresh). I make leftovers into popsicles and will actually let them have a popsicle in lieu of a fruit/veggie for dinner.

Oh, I can think of something fairly healthy - fish. They like tilapia lightly breaded in panko bread crumbs and pan fried. But they only like this "crispy fish". They like chicken the same way ("crunchy chicken") - at least these can be made from scratch with wholesome ingredients.

[army_mom]

DD really likes thin boneless chicken breast or boneless pork chops seasoned with Penzey's spices (we rotate what type but I think she really like the ruth ann's spice and fox point). She also likes almost anything rolled and secured with a toothpick :) Cheese and eats a ton of it. Tacos (with ground turkey) in a bowl instead of the traditional shell.
Another favorite of her and DH is MIL recipe for stroganoff (ground beef based) and steak soup (also ground beef based).

We have been blessed with not such a picky eater and she has eaten SO much more this year since she goes to an in-home daycare/preschool where they always have to try new things. She comes home often and says I like this or that and is always asking to try new things off our plate!

We aren't really very adventurous :)

[specialp]

Excited about? Mac and cheese, chicken parmesan meatballs, turkey spinach meatballs, chicken sausage

Tolerate (80% chance will eat): tortilla pinwheel bites, crispy cheesy chicken, roasted sticky chicken fresh from the oven (not from the fridge the next day), a lasagna casserole (no noodles) made with ground beef and turkey sausage (I hide lots of veggies in this), and ground beef stroganoff. Breakfast for dinner is also well liked, but not without picky issues. For instance, I learned the hard way I can put spinach in scrambled eggs, but apparently it is junk on a plate if the same exact thing is in a quiche. Veggie wise, carrots, creamed spinach, and green beans made with olives, raisins, & almonds are my best bet without having to disguise them.

I do not make chicken pot pie, but my mother made it one time when we were visiting and that was well received.

[Ms B]

We know that we are very fortunate because The Biscuit will eat:

Enchiladas
Eggplant parm (with or without noodles)
Cannelloni
Spaghetti white clam
Lo mein with veggies and tofu
Meatloaf
Meatballs (including soy)
Shepherd's pie (he loves the one from Costco)
Frozen peas or corn, served still frozen (really!)
Corn on the cob
Breakfast for dinner (Pancakes, eggs, sausage patties, corned beef hash, hash browns)
Pot pie
Pizza with mushrooms
Tortilla pinwheels
Pho (we pull out the noodles and serve on the side with broth in a bowl)
Most soups (tomato, veggie, chicken noodle)

We try to offer a protein, a starch, and a veg every night. Sometimes it all gets eaten, and sometimes not.

The Biscuit gets brekkie, lunch and snack at school and we figure that with food offered at least four times a day (plus milk right when he wakes up), he will eat when he is hungry (or not when he is not hungry). His school tells us that this is the best way to get him to listen to his appetite and learn to stop when he no longer is hungry.

We also let him try anything we are eating at home or when we are out. So far habanero salsa was not enjoyed, but truffled deviled eggs and scones have been big hits!

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[KLD313]

DS will eat just about anything but he doesn't like a lot of meat. DD loves spaghetti carbonara or spaghetti w red sauce or just butter and cheese but she won't say any other shape of pasta, she also loved chicken thighs roasted in the oven w garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. They both loved the whole chicken I made in the crock pot recently, they devoured it and it was so easy. She goes crazy for hamburgers. I made pork tenderloin with apples and onions in the crock pot and they both loved it. Otherwise she is picky

[ECMom]

Chicken parmesan, beef stroganoff, meatloaf, tacos, breadcrumb encrusted chicken, steak, pulled pork, crockpot cream cheese chicken, spaghetti, meatballs, cheese/chicken quesadillas, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, pork chops (grilled or in crockpot recipe).

[weech]

DS really loves shrimp, salmon, green beans and mixed veggies (the one with corn, green beans, carrots and peas). He'll usually also eat peas by themselves and sometimes broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. For dinners, we've had really good luck with fish (we usually grill or cook in a pan), shrimp, spaghetti (I puree extra veggies into the sauce), meatballs, and chicken is kind of so-so. He's not big on things that are already combined (tacos, sandwiches, casseroles, etc). Obviously he also eats the unhealthy kid food (quesadillas, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, etc). He also really likes coconut flour pancakes with sausage or bacon which is a fun dinner (and easy for Mom when I'm short on time!).

Oh and he loves hummus. Sometimes I'll just give him a bunch of dippers (various veggies, nitrate/nitrite free lunch meats, pretzel thins, apples) and he's satisfied.

[Simon]

Ds1 eats most things, Ds2 has a highly restricted diet, and Ds3 is in the toddler picky stage but isn't too bad.
The kids like most things we eat:
Pasta noodles with pesto, marinara, or cheese.
Pizza
Chicken nuggets
Rice and beans seasoned with salsa, avocado, cheese
Lentils and Rice
Chilli
Baguette, fresh fruits, brie/cheddar, sometimes summer sausage
Breakfast for dinner (bacon or sausage, eggs, waffles, toast or pancakes)
To the above, I usually add some form of fruit or veggie, again we have some dietary limitations, but I don't try too hard to incorporate those in the main dish.

[anonomom]

My kids are annoyingly picky, but there are a few things they do like:

"Pizza pasta," I saute cherry tomatoes in olive oil, then toss it with pasta, diced mozzarella cubes and mini turkey pepperoni.

Roasted carrots (and sometimes other roasted veggies. Purple cauliflower was a huge hit)

Trader Joe's fish nuggets

Fish baked with just a little bit of butter/oil and salt

Tacos, but really they just fill them with cheese, diced tomatoes and sometimes guacamole. No meat.

Steak :rolleye0014: They get that once in a blue moon

They sometimes like mini chicken pot pies (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mini-chicken-and-broccoli-pot-pies-recipe.html)

Philly Cheesesteak sloppy joes (but they pick out the green peppers)

Apple-cheddar fondue. I serve this with tons of apples and cut up veggies, which at least partially cancels out the heckton of cheese

Welsh rarebit

Cold Peanut noodles

Stir-fry, occasionally

Broccoli-cheddar soup (sometimes)

"Sweet potato pie," which is just microwaved sweet potatoes with a bit of butter and pumpkin pie spice

Pasta with pesto cream sauce (store-bought pesto with a little half and half stirred in)

[BunnyBee]

Homemade pizza (especially top your own)
Meatballs, traditional or turkey teriyaki
Tomato soup (so easy to make and change up spices/flavors) and grilled cheese (ditto)
Baked potato bar
Taco/nacho bar
Salad bar
Breakfast for dinner
Lettuce wraps
Anything in an egg roll shape
Baked ravioli

[KpbS]

Turkey black bean chili
Pasta (zucchini/beans for DS1) with meatsauce (ground turkey, butternut squash ;), tomato sauce, basil)
pork chops
roasted chicken
"Mexican" (shredded, seasoned chicken with sauted bell pepper slices over tortilla chips)
chicken soup
crockpot curry chicken w/ sweet potatoes
fish sticks (my backup dinner plan)
big salads (salad with romaine, tomatoes, peppers, sometimes bacon/chicken/garbanzo beans/broccoli)
turkey burgers
blts
ham
hot dogs (nitrate/nitrite free)
nitrite free sausages
veggies: corn, broccoli, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots (2/3), green beans, butternut squash, bell peppers, beans (great northern, black, garbanzo (2/3))
fruits: almost all fruits

We eat a lot of meat and not much wheat/dairy due to food allergies.

[KrisM]

My boys eat a decent variety. DD, not so much.

All eat:
spaghetti
baked chicken
hot dogs
homemade mac n cheese, although it's not DS2's favorite
broccoli
ravioli
chicken roll ups
nachos
watermelon
corn on the cob
rice

boys will also eat:
hamburgers
meatloaf
lasagna
tacos
mashed potatoes
cheesy potatoes
most fruit
peas
corn
chili

and they all eat typical kid stuff like chicken nuggets.

[TwinFoxes]

Totally this. Mine will both eat mac and cheese and pizza. Beyond that, well, one likes nuggets and one doesn't. One likes hamburgers and the other eats no red meat. Neither like grilled cheese. One likes soup but the other gags at the thought. Both like apples, bananas, mandarin oranges and strawberries and no other fruit. Who are these children of mine??? I will eat almost anything and loved spinach as a kid. These must be DH's kids. ;)


Same here! One likes hot dogs, the other doesn't. One doesn't eat "dead chicken" (exception: mcnuggets, not chicken tenders, ONLY mcnuggets). Butternut squash soup, yes all around. But that's the ONLY soup. One loves Stroganoff. Both like pesto. One likes grilled cheese, neither likes tacos. Argh!

We have so far resisted their pizza every night plan.

[TwinFoxes]

We know that we are very fortunate because The Biscuit will eat:

Enchiladas
Eggplant parm (with or without noodles)
Cannelloni
Spaghetti white clam
Lo mein with veggies and tofu
Meatloaf
Meatballs (including soy)
Shepherd's pie (he loves the one from Costco)
Frozen peas or corn, served still frozen (really!)
Corn on the cob
Breakfast for dinner (Pancakes, eggs, sausage patties, corned beef hash, hash browns)
Pot pie
Pizza with mushrooms
Tortilla pinwheels
Pho (we pull out the noodles and serve on the side with broth in a bowl)
Most soups (tomato, veggie, chicken noodle)

We try to offer a protein, a starch, and a veg every night. Sometimes it all gets eaten, and sometimes not.

The Biscuit gets brekkie, lunch and snack at school and we figure that with food offered at least four times a day (plus milk right when he wakes up), he will eat when he is hungry (or not when he is not hungry). His school tells us that this is the best way to get him to listen to his appetite and learn to stop when he no longer is hungry.

We also let him try anything we are eating at home or when we are out. So far habanero salsa was not enjoyed, but truffled deviled eggs and scones have been big hits!

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My kids ate everything at age three. I hope yours continues to. Mine hit four and decided to become picky. Luckily, they still eat vegetables.

[mikala]

Spaghetti and meatballs
Quiche
Chicken wild rice soup
Chicken tortilla soup
Pulled pork
Roast chicken
Pork tenderloin with apples
Enchiladas
Butternut squash lasagna
peanut sauce noodles with chicken
Chicken satay
Roasted broccoli, roasted root vegetables
Mongolian beef
Tomato and mozzarella salad
Kabobs
"sample" or muffin tin dinners with a variety of items served with toothpicks

[Nooknookmom]

Totally this. Mine will both eat mac and cheese and pizza. Beyond that, well, one likes nuggets and one doesn't. One likes hamburgers and the other eats no red meat. Neither like grilled cheese. One likes soup but the other gags at the thought. Both like apples, bananas, mandarin oranges and strawberries and no other fruit. Who are these children of mine??? I will eat almost anything and loved spinach as a kid. These must be DH's kids. ;)

I have found that both like "fondue night". I cut up a bunch of the above mentioned fruit, add slices of cheese and pretzels and melt some nutella and let them have at it. No complaining at least! Oh and they both like plain pasta with parmesan cheese. No sauce and no butter.

Can't believe someone else has a kid that only likes plain pasta with parm and nothing else on it!!

That said DD is pretty good about eating lots of things. She's does not like onions. She is weird about sauces contaminating her other food (like me!) her fav two foods are sushi (raw and some cooked) and pizza - ESP when she helps make it herself at a friends.

[HannaAddict]

Bizarre veggie loving kids. All three eat veggies first and want more. As in eat cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, pea pods, carrot sticks, before touching other food. They all like similar fruits and most veggies but my 7 year old loves blasted broccoli (bake on cookie sheet tossed with olive oil salt and fresh garlic), ten year old like roast cauliflower (his sister likes raw cauliflowe(, two of three love roast brussel sprouts and two of three love sautéed mushrooms preferably portobello. They like "good steak" and love salmon ( wild only), scallops, halibut and crab but don't get why crab especially isn't a staple when it is by the pound. They like burgers grilled outside, two will eat Mac and cheese. My oldest is the most easy to cool for and adventurous. He will order off the adult menu something pretty interesting and love it. And all love fajita night - tortillas soft and crisp and tons of ramekins filled with chopped tomatoes, Cilantro, lettuce, cheese, pinto brand, flank steak etc. avacados and guacamole.

[georgiegirl]

Both kids like salmon, shrimp, pasta with pesto, broccoli, rice, sushi, miso soup, Mac & cheese, zucchini, cauliflower, Thai and Vietnamese food, quesadillas, homemade chipotle (beans, rice, cheese, salsa, lettuce, and guac mixed tiger her

Dd likes all fish, All veggies, chicken

DS likes sausage, hotdogs, eggplant parm

ETA: both love salad, especially taco salad, Greek salad, really any kind of salad,

[brittone2]

Fortunately they will eat almost anything. DD doesn't particularly love a whole fillet of wild salmon (TMI but in her defense she once had a bad experience getting sick afterward with a stomach bug). The three kids have different preferences for shellfish/fish (one loves calamari and scallops but doesn't love crab. Two love crab but don't love calamari and scallops, for example.).

They tolerate spicy but not extreme spiciness. Both DSs like hot sauce added to things. All 3 like sushi, they like our local Greek and Lebanese restaurants, etc.

For everyday kid/family food they like:
soup-pretty much any type
meatloaf
grilled chicken breast (easy to make a lot in the summer on the grill, then slice and flash freeze)
drumsticks
burgers
meatballs (we vary this a lot. We have a local place that makes things like chicken/lemon/thyme and chicken/ginger/cilantro sausage, so that makes it easy to come up with lots of variations)
boneless chicken thighs (breaded in parm or tossed in yogurt, garlic, oregano, thyme, etc. and cooked)
steak
sweet potato fries is a favorite side (just cut up potatoes in the shape of fries, not the prepackaged ones tossed with maltodextrin, etc.)
most veggies in general. Like PP, they like a big veggie tray and raw veggies probably more than cooked. Sometimes I put this out while prepping dinner and they eat more veggies that way.
roasted veggies like broccoli and cauli
2 of 3 like brussels sprouts
quiche
salad (cobb is a big fav. All 3 love HB eggs with avocado in a salad)
taco salad
fajita type stuff
turkey ginger lettuce wraps
chicken and salsa in the crockpot
pasta of any type but this is usually only when we go out since I very rarely cook this at home

They've all had phases of pickiness but for the most part eat pretty much everything.

[nfowife]

Generally there are only a few things that I make that EVERYONE will eat without complaint. These are:
burgers (only make these when it's grilling weather so it's been a while!)
Steak (same conditions as above)
Roasted or grilled chicken (home-roasted or rotisserie from the store)
spaghetti w/marinara sauce/meatballs
Homemade chicken noodle soup
creamy crockpot ranch chicken
pesto pasta with chicken
shrimp scampi

Every other thing I make someone doesn't like. I just smile and serve and ask that they eat a few bites. Otherwise they fill up on fruit (served at every dinner) salad or veggie (served at every dinner in some form), and bread. And they are growing just fine so I try not to stress except it's so wasteful! DS is my pickiest eater- he doesn't like rice, or egg noodles, or most potatoes, or most other sides.....

[♥ms.pacman♥]

well they do love Annie's Mac & Cheese ..we usually make that once a week (we only make it Wednesdays just so we don't make it more than 1x a week, otherwise they'd have it every day if they could!)

My DS (4) looooves polenta. When I make it, he gets so excited. He's even said "my favorite foods are cake, polenta, candy and fruit snacks." LOL! So i say he likes it!! I love it too bc it's so easy to make. And toss some tomato sauce and meatballs and it's a meal. DH is not a fan though, and i try to eat lower carb and less grains so I don't make it as often.

Other things are costco meatballs, and the Costco Tilapia (that is breaded with panko crumbs). Yummy and quick. And yes, sweet potato fries :)

Also, Dh likes to make them avocado & cheese sandwich..avocado, cheddar cheese between two toasted slices of bread. Not fancy but we figure at least more protein and less sugar than pb& j (which we also do sometimes when we're in a rush).

[Kindra178]

Quesadillas. I literally wrap any kind of meat I have in a tortilla with melted cheese and they will eat it. Pasta (two like it with olive oil and parm only and one likes it with tomato sauce), meatballs, Trader Joe's frozen pizza, orange chicken, burritos. Today I have a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker with giardinera; they will have that in a taco. Certain chilis are also a hit.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Nothing. :irked: (ask me how dinner went tonight).

:yeahthat: That would be my every night with my 6yo. Unless I make tortellini, ravioli or mac and cheese. Notice a theme of pasta and cheese? He sometimes does scrambled eggs, meatballs, and [I can't think of anything else]. He surprises me some days but many days he leaves the table declaring that he dislikes all of it. Ketchup helps get him to at least try foods.

[Giantbear]

my daughter is a good eater,

peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, zuchinni, spinach
marinated chicken, chicken fingers (prefers the marinated), shrimp, steak, pork ribs, salmon (requests it once a week), tilapia, hamburger, hot dog,
any type of pasta with red sauce or butter and grated cheese, mac and cheese, potatoes (roasted and mashed) corn, tater tots and fries, garlic bread
any type of berry or melon, apples, oranges (she eats about 5 servings a day of fruit)
most cheeses

Basically, she will try almost anything and like it.

My wife on the other hand.......

[icunurse]

We lucked out. My kids will pretty much eat anything. I am always trying something new to expose them to things and, fortunately, they tend to be great about eating. DS is better than DD. And, like most kids, they would love pizza, cheeseburgers, or chicken nuggets every day :) But they will eat just about every veggie (they love brussel sprouts cooked different ways, collard greens, any type of potato, asparagus, etc), any meat is good as long as it isn't chewy. The one thing they don't like is if something is too spicy.

[arivecchi]

My kids love to eat (meals where we don't have to "encourage" them to eat):

spaghetti
turkey meatballs
pizza
baked soy salmon
tacos
bbq chicken
roasted chicken
mashed sweet potatoes
crockpot chicken and rice
lasagna
steak
sushi
gnocchi

[SASM]

Their two favorites are crumbled meats that they stuff in lettuce wraps. One is Nigella's Thai Crumbled Beef (we also use ground turkey). The other is just taco beef...I sauté ground beef with my own salt-free taco seasoning. Vegetable of the moment is either mashed cauliflower, steamed artichokes, or raw vegetables like red peppers.

[123LuckyMom]

DS ate EVERYTHING until he was 4. He wasn't ever crazy about meat, but he'd eat any fruit, vegetable, bean, nut, cheese, sauce. It was fantastic! We could go to any ethnic restaurant. DD is almost two, and she still eats most things. She doesn't like nuts except in chunky peanut butter.

Now that he's 5.5, DS is starting to emerge from his ultra pickiness. Now he'll eat more. His favorite food is New England Clam Chowder, but only if it's thick and doesn't have any visible celery! He loves turkey burgers, turkey meatballs, turkey meatloaf-- he likes ground turkey! He likes fried/oven fried chicken. If the outside is crunchy, he'll eat it. Occasionally he will eat lasagna or Parmesan crusted fish or chicken. One never knows. He still eats broccoli and asparagus. Sometimes he'll eat beans. He loves saffron/Spanish rice but no other kind. He won't eat pasta!

I cook for DH and me, and if DS doesn't want to eat what we're eating, he can help himself to cheese and crackers, Greek yoghurt, PB&J, or any leftover he can get for himself.

[OKKiddo]

Since I'm starting to cook just for kids, I'm looking for more variety in things that they eat and that they like.

My kids get excited about lots of stuff that just isn't the very most nutritious, although I try to use fresh ingredients, natural products, and cook from scratch where available. The stuff they like includes kid staples like chicken nuggets, pizza, quesadillas and hotdogs. I've convinced them to like a few more adventurous food items like pesto, orange chicken, and minestrone soup.




What do your kids like?

TIA!


You can still make some of those things but give them a healthy spin. I like the Morningstar Farms Chik N patties (and nuggets). My kids will chow down on them and I clean up empty plates with a smile. Also, we like the Quorn Meat Free Beef Grounds--my kids will again wolf down some Tacos made with that (including spinach, salsa, tomatoes, etc).

They're not into the spicy stuff too much, but we do make Chocolate Chili and they love it. (Canned Chili Beans, a mild Chili Seasoning Packet, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, season to taste with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and of course 1/4 cup or more of Hershey's Cocoa powder. I've also been known to give it just a squirt of Agave Syrup to counter the acidic tomatoes instead of using sugar).

[DualvansMommy]

generally speaking DS is a good eater, he usually eats what we're eating.

so far he likes braised pork, pork chops, any form of chicken, salmon, cod, yoghurt, jello, PB&J, any kind of rice (spanish, white, brown)
he loves bacon, steak, chicken drumsticks, and a lot of vegetables but particularly any form of peppers, brocolli, corn, tomatoes, but no potatoes. Doesn't like any form of potatoes including fries!
any kind of fruits he can get his hands on, he'll eat it!
likes crackers/cheese
lemon ice
pasta with red sauce, clam sauce, and pasta with olives.
he likes anything that is spicy

[OKKiddo]

:yeahthat: That would be my every night with my 6yo. Unless I make tortellini, ravioli or mac and cheese. Notice a theme of pasta and cheese? He sometimes does scrambled eggs, meatballs, and [I can't think of anything else]. He surprises me some days but many days he leaves the table declaring that he dislikes all of it. Ketchup helps get him to at least try foods.

My kids will only eat tortellini if I put it in with our Rotisserie Chicken Soup (carrots, kale/spinach/whatever leafy green I have on hand/or green beans, chicken stock, leftover chicken, cheese tortellini, and season to taste). The bonus is that it's fast, easy, and gone.

[schrocat]

I have 2 picky eaters and one child who will eat everything but can't because of food sensitivities.

Picky eater 1 will not eat cake, hot dogs, cold food, hamburgers, sandwiches of any type.

He eats brown rice, white rice, green vegetables, grilled chicken, fried chicken, grilled mackerel, spicy kimchi soup, pasta, steak, adores noodles and loves fruits.

Picky eater 2 (3 years old) will not eat vegetables. He will eat brown rice, chicken, fish sticks, curry chicken, fish cake, fish balls and loves chicken parmesan. However sometimes he just doesn't want to eat. He will consume copious amounts of yogurt.

[sunshine873]

Don't under-estimate the excitement of breakfast for dinner!!! Eggs, pancakes and bacon! French toast! Or, maybe even one of those breakfast casseroles are pretty easy and breakfast food is super-popular with DD. Her other faves include (but could be nixed on any given day:)
- Fish (grilled, fried, usually baked in our convection oven. Her faves are salmon with dill and parmessan tilapia.
- Beans and rice. Could be Mexican style or lately we've done Cajun (very mild) with red beans, rice and sausage.
- Tacos. She only has meat and cheese on hers, but Im hoping someday she ventures into trying a little tomatoes or lettuce.
- Baked chicken (nothing fancy, just salt and pepper) with roasted or steamed veggies
- Typical kid faves like quesadillas, pizza, etc.

[BabbyO]

At any given point in time my kids vacillate between loving and hating the following:

Pork chops
Tagine
Spaghetti & meatballs - Sauce and meatballs made from scratch
Salmon
Chicken breast
Chili (with ground turkey & chickpeas)
Meatloaf
Turkey burgers
Tacos
Homemade chicken soup
Chipti - (sort of Assyrian meatballs served with a tomato based sauce over rice)
Dolma
Chicken nuggets (though Stachio - 4 yo, just said he doesn't like them anymore)
Rice, noodles, potato (baked) and couscous are almost always a go
Stachio will eat almost ANY fruit. Peanut sticks to the melons, apples and bananas, skipping most berries
They both eat carrots, peas, corn, broccoli and cauliflower for veggies
My kids also love eggs in almost any format for any meal

That said, we try not to stress too much about food. Peanut just had is 2.5 yo WCC and the paperwork we got said most toddlers are ok with 7-10 good meals a week...and they don't all have to be dinner.

[boolady]

I don't know, what day of the week is it? Ha. For the most part, she will eat:

Chicken, either in bread crumbs and baked, baked or grilled legs, or Bell & Evans nuggets
Turkey burger or burger
Meatloaf, several varieties, as long as it's bell pepper-free
Meatballs, several varieties
Ham
Fish that's been coated in panko and baked or shallow fried
Chicken cilantro dumplings
Aidell's chicken apple sausages
Hotdogs and turkey dogs
Mac and cheese, as long as I didn't make it from scratch
Pasta, just about any type, in several forms, including red sauce, with or without meatballs or Italian sausage (but not meat sauce), white clam sauce, with garlic and oil, with garlic, oil and tuna.
Pizza
Grilled cheese
Breakfast for dinner, usually eggs, not sweet breakfast, with turkey sausage, fruit and toast, or an omelet
Chicken noodle soup; meaning, broth and the noodles
Cheese quesadilla with salsa and sour cream

In terms of side items, she likes salad, raw carrots and celery, and cooked broccoli, green beans, corn, peas, and edamame. She does not like rice, potatoes other than mashed, sweet potatoes, and most other vegetables or grains. She always has fruit with dinner, either strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, apple, grapes, or pineapple.

[MontrealMum]

DS is a pretty good eater, but his tastes aren't typical and it's hard to get him to try new things. Peer pressure works pretty well though :) (meaning, seeing something at another child's home or in their lunch at school) And this list has been a long time in the making. He has always been a picky eater and it hasn't been easy. Things started to get better at about 3.5.

The "adult" main dishes that DS likes (or will consent to eat w/o modification) are:
-smoked salmon (his absolute favorite food)
-meatballs (no sauce, no pasta, just plain)
-ham...either ham steak or rolled cold cuts. He especially likes the rolled cold cuts over a green bean or asparagus spear. (I totally stole that one from the daycare!).
-prosciutto
-salmon loaf
-sushi
-shepherd's pie
-sausages (the super spicy merguez ones) - he's a big fan of breakfast for dinner if it's eggs and sausage
-fondue (both cheese and chocolate)
-quiche
-chicken fried rice, as well as other more vegetarian style Indian and Chinese dishes
-Greek salad and cold bean salad w/o the dressing
-risotto (but not happily)

foods with special (and not necessarily healthy) modifications:
-pita w/cheese inside
-English muffin w/cheese on top...cold, not toasted
-crackers or bagels w/ cream cheese, pate, or salmon spread
-cooked pasta w/nothing on it (eew!)
-a burrito or taco with just cheese inside (he'll eat the veggies on the side)

He also eats a wide variety of fruits and veggies and is perfectly happy to make a meal of a bunch of those plus a cheese stick or two. The only kid foods he eats are hot dogs, grilled cheese, pizza, and (recently) burgers. He won't eat most types of potato dishes, soup, some types of rice or quinoa, anything with a sauce, and has recently dropped baked beans from his likes.

[bisous]

Just wanted to say that I'm really appreciating all these meal ideas! When I have a minute, I'm going to just jot these all down and make a list so I don't have to reinvent the wheel every time the kids are hungry (or it is time to go shopping!)

Good to know there are lots of you out there with kids with limited palates, too. We've been sorta successful in introducing new things but they're still mighty picky. Hopefully they'll go for the stuff that other kids like too. :)

[mackmama]

My 3yo DC is getting a bit pickier lately but in general these go over well:

Quesadillas with quinoa rice, black beans, cheese, seasonings, red bell peppers
Salsa (loves to dip stuff in salsa or tries to drink it!)
French fries
Mac n cheese -- annie's only
Pizza
Zucchini lightly steamed
Pancakes
Yogurt
Cottage cheese
Most soups
Oatmeal with fruit and maple syrup
All berries
Watermelon
Red bell peppers
Oranges
Ravioli
Cheese cheese and more cheese
Breaded chicken
Avocados
Hummus
Crackers of almost any kind
Almost anything in a tortilla
Smoked salmon
Bagel and cream cheese
Peas