ISO: Dinner ideas for grade school kids

[ewatkins]

My kids are 8 and 11 and they don't like anything except pizza (take out, not homemade) and pretty plain pasta. I have exposed them to all kinds of food but with no results. I don't cook special meals for them but many nights they end up with a yogurt as they refuse to try what I've made. They won't eat chicken or dishes with ground beef. What are the 3 easy dinners that your kids actually like? Oh, one hates vegetables and one hates fruit!

[Leanne]

I have no kids - but I loved tacos as a kid & I know that's one of my friend's kids favorite meals too. I know you said no ground beef - but what about ground turkey?

I also have to ask - what flavor yogurt does the one who hates fruit eat?

[This message has been edited by Leanne (edited 02-16-2001).]

[AndreaU]

I also have no kids, but I remember being a very finicky eater until around high school. One of my favorites was my mom's tuna casserole. I don't know how picky your kids are with tuna, but if they like it, this is a pretty easy dish. Mom always topped it off with lots of French Fried onions... I think that's why I really liked it! Good luck.

[Marcie]

Have you tried breakfast food for dinner? You could do waffles, pancakes, crepes, omelets, frittatas, breakfast burritos... all of which offer a chance to get some veggies, protein, or calcium in. We have pumpkin pancakes about 3x a month as an easy and sweet way to get an orange veggie.

[lsdesign]

Eeeck! I thought my kids were narrow in their tastes. First of all we make our kids eat bites of everything on their plates even if they don't like it, especially if they don't like it. I agree that you shouldn't cook a differnt meal for them, they should get good and hungry once in a while. Some of my mainstays for my boys 9 and 5 are: 4 cheese macaroni & cheese from CL. Turkey meatballs (with hidden veggies) and spaghetti also a CL.
Deviled Chicken breasts, they have learned to like the jarred button mushrooms you use with this one. Microwave Spinach Pie, the pie crust really gets them interested and now they both say they love spinach. And then when I do something spicey for DH and myself I fall back on the frozen fish sticks/chicken nugget with peas or brocolli meal. The trick I found with veggies is to get the baby or petite of everything, it becomes a novelty to eat. Hope this helps.

[AGC]

My husband halves an avocado about 2x week, puts melted butter & lemon in the pit hole, and he and my 2 & 5 yr. olds stand in the kitchen and spoon it out of the "shell". This is a ritual. I act like it disgusts me and that makes them eat even more! They also love to shell their own peanuts. They get lots of nutrients from cereal (even sugary ones are loaded with vit./min.s). I hide tofu in egg salad but they have detected it in spag. sauce because the stubborn white color doesn't change. I've had better luck hiding carrot shavings & spinach in spag. sauce. My guess is that an 8 and 10 yr. old would quickly catch on to my tricks,however...My family is now into choc. soy milk (purchased at local Kroger). Occasionally we remember the Flintstone vit.s but more often not. Altho. most of the time it doesn't seem so, we must be doing something right because they're both off the growth charts (must say, so are DH and I!) Anyway,good luck! amy

[Zinnia]

I have 3 kids-18, 17, & 15-& have done the 'breakfast for dinner' winner over the years; Healthy cereal, yogurt, french toast, pancakes, ham-egg-cheese bagels w/ fried potatoes on the side, fruit shakes.
I made pizza on english muffins (w/ their own faces/creation), spaghetti w/ butter & Parmesan, tacos, bean & cheese burritos, burgers w/ no bun, sausage/hotdogs w/ mac 'n cheese, & fried chicken &/or nuggets, soup & crackers w/cheese or pnut butter & apple slices, grilled cheese sandwiches, stk/ch. kabobs (they'd thread their own & try poking eachother- j/k!). And, I would make what we ate but, not make theirs as spicy, etc. I also know they loved it more than McDonald's, Denny's, Pizza Hut, or Taco Bell!
It took awhile, drove me nuts- and they started to eat what we were having for dinner-no matter what!! They would want it after they realized this was it-or nothing.
BTW I have never starved my kids & I was way too busy to 'cater' to them-I love to cook, & wanted them to eat right http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif. Seriously though, it can be overwhelming if you are busy. They start not liking stuff you make, picky, basically-driving you crazy.
I hope I haven't bummed you out! My kids went through little fazes of not having an appetite & your kids will be ok. If they eat a little here & there it's better than not at all. I have always kept a BIG bowl of fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, kiwi or whatever) on my kitchen table at all times. Good luck to you! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Zinnia

[GayeC]

This is a real problem at my house too. My 12 year-old has somewhat varied tastes but the 7 year-old would live on pizza and macaroni and cheese if allowed to do so. I am sorry to say that I often make something different for him, or a variation of what we are having (like plain spaghetti with cheese if we are having spaghetti and meatballs). The good things he likes to eat include Cheerios, raw baby carrots, most raw fruits, and, recently, baked chicken breat cut into small pieces and dipped in barbecue sauce. He will also eat soft cheese tacos -- flour tortilla sprinkled with grated cheese (ONLY grated extra sharp cheddar will do -- who knows why!?), microwaved for about 35 seconds, and rolled up.

I too will look forward to hearing what others have to say about this problem.
Gaye

[ewatkins]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. The child who hates fruit will eat strawberry yogurt if it is very creamy and no sign of any fruit specks in it!!

They like tuna casserole but I am embarassed to admit I use Tuna Helper. Can anyone post a Tuna Casserole recipe? (We never had it growing up as my Dad said tuna tasted like cat food!) Also-- I sometimes just give them tuna out of the can and tell them it is "fish" -- they will eat it.

I am glad to hear I'm not the only one with this problem. I knew little kids ate pretty plain food but I thought by now we'd all be eating the same thing. And yes, it is discouraging (almost insulting!) when I try something new and it goes untouched, except by DH who likes almost everything I make, thank heavens!

[AndreaU]

Since I posted the suggestion, I thought it would be fitting to post a recipe. It's very easy!

Tuna Casserole

1 can condensed cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup (I used Campbells Healthy Request or 98% fat free)
1/2 cup skim milk
2 cups uncooked elbow noodles
2 cans (6-7 oz. each) tuna, drained & flaked
Salt & pepper to taste
French fried onions, chow mein noodles, crushed potato chips, etc.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In 2 quart casserole, combine soup and milk. Stir in noodles, tuna & seasoning.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes; stir. Top with desired topping and bake 5 minutes more.