Healthy meals that kids love???

[Alix]

CooklikeJulia, are these tips for choosing restaurant meals? It doesn't seem that this is about home cooked food (which is what the OP is looking for. Its good info to have though, could you post a link to the site so we can read the whole article please? Thanks!

 

[velochic]

I don't know if the OP is still looking for ideas since this is such an old thread, but I thought I'd put some ideas out there just in case. We don't eat fast-food, btw, and dd, at 8 hasn't had nary a chicken mcnugget or soda in her life, so I don't agree that you have to feed them fast food to make them happy eaters. She's been an adventurous eater all her life.

Some of dd all-time favorite dishes/meals:

- Grilled chicken (I marinate boneless, skinless chicken breasts then grill)
- Lamb chops (grilled again)
- Turkish meals (dh from Turkey) like various meat köfte, börek, cold oil dishes
- Ham and beans - just like my granny made it
- Rice and beans
- Spaghetti aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil)
- Veggie lasagne
- Cheese tortellini with basil pesto
- Steak (grilled)
- Various Indian dishes (Keema mataar, mataar paneer, dal makhni)
- Just about anything Mexican... lots of healthy options here
- Panini... usually she prefers chicken, provolone, arugula, and pesto and only eats homemade bread or non-HFCS whole grains
- Soups (split pea is her favorite, but also likes just about anything)
- Egg dishes, such as quiche and frittata
- Steamed mussels
- Whole grilled fish (even likes it with the head on) and beer battered cod
- Grilled shrimp (really likes all seafood)

Sides:
- Legumes such as peas, green beans, warm bean dishes
- Any roasted vegetables (except asparagus)
- Oven roasted fries, home fries, most other potatoes, including sweet potatoes
- green salad, especially with caesar or ranch dressing (creamy, in other words)
- pasta salad
- rice pilaf
- bulghur pilaf
- zucchini fries
- fresh veg from the garden
- tabouleh
- various veg casseroles


Snacks:
- fruit of any sort (don't know of one she doesn't like)
- raw vegetables of any sort
- hummus and pita
- olives and feta cheese
- dill pickles and other pickled foods
- cheese and crackers
- smoothies made with plain yogurt
- plain yogurt, salt and water... what is called "salty lassi" in Indian restaurants, called "ayran" in Turkish
- frozen fruit bars (homemade from just fruit and milk, blended and poured into molds)
- nuts, seeds and legumes
- granola
- wraps cut into bite-sized

She has a really healthy diet and I think the key has been to offer lots of options and not cater to the mentality that kids need to somehow eat differently than adults do. Hope this offers some more suggestions. Haven't read the whole thread, though I did read the OP.

 

[ChefJune]

i need ideas for healthy cooked meals for my 3 years old....

she is not picky at all..and loves healthy food.. she HATES SWEETS AND stuff that all children seem to love ..!

i am so proud of her ..

any ideas for good home made healthy food ?

I was like that too, as a kid. You're lucky she's not a picky eater. You should be able to give her anything you want and she'll eat it. Or at least try it!

Are you not sure what healthy meals are? Seems like just about anything you can think of to prepare would be welcomed.

 

[CookLikeJulia]

teach you child to eat vegetables and fruit not a preservative food or in fast food meals. It is not easy to feed the children they very picky of food specially vegies.

 

[linicx]

One of the more simple and healthy foods is chicken. I skin chicken and defat, add sliced carrits and celery, whole peeled onion and cover with water. I add a little sea salt and a touch of pepper and start the soup. Then I either scrub potatoes, cut them up into chunks to the pot, or, when the chicen is amost finished, I remove the onion and add noodles. In any case, I use onion for flavoring and remove it. You can always add a can of chicken broth, or a cube of chicken flavoring.

 

[CookLikeJulia]

The best healthy meals for kids for me are vegetable and fruits is the best way to teach your children for meal s.