Food for Picky Kids

[Constance]

A friend of mine is having company this weekend, and her guests have 3 young children who are picky eaters. I suggested this casserole to her, as it has everything kids like.

Tater Tot Casserole

2 pounds ground chuck
1 can green beans -- drained
1 bag tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pound velveeta cheese -- sliced
onion salt, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.

Brown ground chuck, add salt & pepper, minced garlic and onion salt to taste. Drain. Pour into 9x14" baking dish.
Mix in soup and green beans. Spread evenly over meat mixture.
Cover with velveeta slices and top with tater tots. (Arrange in rows for a
nice look).

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or unil bubbly.

 

[Ishbel]

Constance
What is (or should that be are!) Tater Tots? I think there is a new(ish) member who has that screen name. I wondered what it meant!

 

[Alix]

Tater tots are nuggets of deep fried compressed potato bits.

Constance, the green beans are a no go in my house. But the rest looks kid friendly, thanks!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Maybe I was a strange kid as I liked everything. But even picky kids I knew liked pork & beans. And most loved baked beans, expecially when sweetened with either brown sugar or maple syrup.

And veggies that can be made into desserts are favorites as well.

Try making individual fruit pies with fresh fruit and whole wheat flour. Use Sunflower oil for the fat in the pie dough.

Cheese macaroni made with sharp cheddar cheese, milk, and whole wheat elbow macoroni, or shells is another favorite.

Pigs-in-the-blankets, whole hot dogs or sausages wrapped with a soft whole wheat bread dough and baked until golden brown.

Pizza with plenty of flavorful sauce, lean ham strips, pineapple, and any veggies you can throw in. Or make lean homemade itallian sausage, replacing the pork fat with reconstitued TVP granules. Trow on a bit of EVOO for flavor and top with jsut enough cheese to know its there. Cook over charcoal, with just a stick of hardwood to provide a hint of smokey flavorand all on a whole wheat crust.

I'm a firm believer that kid-approved food can be gourmet when a little effort is thrown into the recipe. After all, the love of good and healthy food is a learned thing for most people. And if we don't teach it, then our children will be just another generation of unhealthy fast-food addicts.

Hide carrots in carrot cake. Put winter squash and pumpkins into pumpkin pies and puddings. Just replace the sugar with Splenda. I like to bake acorn squash after cuttin a whole in the top, like when making jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins, removing the seeds, and coating the inside flesh with a mixture of Splenda, mollases, ginger, and nutmeg, all mixed together. I've even bought the miniature pumpkins and done this after carving a jack-o-lantern face on them, and serving them up on Holloween.

Most everyone likes soups, and they are so healthy, especially the brothy ones.

In the workds of some guy I don't know, YOU CAN DO IT!

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Charlotte]

My kids had friends visiting all the time who were very picky eaters, so I always kept peanut butter on hand, great on toast or soda crackers when they did not want what was being served. They never went hungry and I did not cater to their whims.

Yes, as was stated already, home-made mac and cheese was always a favourite with any child coming to visit, be it for a few hours or a few days.

My girls soon learned to whip up grilled cheese sandwiches for their friends, as well as scrambled egg sandwiches.

 

[licia]

My son's kids are very picky - but as they grow up, they seem to eat quite well. The baby almost two will eat baloney at most any meal, the 5 year old will eat peanut butter sandwiches - but no crusts on the bread and the 3 year old will eat cereal at any meal. My dil is into cooking and canning so I suppose she will put an end to their picky eating shortly. I never made special meals for my kids but do remember them going thru stages of being a little persnickety.

 

[mudbug]

I've never met a kid who wouldn't eat fish sticks.

 

[htc]

I'm pretty luck, my stepson eats anything I make. Some things he likes more than others. When I first met him, he hardly ever ate anything green or any fruit. Now he'll ask for seconds on veggies. Even going as far as saying he likes spinach pizza. I use TJs almost whole wheat crust and go easy on the cheese, a little heavy on the spinach, add a side salad of field greens to make a kid-mom happy meal.

Oh, I learned to make something called Tater Tots Togo, that was similar, though it just had tots, ground meat (plus seasoning) and cream of mushroom. I have to admit, I LOVE this stuff. Though dont eat it very often.

 

[crewsk]

I've never met a kid who wouldn't eat fish sticks.

I know 2 that I will introduce you to mudbug! They won't even eat chicken nuggets/fingers.One of nephews told me the other day that bananas, apples, & all other fruits are evil. It drives me nuts but there's nt a thing I can do about it. I'm lucky that my kids will at least try new foods & I don't have to fight with them to get them to eat. Savannah had a bowl of bleu cheese stuffed black olives for a snack after school today & she choose that over brownies.

 

[GB]

I've never met a kid who wouldn't eat fish sticks.

My brother wouldn't. When he was a kid he would not touch fish at all. When asked why he didn't like fish he said that he did not want to eat anything that lived in the same water it pooped in

 

[mudbug]

Over BROWNIES?? What have you done to that poor child??!! I am in awe of your child-rearing skills. Although I am rather proud that my daughter now prefers oven-roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary and garlic over french fries.

geebs, that does not surprise me considering that you do not like eggs, one of nature's more perfect foods. Like you, your brother must have other redeeming qualities.

 

[crewsk]

Nothing I promise!! She eats her fill of sweets too. I don't know why she likes olives so much because I hate them. I guess she got it from my mom, she'll eat them like M&M's.

 

[C-wing]

"Or make lean homemade itallian sausage, replacing the pork fat with reconstitued TVP granules. Trow on a bit of EVOO for flavor and top with jsut enough cheese to know its there. "

Goodweed - What are TVP granules? For that matter, what is EVOO - never heard about either in connection with making sausages.

Thanks!

 

[kadesma]

I've never met a kid who wouldn't eat fish sticks.

I hate to tell ya this Mudbug, but, Cade will not touch fish sticks!! I've tried several times, but, get the smae reaction, gag and start to cry...Chicken strips yep, but fish no way..
kadesma, who will keep trying

 

[mudbug]

Between crewsk, geebs, and kadesma, I have to admit defeat and stand corrected. Who knew?

Although I did have this friend as a kid who hated peanut butter. What has happened to civilization??!!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

"Or make lean homemade itallian sausage, replacing the pork fat with reconstitued TVP granules. Trow on a bit of EVOO for flavor and top with jsut enough cheese to know its there. "

Goodweed - What are TVP granules? For that matter, what is EVOO - never heard about either in connection with making sausages.

Thanks!

TVP - Textured Vegetable Protien, usually soy, but somtimes wheat gluten. TVP does have a flavor that isn't so great. But it is very healthy, and is virtually fat free. When reconstituted with water or broth, it has a similar texture to cooked fat. Don't use any more than 20% TVP in the ground meat mixture. When I make home-made breakfast sausage, I replace the pork fat with TVP. None of my crew can tell the difference between it and full-fat breakfast sausage purchased from the store. And to turn breadfast sausage into Italian Sausage, I just have to add some Fennel to the sage, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt already used for flavoring the sausage.

EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Be careful, differing brands have dramatically differing flavors. Purchase small bottles until you find one that you really like. Myself, I like Carapelli brand. My eldest daughter likes Davinci brand. Niether of us like Pompei brand, though I know people who think it's the best. It just depends on what YOU like.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Constance]

Well, all the kids I know like fish sticks, Mudbug. In fact, when I can find the kind that are whole pieces of fish rather than compressed bits (like the tater tots), my husband and I sometimes heat some in the oven for a quick fish sandwich.

I've always been able to get kids to eat...but my friend has no children, and she was all freaked out over what to feed these kids. I also told her about cutting up hot dogs in macaroni and cheese, and she said she might do that too.

I hadn't thought about the baked beans...those are good with hot dogs in them too. In fact, I saw a recipe using bean & bacon soup with hot dogs in it and biscuits cooked on top. I'll bet kids would love that.

Goodweed, you're like my grandson...he'll try anything once, and eats all sorts of foods other teenagers wouldn't touch.
We're talking oysters on the half shell and fresh asparagus here.
His friends are another story. Some of them have been quite a challenge. Thing being, most of their mother's work, and they've grown up on fast food and frozen stuff.
I've discovered that you can always feed them tortillas spread with beans & cheese, heated up and sliced. They scarf them right up. They love our venison salami and can easily go through a whole roll in one night. Of course the favorite is Dominoes Pizza. I kinda like that myself.

 

[kadesma]

Between crewsk, geebs, and kadesma, I have to admit defeat and stand corrected. Who knew?

Although I did have this friend as a kid who hated peanut butter. What has happened to civilization??!!

Mudbug,
what happened? Mc Donalds, Burger King, Jack in the Box. Cade would eat anything I fixed when he was tiny, then he discovered chicken strips and fries and I had to learn a new dance to get him to eat. Now, I have him back to where he will take a bite of things I offer, then I look skyward and say PLEASE!!!!
kadesma

 

[licia]

Whatever food they are being introduced to will go over much better when they are hungry. I would serve those first, then favorites afterward.

 

[Sandyj]

mudbug - my kids ate fishsticks until November 23rd 1993 (the day they got to the US). Little buggers.
Goodweed - all wonderful advice and I am in total agreement in principle. Visiting children, however, are a different challenge.
(BTW, I have to tell you, I do make homemade macaroni and cheese, and my own kids like it. I do it as plainly as possible for my youngest. Her friends still prefer Kraft's from a box, if they eat it at all. It just breaks my heart.)

If we have friends coming over with kids, depending on how well I know them, somehow, beforehand, I'll try to find out what they'll eat. I usually buy juiceboxes, stock up on popsicles and, for their main meal, will often buy chicken nuggets, and french fries to bake in the oven. If they're younger than 10-ish, I usually feed them in the kitchen. I do set a nice place for them, though, with pretty napkins and all that. Just before serving, I call in a mom or dad, so they can help dish up. I make sure there's salad - cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and maybe a plate of veggies with dip. Some cut up cheese (cheddar) and maybe some purchased mozarella string cheese. Most kids seem to like garlic bread, so I make sure and have some for them. The important thing is to guage if they should be fed before the adults or with the adults, and, if before, just make sure I have something they'll eat. One friend's little boy is diabetic, so when they come I buy sugar free fudgsicles and make sure I have some other sugar free drinks. -Sandyj