Watch Your Super Picky Eater Lick Their Bowls Clean with These Quick and Nutritious Meal

Do you know how kids can be such picky eaters that they would rather go hungry than eat something they don’t like?

You are not alone if you are experiencing this with your children!

Some parents have to deal with this situation every single day.

There is no telling why children are picky eaters, but a study suggested that it could be due to early feeding difficulties, late introduction of lumpy foods at weaning, eating pressure, and early choosiness.

The concern with this picky eating habit is that children may not get the essential nutrition they require to grow.

Especially if your children refuse to eat any vegetables or fruits.

So, what are some of the things you can do to supplement nutrition in your picky eater’s diet?

Here’s how:

• Continue to offer a variety of nutritious food that include colourful fruits and vegetables, proteins, and carbohydrates
• Consider using a reward system to reinforce eating healthy as a positive habit
• Encourage food play to entice children to try new foods
• Be sneaky and try to combine new foods with foods they already enjoy
• Involve your picky eaters in food selection and preparation
• Seek external assistance or resources, such as nutritionists or therapists, in severe cases

Though there are numerous approaches, the main one is to incorporate nutritious ingredients into recipes that even picky eaters will enjoy.

The following are ten healthy menu ideas that you could try. (Psst, they look so good that I can’t wait to make them for my kids and myself!)

10 Healthy Meal Preparation Recipes for Picky Eaters

1. Sneaky Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1/4 head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound (≈45kg) ground turkey
• Optional: Barbecue sauce and fresh basil leaves

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
2. Place cauliflower in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the cabbage, potato starch, vinegar, salt, basil, and pepper.
3. Add turkey; mix lightly but thoroughly. With an ice cream scoop or with wet hands, shape them into 1 1/2-inch balls.
4. Place meatballs on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
5. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until cooked through.
6. If desired, toss with barbecue sauce and top with basil.

2. Creamy Chicken Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/3 uncooked long-grain rice
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

How to:

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté carrot, celery, and onion until tender.
2. Add garlic; cook and stir for one minute. Stir in rice, seasonings, and broth; bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Mix flour and milk until smooth; stir into soup.
5. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes.
6. Stir in chicken; heat through.

3. Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) quick-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Toppings:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped green or red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1-1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

How to:

1. In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
2. In a small saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°F – 130°F (48.9°C – 54.5°C). Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
3. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. In a small saucepan, bring the sauce ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half and roll each into a 12-inch circle. Place on two greased 12-inch pizza pans; prick with a fork. Bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté vegetables until zucchini is crisp-tender. Spread crusts with sauce; top with vegetables and cheese.
7. Bake until cheese is melted, 12-15 minutes.

4. Seasoned Chicken Strip

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup egg substitute or 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound (≈45kg) chicken tenderloins

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 400° (204°C).
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg substitute, mustard, and garlic.
3. In another shallow bowl, toss bread crumbs with seasonings. Dip chicken in egg mixture then coats with crumb mixture.
4. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink, 10-15 minutes.

5. Homemade Fish Sticks

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3/4 pound (≈ 36 – 1.81 kg) cod fillets, cut into 1-inch strips
• Butter-flavoured cooking spray

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 400° (204°C).
2. In a shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs and seasonings. Place flour and egg in separate shallow bowls.
3. Dip fish in flour to coat both sides; shake off excess. Dip in egg, then in crumb mixture, patting to help the coating adhere.
4. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; spritz fish with butter-flavoured cooking spray. Bake 10-12 minutes or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, turning once.

6. Healthy Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces cauliflower florets
• 3 cups cooked chopped chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs divided
• 3 tablespoons milk divided
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 1/2 cups bran flakes

How to:

1. Place cauliflower and 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl. Cover loosely and microwave HIGH for 2 minutes at a time, for 5-6 minutes, or until very tender.
2. Place cauliflower, chicken, and salt in a food processor and pulse into very small pieces.
3. Whisk 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl. Add to cauliflower and puree until smooth. The mixture should be slightly damp but able to hold together when pressed. If too dry, add a drizzle of milk and puree
4. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Spray a large baking sheet with baking spray.
5. Put flour on a plate. In a bowl whisk together the remaining eggs and milk.
6. In a separate bowl, add bran flakes and crumble them into small pieces.
7. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture and drop gently into flour. Use fingers to roll around to coat, forming into a ball. Remove from flour and place in egg mixture; flip to coat. Remove and place into bran flakes. Roll around to coat.
8. Transfer the ball to the prepared baking sheet and press down and flatten into a 3/4” inch thick oval. Spray nuggets with baking spray.
9. Place in oven and bake 15 minutes, or until nuggets begin to darken underneath. Flip and cook for 10 minutes. Serve immediately or allow to cool on pan.

7. Whole Grain Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 2/3 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Sliced bananas and additional syrup, optional

How to:

1. Whisk together the first five ingredients.
2. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mashed banana, oil, 1 tablespoon syrup, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
3. Preheat a griddle coated with cooking spray over medium heat.
4. Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto the griddle; cook until bubbles on top begin to pop and bottoms are golden brown. Turn; cook until the second side is golden brown.
5. If desired, serve with sliced bananas and additional syrup.

8. Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Bake

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or 2% milk
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 medium bananas, sliced
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
2. In a bowl, whisk the first five ingredients until blended. Stir in oats.
3. Arrange banana slices in a single layer in a greased 9-inch square baking pan; sprinkle with blueberries. Pour the oatmeal mixture over top, spreading evenly.
4. Bake until set, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler.
5. For the topping, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, and butter with a fork until crumbly; stir in pecans. Sprinkle over oatmeal.
6. Broil 7-8 inches from heat until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

9. Easy Skillet Upside Down Apple Pancake

Ingredients:

• 2 medium apples peeled, sliced
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup whole grain complete pancake mix
• 1 cup water

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
2. Heat oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add apples, syrup, butter, and pumpkin pie spice. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until bubbly and apples are softened.
3. Whisk together the pancake mix and water in a separate bowl. Pour over apples.
4. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until pancake is set. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
5. Use a spatula to loosen pancake from the skillet. Place a large plate over the top of the skillet and flip to release pancake onto a plate.

10. Hidden Fruit & Veggie Chocolate Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 frozen ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup frozen strawberries or blueberries
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Dash of agave nectar
• 1/3 cup ice
• 1 handful of spinach

How to:

1. Combine and blend until smooth.
2. You can use additional cocoa powder if you want more chocolate taste.

(Recipes Source: Taste of Home, Healthy Family Project)

Make Food More Enjoyable and Nutritious for Picky Eaters

Have fun when it comes to introducing new foods to your children.

Regardless of their response or feedback, try to remain calm, and most importantly, don’t give up when dealing with picky eaters!

Try one or as many of the recipes and you shall succeed, mummies!

For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!