Mostly healthy options for everyone at the dinner table.
Not everyone wants to eat what I cook. I get that. My kids turn down half of the meals I present. I know other kids do the same thing to their parents too. I always offer what I'm cooking first. If they don't want it, I take parts of what I am cooking and plate it along with my "go to" options for them. Here, I have three meals listed and how I separate what they will and will not eat and what I pair it with for them. Keep in mind, my kids are six, four and two right now. I have a picky eater, a sort of picky eater and a not picky at all eater.
1. Shrimp Cocktail & Salad
I always keep frozen seafood in our freezer. My kids love seafood just as much as I do, thankfully. I'm not sure if that's my doing, or if it's natural to them. Either way, it makes my life easier on nights when I resort to this meal. Most of the time, I purchase the cooked shrimp with just the tails on them. This way, all I need to do is thaw them for a quick shrimp cocktail dinner. I always have salad in the fridge. Whether it's a salad I make myself or a simple salad kit, it doesn't matter; a fresh salad always goes well with a shrimp cocktail. I just always warn my clients to be aware of the amount of cheese (if using) and how much dressing when making a salad. Otherwise, eat your heart out! Now, for the kids, they will all three eat shrimp. So, there's no problem there. My youngest will eat absolutely anything and will beg me for the shrimp, salad and whatever is in the snack drawer. My middle will eat a little salad if he's in the mood. My oldest won't eat salad. One thing they all have in common though is they like cucumbers. So, I make sure to cut extra slices for them whether they are eating the salad or not. Toast and fruit are always simple options as sides for my boys as well. I put a little butter on their toast and wash off some grapes. Simple!
2. Southern Veggie Plate
Sometimes, a big plate of southern vegetables is all I want. I have some major vegetarian tendencies over here, but I know my kids and husband would prefer to have some meat. I usually make a big batch of black eyed peas and whatever greens that are in season (enough for two nights). I always boil eggs and either turn them into deviled eggs or eat them plain. Tomatoes are always on the plate; sometimes stewed and sometimes fresh. Corn bread is usually on the plate as well because it's the one thing all three boys will for sure eat. Again, my youngest will eat anything; this meal is no problem for him. My other two won't touch the greens, peas or eggs. Ironically, my oldest loves tomatoes and would eat up my whole garden-full if I allowed him. So, while I'm winning on the corn bread with all three boys, I have to feed the two pickier eaters something else... This is where the extra effort comes in on my part. I usually cook some kind of meat for them. This week, it was ground Italian sausage. Again, I gave them some fruit on the side, and that was plenty for them. With this meal, it allows me to prep a little for another night of the week. I use the leftover black eyed peas and greens with a meat a night or two later with ease!
3. BLT Wedge Salad
The infamous wedge salad is always a winner! While my husband and I could very well eat everything on the board pictured, we do try our best to split it up with the kids. We usually get a third of the iceberg lettuce and then top with tomatoes, crumbled bacon and cheese. Most of the time, we use blue cheese, but sometimes it's cheddar. The dressing changes every time for me. It's either ranch or a homemade vinaigrette. For the kids, they all get the bacon, and I turn their dinner into breakfast. I make some toast and eggs (this takes so little time, it doesn't feel like a hassle at all to me). I always give them some fruit with this meal too. When I have some extra time on my hands, I will cut out the center of the toast by using a small mason jar and crack an egg in the middle of the toast. When it's halfway cooked, I flip it over to cook the other side. The kids love it (especially with some honey)!
These three meals are on a constant rotation at our dinner table. Mostly because they are all so easy to make, I know the way to substitute for my kids and they are on the healthier side of food choices. It also helps that some of the leftovers help out on other nights of the week. I hope you give one a try and that it helps your family turn the healthier choices into the easier choices!
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