You know what? I'm tired of coming up with good meals, only to end up having the kids reject what I've cooked because they see a visable chunk of tomato. I'm sick of painstakingly preparing a meal that they assure me that they will eat, only to have them lick their fork three times and blow bubbles in their milk.
So. This week, the kids are cooking dinner. I'm going to help, obviously. But the bulk of the meal is going to be prepared by their little picky-eatin' hands.
I'm enlisting the help of a few cookbooks this week, so that the kids can read the recipes and do the measurements themselves. Has anyone noticed how many of the "kids" cookbooks out there focus on weird food? Lots of garbage food, with the assumption that kids won't eat it unless it has a face made from M&Ms or something.
I'd love your recommendations for great kids' cookbooks - and I'll be putting together this week's menu with the help of the kids, and posting it this afternoon. Check back!
I hear you loud and clear! I struggle to make meals that I hope my kids will eat and they hardly touch it. Wasted! I feel that it isn't even worth the effort. They would rather wait it out, until I throw it away or save it in the fridge, until Daddy brings out the m & m's or the ice cream. Then they will be hungry as a mouse! I try as hard as I can but to no avail sometimes. They just don't listen. Gracious.
Posted by: Christine | 09/24/2006 at 11:59 AM
Susan Powter has a cookbook for kids. I'm not sure if it's still in print, though, but it has healthy foods.
My twins were the ultimate picky eaters as toddlers/preschoolers/elementary aged-kids. Now, at 13, they eat amazingly well--though they were dismayed I put mushrooms in the "Pizza in a Bowl," the other day. I just told them to pick out the mushrooms.
At our house, if you don't like dinner, you can make a sandwich or have a bowl of (healthy) cereal.
Posted by: Shrinkingmom | 09/24/2006 at 01:31 PM
Sorry - no recommendations here. When it's my sons night to cook, he uses my "regular" cookbooks. I've always hated those cookbooks filled with junk-recipes too.
Posted by: Kate | 09/24/2006 at 02:24 PM
I have done the same thing!!!! I have twin boys (9 years old)!
Pampered Chef has a really good cookbook that has easy readable recipes for kids. It is called "Cookbook for Kids"....it's a little 5"x5" book. Wonderful!!!!
Posted by: Shana | 09/24/2006 at 03:58 PM
This is kind of funny. Both of my daughters (ages three and two) eat almost everything. A few weeks ago I bought a can of Dora spaghetti-o's for t hose emergencies. Tonight was one of those. And my daughter wouldn't eat it!! Said it tasted icky. So, I guess there are no easy meals that I will feel guilty about. At least, not yet!!
Posted by: kylesmile | 09/24/2006 at 05:30 PM
My grandson-who just turned 6-love to take refrigerator biscuits and wrap wieners in them.(Like we did!) I will only let him help make them if he eats them, and we also make some 'good' muffins for AFTER he eats dinner.
Posted by: Rosetta | 09/24/2006 at 06:31 PM
I know the feeling! My family complains all night long if I cook a meal they don't like. My mother was right. What goes around, comes around. I used to be ungrateful for the things she cooked. I guess this is a taste of my own medicine. As for recipe ideas, you might want to look at Kraft online. Good luck!
Posted by: Cara | 09/24/2006 at 09:27 PM
I'm sorry for all the picky eaters and especially for their moms. In our house, if somebody doesn't like what's for dinner (or any other meal) he has two options: eat it or stay hungry. It is okay though to pick things out if you must.
My almost four-year-old son tries the, "But I don't like to eat that."-route in the moment, but it always ends with one of the grown-ups saying, "Are you sure? Okay, then I'll eat it." and then he re-considers.
Sorry, if this sounds mean (or smug), but I do think that picky eaters have to do with culture. We're practically encouraging toddlers not to like certain foods. ("What? You're eating FISH? At 3 years old?")
This said, maybe I'm lucky...
Posted by: Susanne | 09/25/2006 at 02:01 AM
I love these two, lots of kid friendly recipes!
http://www.amazon.com/Horn-Moon-Cookbook-Vegetarian-Restaurant/dp/0060960388
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Moon-Author-Horn-Cookbook/dp/0060951958
And I hear you. Tyler's never been a very picky eater, but Lila turns her nose up at everything, and just learned a preschool to say "that's icky. I don't like it."
I refuse to make macaroni and cheese for every meal, punk.
Posted by: Kelly | 09/25/2006 at 03:08 AM
I hear you girl. Not only do my boy's not like what I fix,neither does my husband. He say fix something different and when I do no one wants to eat it.What is a mom to do?
Posted by: Mary B. | 09/25/2006 at 06:06 AM
I've been thinking about this for the whole day, because I didn't write what a good idea it is to let the children cook.
(And everybody should learn cooking.)
Posted by: Susanne | 09/25/2006 at 10:11 AM
It is so funny that I read this today! I was just telling my son last night that he should take over cooking one night a week! He actually eats pretty much everything I make without complaint, except for when I serve mixed vegetables and he can't pick out all of his carrots. He was picking which classes to sign up for for his school's Exploratory Programs. One of them was cooking and a couple of his friends were signing up for it. When I asked why he didn't want to try it with his friends, he looked at me with this look of total horror over the thought of COOKING. So I told him he was going to end up doing it anyway now.
Posted by: Paula | 09/25/2006 at 11:38 AM
When I was a child, I used to love this cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crockers-Cookbook-Boys-Girls/dp/0764526340/sr=1-1/qid=1159213162/ref=sr_1_1/104-4884702-1371931?ie=UTF8&s=books
I know that you don't have teenagers yet, but I heard that this is a good one too: http://www.amazon.com/Teens-Cook-What-Want-Eat/dp/1580085849/sr=1-1/qid=1159213239/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4884702-1371931?ie=UTF8&s=books
Posted by: LoriB | 09/25/2006 at 12:41 PM
I feel you! Last night I made a feast of extra lean streak kabobs, salad, and whole wheat pita bread with a litle humus, and of course while my DH and I scarfed it down, the kids all turned up their noses. I've decided they can starve! If they don't eat, and are hungry later, that's their prob! I'm not raising uncultered swine who only know how to eat "dog crap" food!=)
Posted by: prov31wisemom | 09/25/2006 at 03:07 PM
It's not a kid's cookbook, but try "Working Stiff Cookbook." We like it and it's fairly easy, straight-forward meals. My husband is a somewhat picky eater, which makes me think some of the recipes may appeal to kids!
Posted by: Audrey | 09/25/2006 at 03:34 PM
I find my almost 7 yr old who LOVES to help me cook will still turn his nose up at stuff he and I have cooked together...
I've decided that cooking is the most thankless parenting job. If you don't clean who cares, the kids will wear dirty clothes, but man the way they openly complain about a meal makes me crazy...
Good luck!!
Posted by: maria | 09/27/2006 at 12:51 PM
I have two suggestions:
Rachael Ray published a kids cookbook and the recipes are divided up by age appropriateness. The food is healthy and pretty easy to prepare. Caveat: I find the whole EVOO and yummo thing a bit irritating...okay, she climbs my spine, but the kids LOVE it.
Suggestion #2: Real Simple magazine has a feature called Don't make it, Fake it, that features easy recipes with minimal ingredients. Approach with caution, though. Sometimes, the results aren't so great.
Good luck. I utilize the "this is not a restaurant, eat it or starve" philosophy.
Posted by: Jenn2 | 09/28/2006 at 10:10 AM