Picky Eaters - A Mom's Nightmare

What happens when Junior or Missy refuses to eat green beans or go on a campaign to just eat yellow foods? Most moms would tear out their hair. Others would just let it ride and try to find a way to accommodate these picky eaters. Sometimes the best path is to make breakfast lunch or dinner fun.

Breakfast sould be an easy meal. Yet many tweens and teens have schedules as hectic as their parents. Sometimes they'll just go for a granola bar or even a cup of coffee from the local Starbucks. Try to make on the go foods for them like breakfast burritos or cut up fruit. Sometimes just a cup of enriched hot cocoa will do it. For those watching their weight , then make egg white omelets , chock full of good for you veggies or just plain scrambled whites . They can have it on whole wheat toast for an easier meal.

Lunch is another matter. Picky eaters sometimes do "trades " for a better looking meal. If that's the case then amp up their lunches. Think about adding chocolate chips to crunchy peanut butter or a spicy lo cal ranch dressing with some veggies.Instead of cookies have a piece of fresh fruit with a dipping sauce. Another trick is to have them make their own lunches so they can add their creativity. It's also a good way to track their changing tastes too.

Dinners should be sit down affairs. As with lunch let them help cook. It'll give them a sense of pride as well as whet their appetite for experimentation. Another idea is put a spin on traditional foods. Add bacon bits or garlic to the mashed potatoes.Try a tangy sweet sauce for a condiment for roast chicken. Add Parmesan cheese to the meatballs if you're making spaghetti and meat balls. With vegetable dishes, let them add what they want to them to make the good stuff more palatable. Maybe do something fun like have a theme night such as Mexican Fiesta or Chinese Lantern party. For weekends, think about doing a breakfast for dinner where everyone can have waffles scrambled eggs and bacon for the later meal.

There are a number of ways to make any meal time fun. You just have to see what your picky eaters are not picking at and then take it from there. Soon you'll have them eating everything off their plates whether it's breakfast , lunch or dinner.