Making Meals Your Whole Family Will Enjoy
Author: Stef Daniel
After two long hours in the kitchen, preparing what you think is an extravagant meal, you sit down at the kitchen table serving it up on real plates for the first time in a while, only to be met with sighs and whines followed by the words "ewwww" and "that looks gross, mom!" Disappointed, the fine French meal ends up uneaten as every last piece of macaroni is picked out of the dish and stripped of its delicious creamy sauce so that the kids will eat it. By the time the adults are ready to serve themselves, the once stunning dish looks like a haggard pile of dog food - the only thing missing being the flies. So what is the best way to make a meal that your whole family will like without compromising nutrition?
The first hint is to start broadening your child's palette at a young age. Rather than sticking with the easy mac & cheese, corn dogs, or chicken nuggets - don't be afraid to serve up something with asparagus or squash. If your children grow up eating lots of vegetables and interesting meals, they will become a connoisseur of taste and won't resist new foods. Of course, most kids would be happy eating a bowl of cereal or Hershey bar for dinner - but keep in mind that you are the one responsible for their eating habits and nutrition. An early start will make the long road ahead much easier. Even if they don't want to eat a lot of the new meal, request that they at least try it.
Years ago, my mom would just let me go hungry if I didn't want to eat what she fixed. Although I do not necessarily agree with that, it isn't always necessary to prepare several dishes. You are a parent, not a short order cook. If you are making a casserole that once all mixed together your kids are sure to shrug at, then leave many of the same ingredients separate. Pull out the noodles, the meat and the cheese, and serve them those parts of the meal separately on their divided plate of childhood - but don't feel you have to whip up something new altogether.
To get your kids to eat the vegetables, you will probably find that they are more inclined to eat them raw dipped in yummy dips over steamed or sautéed. The point is that they eat them, not so much how they eat them. Another way to begin making meals your whole family will eat is to enlist everyone in the menu building process. Scour over recipes together, agreeing to choose one new one a week that the whole family can enjoy. You can try allowing the kids to pick the Friday night meal. When kids are part of the solution, they tend to be more willing to be agreeable.
If you are craving a meal that you absolutely know is not kid friendly, then save your spaghetti leftovers and reheat them for the finicky eaters on the night you are in the mood for something different. Spending one day a week creating several meals at a time can save you the hassle, mess, and stress of rushing to get meals on the table during the week. You will always be ensured that you have an easy-to-heat back-up ready, in case your children think your dinner is gross. If they really want to eat cereal for dinner one night - then let them; there is no harm in that.
Preparing meals is really about nourishing our families. Committing to using fresh ingredients and intertwining some of your mainstay foods with healthy supplements is an easy way to sneak in the nutrients without compromising taste. For instance, shredded carrots fit very well in a pot of Mac and Cheese. Using all turkey or veggie bacon instead of the standard greasy pork in your BLT's will be a healthy crowd pleaser. Buying cereals without the sugar and adding fruit to it instead will have your family eating in the right direction. Offering sweets and snacks like fruity yogurts and fat free ice-creams or baked chips entitles them to treats without depriving them of nutritional value.
