How to find good recipes for a 11 year old picky eater?

i saw jessica seinfeld on oprah. she wrote a book called "deceptively delicious". it is a pretty cool idea, but requires some fore thought and time. she makes vegetable purees and then bakes with them so that food actually has hidden nutrients that the kids don't even know about! i don't have the book, but i have kept it in mind. check it out and see what you think.

M.,

Welcome to MN. I live in Colorado currently, but I am trying to transition back home with my family. Hang in there, MN has many activities for you and your family. You just have to look for them. Summer is the best.

About your picky eater, I once read that a child should at least put the food on their tongue to at least try the flavor, but often times its a texture issue. Perhaps try mixing his favorite foods with other things. Perhaps fries with chili and cheese. Or perhaps feeding him stuffed chicken, with rice and cream of chicken soup. Or stir fried steak. Does he like any type of condiments? Does he like any type of restaurants, Chinese, Pizza, hamburgers, or anything of this nature.

Does he like beans like lentals at all. They are also good for protein. Just feed him what is healthy that he likes and look up as many recipes as possible. As long as what he is eating is healthy he will be good.

Pasta is great for athletes especially before a big game!

Spaghetti
Ramon Noodles
Tuna/Noodle Salad
Mac/Cheese
Pasta Salads

Easy protein sources:

Turkey meatballs (Whole Foods has a brand in their frozen meat section that are pre-cooked; one just needs to microwave them, pan-sear them, or throw them in pasta sauce while heating it up) - my baby, husband, friend's 4-year-old and I love them!

String cheese -- I've seen/eaten both mozzarella and cheddar kinds. A stick of string cheese with say, an apple, is a great snack.

Rolled up deli meats with/without a slice of cheese in the middle. Just roll up a piece of roast beef or turkey, or whatever, with some cheese in the middle, and eat it like a burrito without the tortilla.

Or, you could use cream cheese instead of deli cheese. It would make the "roll" stick together better.

Peanut butter on apple slices. Or, on celery. Or, carrots.

Hummus with veggie sticks. Or, veggie wrap pinwheels using hummus. Or, cream cheese. Pinwheels are rolled-up large tortillas with meat/cheese/veggies inside. Once you've rolled up the tortilla, cut it into one-inch-thick pieces. When you lay a piece flat, it looks a bit like a "pinwheel." Make these ahead of time, and keep them in the fridge for snacking.

If he'll go for it, you could also offer a yogurt with a handful of walnuts or almonds in it. The yogurt by itself will metabolize too fast to be a long-lasting snack, but adding the nuts make it a better protein-y snack.

Good luck, and good eating!