Foods for My Son

I didn't and don't make extra meals. I make the family meal and that is what is served. hungry children eat what is served. I do not give my daughter an afternoon snack after 3:30 (We eat at 7:30.). When dinner time comes, she eats dinner and more often than not it is the best ____ she's ever had. Hungry children eat.

When she was a grazer, at 3, she rarely ate and only grazed all day long. She's still a grazer, but not after 3:30.

We always had fruit, veggies, and cheese available for her to graze on, but that's it.

Stephanie

As I tell my mother about my daughter, don't ask her first what she wants. Just plunk down good stuff in front of her. If they're hungry, they'll eat. I used to, when she was little, just leave the plate out if she had only picked at it. She would end up going back for a snack in a bit because she was actually hungry. Best of luck, it's always a hard one. My daughter's 11 now & it's still tough. Take care, C.

My son is 1 1/2 and he just started to be picky with his food, but one thing he loves beside mac n cheese is campbell soups. They have different shape. Even though the weather is a lil wormer he still loves to eat it. Good luck!

do any of your friends have older children with healthy eating habits? If so, seeing "bigger kids" eating things like salads, pasta with grilled veggies, veggies dipped in hummus, bean dishes, tofu, etc., could help get your son excited about trying healthier things.

Edamame - the boiled soybeans in pods that are often served in sushi restaurants - are a great healthy snack and often popular with preschoolers who love to "pop" the beans out of the pods.

quesadillas are another simple thing that many toddlers/preschoolers like. And you can try a lot of bread/cheese variations - baguette with cream cheese, grilled cheese toast, pita bread with a little spaghetti sauce and shredded cheese, english muffin "pizza", Maybe mix a little chopped veggies into the scrambled eggs and roll it into a tortilla with some melted cheese to make a little "burrito".

Some kids are more sensitive to flavors and textures than others, and more so than adults!

You listed foods with protein and starch, mostly. It sounds like what you want is to get more fruits/veggies into the mix. Try choosing some that are more "mild" or "bland". In other words, bananas (which have great health benefits) are not as intense as strawberries, sweet grapes are less intense than green tart ones. Corn is pretty mellow, as far as vegetables go. Lettuce types can have different flavors, but plain lettuce works for some kids...You get the idea.

Also as far as the foods he likes, for PB&J there are more natural varieties of peanut butter, and there are low sugar/natural preserves you can get. And the healthier breads! Also, a more natural mac-n-cheese with real cheese exists, and there are more healthy hot dogs (turkey dogs, all beef dogs, etc).

Also, you can try getting something similar in a different form, to expand his eating horizons---for example, he likes corn dogs, you can try cornbread. He likes scrambled eggs, you can try poached or hard boiled, or egg salad.

You can try letting him "help" with cooking (maybe just guided pouring?) to get him interested in food, so he might want to try what he helped with. If he won't eat it, at least he got some good motor-skills practice. = )

Some kids will be more likely to try things that look "cute". There are kids' cookbooks that show how to make things that have a lot of "kid appeal"--smiley faces on them or whatever, without being really processed.

I was very picky as a kid, and I still feel "sensory overload" from certain flavors sometimes! My mom used to tell me (as I got older) that I could eat a different meal if I was willing to make it myself---I took more of an interest in cooking after that.
I have one boy who is really sensitive/picky, and then another who likes to try Indian take-out and things like that. Some kids are easier than others, it's probably just the way he is... DO try to get him to taste things---but pick your battles. Have him try things you think he might enjoy, or at least won't be too surprised by--not too strong, not too different than what he's used to, until he becomes more trusting and less suspicious of your suggestions. Food should not be scary, it's supposed to be nourishing and pleasureful. Good Luck!

Don't give him a choice. Our boys eat what we are eating for dinner. The may end up adding catchup to eat it but that is dinner. If you don't eat it, you go hungry. If they do finish their dinner, they can have desert. You may have some resistance at first but a 3 year old will not starve themselves.

Greetings R.: I guess my question to you is why are you asking a child so young to make the decisions??? As the mother of 5 and the foster mother of several, I planned the meals and we would gather once a week and see if anyone had anything special they wanted or wanted to help fix, but the decision was mine. I made it clear that I was not a short order cook and this is not Black Angus. By the times my children were teens this helped alot.(when you have 5 for sure and as many as 4 more it can be exciteing)
Young children only have small stomachs and really don't need to eat as much as we adults push on them. Smaller amounts more often often helps.So keep fresh fruit and vegetables with peanut butter or cheese handy.
Some of my children just hated the texture of meat in their mouths so we planned that in as part of the menu. There are textured vegetable soy proteins out there that can look and taste like beef, or chicken for soups and taco's. Once our children were 2 we expected them to eat the same things as the rest of the family. As for the vegetables, there are so many ways to get them in - try stir fry, asian food, lumpia, homemade spring rolls can have anything in them, fesh carrott cake, zucchini breads. WE lived over seas for many years and learned that in Guam,or the Phillipians for example, children were fed more casually as they played. I was taught by great women how to make lumpia-its like a small egg roll and put into it all the vegetables then they are cooked and the children eat them like candy and get the benift of vegetables and fun food. I make fresh spring rolls that are not fried - rolled in rice paper andare filled with 5 different herbs and vegetables along with rice noodles, my grandchildren just love them (thi food). We make junk food as well but try to limit it. The example you set now will be the one they follow for many years to come and will carry into thier own families as I have seen. Good luck in the greatest adventure of your life - parenthood- its a special job like no other, Nana G ps I waas just reminded that one thing I did do for my children that hated cooked vegetables ws to have a fresh vegetable platter on the table as part of the meal with different dips the dill dip being the favorite! NANA G

Hi R.,

If possible, I'd say you should stop asking him what he wants to eat. Just make lunch and put it in front of him. I think all peope should be allowed to choose whether and how much they eat, but for a 3 year old to set the menu seems like too much. Actually, that's probably why he's sticking to familiar choices... he doesn't want to have to think about it.

Start by preparing foods you already know he likes. Then once he is used to not getting to choose, start introducing some other foods you'd like him to try (just make sure there is something else he does like on the plate as well).

A couple of recipe ideas... 1) my son loves "grown up mac and cheese." It's a basic baked mac and cheese made with whole wheat pene pasta, grilled chicken, mushrooms and italian cheeses (instead of cheddar). That's an easy healthy meal we both love, add a salad and you're set.... 2)Also, you could start transitioning from scrambled eggs to a more sophisticated scramble with bell peppers or other vegies mixed in... 3) My son loves chicken nuggets, but he'll also eat sliced grilled tofu dipped in catchup if the rest of the meal works and hotdogs are interchangeable with chicken apple sausage most nights :-)

Hope this helps.

T.

Hi there,
I have a 3 1/2 year old and a 2 year old. Our kids eat what we eat for dinner....always have. I am not a short order cook. They need to learn to like different foods. If we are having a veggie that they really dont want to eat, say fresh greenbeans, I may offer them some applesauce or something else healthy. We always eat a meat, veg and starch. Even though your kids may not eat a lot of what you and your husband may be eating, they will learn to. They will eat if they are hungry.

My kids have a choice on what to eat at lunch. Their lunch choices look similar to yours. Although, they have recently begun to like bell peppers, celery or carrots dipped in ranch dressing or hummus. Or they love fresh fruit with lowfat vanilla yogurt and granola on top!

Good luck!

I have two boys (now 14 & 12)and when they were little, my husband worked late so we did the two dinner thing. I regret that so much! I used to joke that i could count the foods they would eat on one hand (and my list looked a lot like theirs). Five years old is too young to pick their own food. One tool we used to break them of not wanting to try new foods is the "try plate". It went into the middle of the table and anyone who tried a bite would get a reward (we gave out quarters). This didn't get them to love a lot of new foods, but it took away the fear of trying new things. by the time my daughter (now 8) came around, we were eating one meal as a family and she went right along with the program. She eats many more foods than the boys. (favorite dish is chikn curry and eats everyone elses red peppers out of it!)

Why are you asking your son what he wants for dinner? Who is in charge? He has you well trained so expect him to not eat for a while but he will start eating when he is hungry. My rule is everything i serve must be tried. It takes a few times of trying a new food to like it. However with that said, My older daughter hates raw tomatoes so i don't make her eat those. But I figure that is ok, since she eats just about everything else...

I have the same problem with my 4 year old, but have become more strict. If he doesn't eat his vegetables then no dessert, etc. Spaghetti sauce is full of veggies so I make spaghetti with cheesy garlic bread and he make a spaghetti sandwich or take the spaghetti and bake it in the oven with lots of cheese on top. My kids devour steamed brocoli with soy sauce and soy beans boiled with a little salt and sometimes soy sauce. Also turkey hot dogs, stuffed with cheese and rolled up with a croissant (maybe sneak some veggies inside). How about fruit smoothies (tastes like ice cream) to include yogurt, banana, berries, ice. green salad with his favorite dressing and/or tuna helper.

These are just some quick ideas and how I try to deal with 3 kids and their various eating issues. It is tough some nights!

Good luck.

If you value guiding your kid to make healthy choices in their diet, then as the mom, it is your responsibility to select the menu items. Do not give this responsibility to your son. You have to lead by example. Focus on fresh fruits and veges. Don't buy packaged foods, make mac n cheese from scratch, and it will contain much less salt. Make sure he gets iodized salt once a week,and explain why. Take control!! P.

Getting kids to eat can be a nightmare! i believe your first problem is that you ask him what he wants. Given a choice, kids will always opt for junk food. I believe you are starting a very bad habit that will be very hard for you to break as time goes on. he lives in your home - not a restaurant and you are not a short order cook. i believe you should decide what's for dinner, fix him a plate and he will either eat or not. If he doesn't, then he goes without - period. No substitutions later. If he eats, even just a little bit, then give him some dessert. I do not believe that children should have to clean their plates - I believe that sets them up for over eating when they're older. I actually believe that as long as the child eats enough that you believe they are satisfied (not "full" but satisfied, then that's fine. That way they learn to push themselves away from the table when they are satisfied, not full, and they can hopefully avoid any weight problems. If you force them to eat after they're satisified, you start the habit of eating until you're full which stretches the stomach causing you to have to eat more to get full which in turn leads to weight problems. So, give him a plate and let him decide whether to eat or not, but you have to stick to your guns - he eats what you fix or he doesn't eat - period.

Hi there,
Maybe you should stop asking him what he wants to eat and try just fixing him something you want him to eat. When he is asked he will naturally pick the things he is familiar with and taste good to him. Introduce new foods and if he only eats a small amount thats ok, because hell get hungry later and then don't ask just fix him something and he will soon come around. good luck!

canned baby corns or canned asparagus
steamed squash and spray a little butter on it...let him spray it.
sliced olives
steamed sweet potatoes and let him sprinkle some brown sugar on it or spray butter
turkey meat from deli and let him roll it up with a piece of cheese
yogurt tubes frozen (just freeze the yogurt tubes, you can find organic ones instead of the regular yogurt with corn syrup)
jello snacks

I have a picky 3 year old and these are some of the things I can get her to eat.

R.! We are similar. My older son will be 3 in July, and I have a 6 mo. old son as well. And I am 39, and have been married for almost 5 yrs. Anyway, my older son is starting to branch out a little more. I started feeling guilty about all the chicken nuggets and corndogs and grilled cheese he was eating (and tired of making him special food) so I simply stopped offering those as an option. Of course going cold turkey is tough for a little guy to deal with so just have him start trying bites of your food when you and your hubby are eating, in addition to his regular dinner. Gradually start having him eat more of what you guys are eating instead by not making him a separate dinner and comment on what a big boy he is for eating just like Mommy and Daddy. It has totally worked for us! Of course there are still times when we slip into convenience mode but I would say 90% of the time he's eating what we have for dinner. You didn't mention if you had any issues with lunch, but if so let me know! Good luck!

Hi R.,

My son is the same way. I have just tried to adapt the things that he does like to make them healthier. Fortunately, he loves fruit so he has it as a side dish with EVERY meal!! He is 4.5 and loves PB&J and cheese sandwiches, so I try to make them a little healthier by using natural PB and whole grain bread. He also loves cheese quesadillas, so I make them on whole wheat tortillas. Another favorite is chicken nuggets, but he's pretty picky about those. He doesn't like the breading to thick or crunchy. I have made them from scratch using corn flake crumbs mixed with dry ranch dressing mix to season. These are always good and you can freeze them and pull them out when you need them. Also, another favorite is frozen turkey meatballs from Trader Joes. They are really good and easy to prepare. My husband and I like them too. Lastly, if your son likes pizza try making them on whole wheat english muffins or the new Orowheat Sandwich Thins are amazing!!!!

Good luck!!!

It sounds like you're making 2 different meals. One for you and your husband and one for your son. Stop! Make only one meal. If he only takes a few bites, then he will be hungry for the next meal and more willing to try more food. He is 3 so if he only eats a tiny bit, he'll learn to try more food. Not to mention, he'll eat healthier. I found that I eat better since I've had kids since I want them to eat veggies, so I eat more to provide an example. Unfortunately, my youngest (2 years old) seems to be on a veggie strike, but I don't let her have more of what she wants, like plain pasta, until she takes a few bites of the other food on her plate.

Get a back bone!!! You are the mom and if you offer only the foods you eat, he will have to eat what you serve. Stop being a short order cook. Be kind to yourself! Start setting limits now before his behaviors get away from you..

Hi R., I'm a nana of 4 boys, both my daughters work and I have decided to stay home to take care of them. I tried to make their food fun. A little Qesadilla cut like a pizza around a small cute little bowel with refried beans as a dip. I would scatter whole olives around the quesadilla, and put one on my finger and say this is how you eat them. I always serve sml carrots with a dip. Cut up fruit all kinds into small pieces and arrange it pretty. Serve it with small forks and have them dip it into yogurt. If you make something for yourself, fix him the same thing for him but make it special. You will be surprised, children like to mimick their parents. My boys are know 9,10,11,12 and there isn't anything they won't eat. They even eat sardines, and smoked oysters; with all the fixings of course. Good luck, and enjoy your little ones.

Smoothies are a great way to get the fruits into them. We make them daily here and the kids drink them! We add 3-4 different fruits (always a banana) and a half cup of vanilla yogurt and then fill the rest up with juice. Also, you can hide veggies everywhere! I make turkey burgers, but before I do that, i saute onions, zucchini and mushrooms in soy sauce and mirin (you can get in the Asian isle). Then I puree this and mix it with the turkey meat. Then I add more soy sauce and mirin and the burgers taste like teriyaki burgers.

Also, you can puree raw eggs with a handful of spinach and then scramble the eggs. You do not taste the spinach and we have fun with the whole "green eggs" and ham theme!

If you make your own spaghetti sauce or even if you use a jar, add pureed bell peppers, mushrooms and onions.

Another GREAT discovery is baked Kale chips! Yes, Kale! My 1 and 4 year olds devour them up and so do their friends when they come over! Pull the Kale into chip-sized pieces. Throw away the stem. Put all the kale into a bowl and drizzle olive oil over it and mix it up (I massage with my hands) to ensure that the oil is on all the kale. Salt to your liking. Put it on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for about 5-6 minutes. Keep a VERY close eye on this, because the time between "crispy" and "burnt" is only about one minute! Make sure the leaves are only one layer, that no leaves are on top of other leaves. I usually have to do 2 batches in the oven for one bunch of kale. The kids will eat a whole batch in one afternoon! They even fight over who gets the last kale chip!

The best way to get veggies into a non-compliant child is to puree it and put it into their foods. Eventually, they will come around and eat them, but until then, you can rest assured that they are getting healthy foods into them!

Best of luck!

It's been a long time since my kids were toddlers but some of the things that we did that worked were as follows: bagel and cream cheese, some type of ravioli with vegetables inside, carrot sticks, Stouffers Spinach Souffle.

Also, I would recommend just offering a variety of foods and see what your son eats. My daughter in particular was very fussy but not as young adults, they eat a fair amount of veggies.

Good luck!

The best advice I got from a "neutral" source was by reading "Child of Mine" by Ellen Slater. She is a nutritionist who has great advice and suggestions for feeding our children. Her bottom line message is simple (if we can stick to it). She says, as parents, it is our job to provide a variety of healthy choices and teach our kids to eat well. It is the kids job to choose what they will eat. When they are hungry, they will eat and if their options are tasty and healthy things, they will learn to eat and enjoy them (ideally, for life). If we only offer "kid food" then that is what they learn to eat (and their tastes become familiar with only kid food). As a mom of 4 boys, I feel your pain and frustration. Hang in there because encouraging healthy food choices is one of the best things we can teach our kids for life!

He should be eating whatever the family is having for lunch and dinner. If he doesn't want to eat what you've cooked, offer him a carton of yogurt as an alternative choice -- as the ONLY alternative choice. Don't give him unlimited choices, and DON'T get up and fix him another meal! He'll begin to think that no one has anything better to do than to wait on him hand and foot!

I have a 2 year old and she eats what I do for dinner (it's just her and I~ no WAY am I making 2 meals for 2 people). I put all the same things on her plate as is on mine and I eat really healthy. Example, last night we had salad (lett, spin, tom, brocc, beets, apples, dry blue chz and seasoned vin for dressing), flax seed whole wheat pasta with organic tom sauce, grapes, and cottage cheese. I put each thing on her plate and let her eat what she wants. She'll tell me "more grapes please" and I'll say "eat more of your ______ first" and she does. I always provide several choices and she never refuses everything, even on her picky nights. The best advice I ever got about feeding her was "No child that has access to food has ever starved" Train your kid to eat what the family does... easier for you, healthier for the kid, and teaches the kid that mom is in charge :-)

WOW, lots of great responses. I have a super picky 3.5yr old eater. After 16 months he changed his interest in foods. He will say, "really tastes" when he doesn't like something. LIke my dr he too has said don't become a short order cook. I have had him help me make meals and then has nothing to do with the.. I too can count on one hand the foods he will eat. He will not touch fruit no matter what. I have tried to get creative and sneak it in and he knows. I have noticed when i sneak it in and he finds out that is it. Done eating it all together. The good news is he loves veggies. The only fruit source he will get is applesauce, yogart or a smoothie. Even that is a hit and miss as long as its the brand he likes. I have taken his fav smoothie and added a real banana too it when he isn't looking and put it in the bottle he likes poured it make no big deal and he hands it back to me. "really taste". We have managed to increase his menu over the months but very selective still. I don't give him choices anymore but I will put at least one item on his dinner plate that i know he will like. He usually just eats that and will get up if nothing else is interesting to him. I them remove his plate and that is it. No more food till next meal. However, his little brother is now 11 months and LOVES everything. When he was 6 months old with no teeth he wanted everything on his big brother's plate. I tell him how yummy it is so my older son will get interested and tell him how his big brother likes it. He will just hand it to his little brother to eat like ok he can have it. Howedver, he had no teeth then. At least I only have 1 picky eater. My baby will eat everything if i let him. I call him the vaccum. My older son gives his food to the other children around him that he doesn't want.

You can only do and try so much. I also have to be careful with my older son because he has food allergies so it makes it difficult to make family meals all the time. He will go into antiphalic shock if he gets a touch of the items he can't eat.

The more you try the harder it will get with them. Its like potty trianing I believe. As long as your offering good foods leave it alone. I don't let him snack and he will blow a casket if he does't get what he wants. Oh well. I don't let him drink a lot of milk during dinner either. he just wants bland foods.

Good luck. Big your battles I tell myself.

SAHM, 2 amazing little boys 3.5yrs and 11 months. Started walking at 7.5 months. Im so busy and love being a mom.

It is possible to sneak veggies into that restricted list, especially peeled & grated zucchini into the mac & cheese. Try adding thinly sliced fruit into PBJ sandwiches. Hamburger can be mixed with finely shredded carrots and onions.

You can also try broccoli & cheese sauce. (melt butter in a pan, add grated cheddar, stir until melted, add flour to thicken, stir until smooth). Dipping is a great favorite of many children and cheese sauce is irresistible to most of them. Roasted sweet potatoes (oven at 425, put clean potatoes on a cookie sheet, until very soft and juices run out and turn into little carbonized messes), serve with butter.

If all else fails, zucchini bread/banana bread with grated veggies and oat bran will supply some fiber. make sure you choose a sweet recipe.

You may also want to consider serving only the food you want him to eat and letting him decide that he is hungry enough to eat it, even if it isn't his favorite every night. I think that this is ultimately the only "solution." Otherwise you will be fighting this out for the next 15 years.

Ok...so I had a different approach than most when my picky (then) 2.5 year old starting rejecting tons of food....I found out via serendipity when my brother and his son (age 7) came over for dinner. My little one loves loves loves them both adn when he saw his idols eating new foods he gobbled them up too. Is there any older kid or adult that your son admires? I swear by it when we want our little one to try somethign new...Later, if my brother is not there, we say, Oh, your uncle LOVES chicken this way. Worth a shot??? Good luck...

don't give your son choices when it comes to meal time. you're not a "short order cook" as our doctor told us. he should eat what you are eating. we've done this ever since our daughter started solids. some meals are better then others, but she knows she has to eat what is in front of her. give your son other choices through out the day, what to wear, what music to listen to, what to play with etc etc but when you sit down as a family to eat, just give him what you are eating. it might take time but hopefully he wil catch on soon. i hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but in the long run it will be much easier for you!

Hi R..

I understand what the others are saying about not cooking different meals for you and your kids, but I do the same thing because some times it's just not practical to eat all together. We don't eat dinner together because my husband gets home late and also sometimes what we eat isn't kid appropriate - like very spicy foods, fish with lots of bones, etc.

I agree with the others who say don't ask him what he wants, but I would give him options, ie. 'Would you like a grilled cheese sandwich or fish sticks for lunch?' That way, you choose what is acceptable, but he still feels like he has some control over his own meals, which I think is fine. He shouldn't be in charge, but he is certainly old enough to make a choice. Plus, then you have the option of saying, 'That is what you said wanted, so eat it.'

I have 2 1/2 year old, he isn't that picky, but he eats pretty kid friendly food. Here is a selection from his repertoire...

-grilled cheese sandwiches or quesadillas (you can add other stuff to them too - like ham, chicken, slices of tomato, pepper, etc)
-fish sticks (I use salmon for these so he gets his oily fish and make them like the chicken fingers below)
-chicken fingers (I make these by cutting chicken into strips, coating them in flour, egg and seasoned breadcrumbs and then cooking them in a pan with a tiny bit of oil. My son loves to dip so I serve them with ketchup, bbq sauce, ranch, or whatever else I have on hand)
-hamburgers - you said these aren't that healthy. I disagree, if you are using lean ground beef and grilling them then they are healthy, in fact they are full of iron, zinc, B12 and all sorts of good stuff. Of course everything in moderation, but don't be afraid of beef. You can also bulk burgers up with grated carrot, apple, zucchini and other veg that he won't even know is there, but add to the nutritional value. Also try ground turkey or chicken.
-pasta with a variety of sauces. My son loves bolognese, but if yours likes mac and cheese, maybe try adding other things to it, like ground beef, grilled chicken, broccoli, peas. My mother used to make something she called chili mac, which was basically a combination of chili and mac and cheese. I loved it and my son loves it. Google it and you'll find tons of recipes.
-chilli - but not too heavily spiced. This is one that I make for my husband and I, take out a child's portion before I add too much heat, and then serve it to him the next day
- If he likes scrambled eggs, how about a cheesy vegetable scramble or an omelete? There is no end to the lovely things you can add to an omelete. You could even let him decide what to add to it himself. Put out little bowls of cheese, pepper, ham, etc, etc, etc (whatever you have in the fridge), add the egg mixture to a ziploc bag, let him add what he likes, close the bag securely, let him shake it senseless and then pour it all together into the skillet. If he chooses something new, he's probably more likely to eat it.
- tuna sandwiches - always a great way to get kids to eat fish and maybe some lettuce
-smoothies are great for adding fruit to your child's diet. Blend your fruit whole so they get the goodness from the skins and something creamy like yogurt to make it more ice creamy. Frozen bananas work for this too. They make it remarkably creamy and decadent. I was just reading this aloud and now my son is yelling - smoothie, smoothie, smoothie!! They are actually a breakfast favorite around here. I add wheat germ too.
-pizza - again, this is something that has a bad name for itself, but is actually really healthy. You can make a simple pizza crust or just use english muffins, add tomato sauce, mozzarella, and toppings. Again, you can let your son top his own pizza before you put them in the oven or you can make little faces with olive eyes, ham or pineapple nose and pepper mouth.
- If your son likes peanut butter, would he eat satay chicken. I have a super easy recipe, which I won't reprint here because I've just realized my list is getting very long, but if you'd like it I'd be happy to send it to you.
- The last thing I will add, because he eats it a lot is hummus with bread sticks and veg (both raw and steamed). Like I said he loves to dip, so I put some hummus in a little pot and surround it on the plate with carrots, different colored peppers, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, mini bread sticks, string beans, asparagus etc and it looks incredibly fresh and appetizing. This is great for the summer or if you are going out and taking his food with you. I do a fruit version too with a little pot of yogurt, fresh fruit and rice cakes for breakfast.

Sorry this is so long. If you want any more information or more suggestions (I didn't realize I had so many) please just email me. I'm happy to help. I also serve 2 vegetables with every meal because my son is like yours and eats them easily, which is great.

Good luck and enjoy your boys. D..x

Hi R.,

I had the same problem with my daughter. Unfotunately when she was younger my husband would give her cereal or something else when she wouldn't eat dinner and that translated into a very picky eater who expected to be 'catered to' when she got older. She is now 8 and is naturally very thin but has had days when her blood sugar would drop and she would get headaches and wouldn't feel well. I decided I had to put my foot down and get her to eat better. I took her to the doctor and a nutritionist to make sure all was ok and was told although she is healthy for the most part and may have a 'sensitive pallet' I had to start introducing new foods to her to expand her food repitoir. I work full time so I don't have a lot of time to make dinners and experiment (I found I ended up making the same things over and over) so I went on the web. I found 2 websites that offer healthy menus each week, meals that take about 30 min to make and provide a shopping list for everything you need. Not only has this saved us money but it has exposed my kids to new foods. Every once in a while we hit a 'dud' on the menu but more often than not I make something they really like. My daughter is now eating fish, Asian and Indian foods and just yesterday actually ate the red pepper out of the Chinese chicken and cashew meal I made! It's a matter of finding a way to present the same foods in a different way that gets them to eat it. Anyway, the websites are: www.thescramble.com and www.relishrelish.com. Best of luck to you!