Healthy Meals for Dummies?

M.,

I use "6 Ingredients or Less" and "Fix it and Forget it" cookbooks. Both have light and healthy versions as well as the original. I have the "Fix it and Forget it Lightly", but have not looked at the other version for the "6 Ingredients or Less".

Hope this helps,
T.

I also reccommend Food for Tots, and Deceptively Delicious--really good reads and good nutritional information/ideas too. Just try not to eat too many foods that don't know where they came from. The fewer the ingredients on the label, generally the more wholesome. You may also try savingdinner.com for menu planning ideas--she has great lunch, breakfast, and snack menus as well as dinner with shopping lists ready to go--and there are lots to try for free before subscribing. I use her and then grocery shop online with Albertsons or Safeway.

Have you ever checked out the Sneaky Chef books? I have the first one (I think there is a second one out there for husbands) and it has great ideas for adding healthy ingredients (a.k.a. vegetables and fruits) to make your kid's favorite foods a little healthier.

Also, using the Demarle baking/cooking products are the easiest and fastest way to cook meals simple or complex for the whole family. You can cook with these products without ever having to oil, flour, or spray the pan and no more 3 day soaker pans or wasted foil in the garbage can. My husband and kids eat up the pan roasted vegetables you can make (I have tried everything to get my family to eat/enjoy their veggies). If you love to cook or hate to cook, these products are amazing. Having a home party is a fun way to see the products, sample some food, and get great ideas and free product for cooking at home.
If you would like more information, or to book a party of your own - send me an email: ____@____.com
Happy Cooking!

I really like the "Fix It & Forget It" cook books for crock pots. They have a "Lightly" version that I've been trying out. These work well for me, because I have two little ones and if I don't get something done in the morning, it simply doesn't get done. This includes making dinner! I don't make special things for my daughter. I try to make things we can all sit down to eat. She's over three now, and we've never given her more than she can eat, and we've always insisted she eats what we give her. She can't get down or be excused until she's done eating. We make exceptions if the food is something especially unknown to her. Like we had sauerkraut last night, and it made her gag, so we let her off the hook on that one. She is a very good eater and, while it takes here a while, she is not a picky eater and she eats what's put in front of her. I give her choices at lunch, but at dinner, we eat as a family. Just my extra two bits... :) Have fun!

http://www.kidseatgreat.com/

My kids pediatrician wrote this book, it is terrific

Hi, M.-

Check out Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals, either the show on food network, or any of her cookbooks (she has one for kids, too). She also has a magazine I subscribe to. That's nice because there's usually over 300 recipes an issue and lots of photos (I like to see if it looks good before I make it :-). I love her ideas because they're fast, easy and have helped introduced my little ones to new things, besides only kid-friendly foods like chicken nuggets.

At first I used to feel I had to cater to my kids' (ages 2.5 and 4 years) simple palate, but my husband and I got tired of them be finicky and started to give them whatever we ate. It was amazing how quickly their tastes broadened! Now they eat almost anything with complaining, including salad! Sometimes I think we set ourselves up by just being nervous to try new things out on our kids. The key is consistency, so don't give up if at first he turns his nose up.

Good luck and have fun trying some new recipes!

-J.

I love Everyday Food's Great Food Fast cookbook & their magazine is awesome too... Healthy food that's really fast & fun. A lot of it your little guy could help out with & when they help they're much more likely to eat it! Also, don't make "kid" food for your kid... have them eat what you eat & they'll be better, less picky eaters... and you'll be grateful in the long run!!!

Hi M....
You might try www.foodfortots.com for some ideas. I run a daycare and use it occasionally for "ideas" for nutritional meals. Good Luck.

C. M.Hamlin

I was given this cookbook "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food
by Jessica Seinfeld" by a friend because my kiddo's (twin 5yr olds) tried to live off cheese, peanut butter, dry cereal and crackers for a few months (I was able to get them to eat quick breads with pumpkin/zucchini and applesauce in them)
Several of the recipies I have tried are very good, though I finally fixed my girls fixation on those foods by not buying them for a while. The first few days were tough but they will now eat whatever is served to them (though we do still have a problem with some veggies)

Mom of 6 kiddo's Kyle 17, Krystle 14, Matt, 12, Tabbi 10, Elaina and Skyla 5
Married 10yrs to a wonderful man,

If you go to the library there are alot of different ones out there. I borrowed the Sugar free toddler one to get ideas on how to make popsicles and drinks for my daughter who is 2 and 10 months old. There is also one called Beyond macaroni and cheese.... If you are looking into buying one , I have seen alot of people getting the Deceptively Delicious series for their families to eat healthier.

A couple suggestions:
Deceptively Delicious
The Sneaky Chef
Dad's Own Cookbook (great for the novice cook!)

We like "The eat-clean diet for family and kids" It's by Tosca Reno. I just recently got the family & kids one. But we use her eat-clean diet one a lot. Great ideas for "natural and whole" foods. all the things we love to eat.