School starts on Monday and I break out into a cold sweat just thinking about it. No--not the endless forms to fill out, academic challenges or the bus schedule--it's the meals!
Let me explain.
(Some may be envious and lack sympathy, but I assure you it is my own private H-E-double hockey sticks!)
My son eats EVERYTHING. The thing is, once he's "had it" he's DONE with it.
I had a good run going with microwave bacon for a few weeks last year (not every day)--he'd have a few strips for breakfast, maybe a cold bacon sandwich for lunch. Sigh. It's over. Along with pancakes, waffles, cereal (ALL cereal), toast, eggs, smoothies (I miss them), sandwiches (except elaborate Dagwood-types)....He will use a thermos for warm things like BBQ meatballs, soups, etc.
Breakfast and lunch are torment for me.
The kid is constantly on a quest for NEW and DIFFERENT foods.
So...I ask you: What's the weirdest breakfast & lunch your kid(s) eat? The most 'different"? The most "unique"?
I REALLY need NEW ideas.
He's 8.
Thanks in advance.
We're "over" Carnation Instant breakfasts now, but I love the crepe idea.. And yes, he will take cold pizza--even might have a slice for breakfast!
In desperation, I let him pick out about 5 Michelina's Lean Gourmet entrees and I thought I can always nuke one & put in Thermos in a pinch, right.
Oh--and he likes clam chowder & cream of mushroom, broccoli, potato soups...
My daughter loves noodles... No spaghetti sauce though... She likes them with cinnamon, (or cinnamon and sugar), parmesan cheese, or salt. She does not care the type of noodles (so whole grain or not, it makes no difference to her.) She is also totally happy to eat them plain. :)
Toast with cinnamon is also a go....
(Mine, as you may guess, has the opposite problem... Does not try new things.... She eats a ton of noodles!)
My son will pretty much eat anything for breakfast. The O. that grosses me out the most is lunchables Boloni and cheese. For lunch could he buy at school? That way he is getting something different.
This probablly doesn't help you much... but my 4 yr old doesn't like breakfast food ( except an occassional pop tart or dry toast) He eats lettuce, no dressing, nothing on it. He will sit down and eat a head of lettuce. Tomatoes ( like eating an apple) raw carrots. cottage cheese. grapes. strawberries. Pretty much other than cottage cheese and sometimes string cheese he prefers raw veggies and sometimes fruit... but his favorite food is lettuce!
White rice (sweetened) and peanut butter. -delicious! seriously.
Flavored cream cheese between 2 mini pancakes sandwiches
Oatmeal with peanut butter (it melts right in)
Those are our 3 "different", things. Other than that, we are very basic.
My daughter is the SAME when it comes to food and she's only 21 months old!! She loves variety and gets bored easily so I have to change it up regularly. Lately she's been digging:
Greek yogurt
Guacamole with baby carrots for dipping
Frozen blueberries (these are messy but delicious)
Red beans and rice with sausage - Zattarans (or however you spell that)
Asparagus or any green steamed veggie
Pulled pork/ribs
Luckily she still loves smoothies which we do every morning with Kale or spinach, coconut water, mango and strawberries. My daughter isn't a big fan but my husband loves when I make him this smoothie: Frozen banana, milk, scoop of peanut butter and a scoop of nutella (or just use chocolate milk instead.) It is soooo good.
Good luck and I can't wait to see him on Top Chef in 15 years!!
I actually don't care what they eat for breakfast so long as they are no longer hungry. I have found them eating left over BBQ, they have made pasta, ice cream, chips, oh left over pizza (yum), wedding cake, rice, tacos, I am really trying to remember everything. Pick what you want, I am used to it so it has become normal.
Oh yeah, Gen was carving a roast once. Cheese.
Sometimes even cereal and the like.
My son's new favorite lunch is peanut butter and kiwi sandwiches.
Last night's dinner leftovers are a favorite. Can of beefaroni or spaghetteos, any kind of soup, french fries and slices fruit.....
Nobody eats much cereal, and the only time I make a nice traditional breakfast is the weekends. We leave the house on a school day at 6:55, bleck.
Honestly, I've even given them ice cream or pretzels in a pinch, just to get something in their guts.
Lunch and dinner a WHOLE different story!
:)
Try some mascarpone, it's the italian sweet cheese that's in tiramisu. My son loves bagels with mascarpone and jam. Also waffles with mascarpone and jam on top.
Does he like cheese? You could start trying different kinds of cheese - like Havarti or Muenster - for either cheese eggs or sandwiches (grilled cheese, ham/cheese, etc.). Maybe also try different kinds of meats for the sandwiches - pastrami, black forest ham, etc.
I buy the yogurt in a tube and freeze it. My son will eat these for breakfast. Not really that "different" but he likes to tell me he's eating ice cream for breakfast.
Have you tried quesadillas and burritos? They're some of our favorites, morning and night.
My son loves eggplant parmesan for breakfast (microwav)
Huh. Lets separate this out for a moment, I forget that people think a lot of what we eat is weird. These are all "easy" (aka I buy a lot of them frozen and zap them, or make ahead of time and freeze, or they take under 5 minutes to make), and my wacky son will eat for EITHER breakfast or lunch. ((Which is actually my biggest "cheat". I'm fond of dinner leftovers for either breakfast or lunch)). Like your son we go on "kicks"
American(ish):
- PB&J (Smuckers frozen type) dipped in egg and pan fried
- Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Potato Chips AND cottage cheese (chips as spoons)
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Chopped Salad
- Asian Salad (im me for the easiest asian dressing recipe ever, costs $4 to make $60 worth of dressing bought in a bottle)
((For "real" salads... we have a 'fit n fresh' container that has the salad on the bottom and a little cup thing to put dressing in as part of the lid. Twist the cup, dressing falls out, then shake shake shake. Open. Eat with fork that is kept in the top part of the lid))
- Waldorf Salad
- Devilled Eggs
- Frozen meal of nearly ANY variety
- Real Chicken Nuggets
- Quorn Chik'n Nuggets
- TOASTED Ham'n'swiss (only toasted)
- Toasted Ham'n'swiss Croissant
- Quiche (LEFTOVER or... I make "quiche muffins" when I make Quiche... just pour into big muffin tin, cook, then freeze)
Japanese:
- Udon
- Inari
- Gyoza
- Onigiri (rice ball stuffed w/ smoked salmon or sour plum or ______ anything really_____, w/ a nori square wrapped around it to "hold")
- Miso Soup
- Somen Noodle Salad
Chinese
- Hum Bao
- Shu Mai
- Fried Rice
Orange Chicken
Vietnamese
- V sammie (roast pork, chicken or beef...leftovers work great, with onion and cillantro)
Thai
- Phad Thai
- Phad Sie iew
Greek
- Gyros
- Hummus & Greek Pita
- Honey Yogurt
Cuban
- Cuban Sammies
I REALLY can't stress leftovers strongly enough. We do leftovers a LOT in our house.
My 3 year old wanted hot dogs and beans for breakfast the other day. Too early for me, but I made it for her.
How about casserole-like stuff? Look on the stuffing box for recipes? Or maybe noodles? Then you could just give him different configurations of chicken-noodle-vegetable for a couple weeks. It's pretty cute, he's a foodie. :)
Bacon and peanut butter sandwiches. YUM!
My son is 8 also, he loves it when I do Yogurt in his Thermos, pistachios (shelled), banana, chips (any) and my homemade pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. He'd eat this every day if I sent it. Kids have strange ways about learning what foods they like and dislike:)
have you checked parents.com? you can sign up for their newsletters and the past few weeks they have had a ton of back to school breakfast and lunch ideas. check it out!
Like Rachel, mine eats leftovers...spaghetti, chicken, fajitas, salad, chili, tacos, whatever is in the refrigerator that is not typical breakfast food. Some just don't like breakfast foods.
A few ideas:
Instant Breakfast. It's a breakfast drink that comes in several flavors.
Crepes. You can buy pre-made ones at the market and fill them with all sorts of things, from fruits to meats.
English muffins with peanut butter
Our son is big on cheese pizza right now, so I've been sending him to school with cold leftover pizza. He has the opposite problem and will only eat a very, very small list of foods, but this O. has been a winner this week.
You might also try wraps and yogurts for lunch.
Good luck!
For breakfast, we eat GORP ("good old raisins and peanuts"), cashews, almonds, and berries or whatever fruit is in season. We drink milk, never juice. If we had a good meal the night before, we eat leftovers (chicken, green beans, etc.)
Others think it's weird but I don't think it's weird at all. My sisters can't believe I've not walked down the cereal aisle at the grocery store for several years now.
Lunches are a different story. I guess I'll learn when we start packing for school! Looking forward to seeing folks' answers.
Not sure if anything here is "weird" but this site has alot of great ideas in general for meals in general for kids and families..mostly using non packaged "real" foods...and they are easy to do (mostly from what I have seen).
Just another resource!
Good luck!
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/26/real-food-tip...
frozen Waffles with Ketchup.. while the waffle was still frozen...
My son would rather eat leftovers for breakfast than typical breakfast foods. He likes to eat anything from lo mein to meatballs for breakfast. I just am happy to get him to eat something for breakfast!
This is like the opposite of my picky breakfast question, but I'm sure it takes just as much creativity.
My son has eaten for breakfast:
Spinach- cooked or raw. He had it plain but I'd want quiche or an omelet.
Tortilla chips- they're almost a cereal.
Cooked apples with bacon drippings
Cottage cheese with whipped cream and colored sprinkles
Unusual fruits like pomegranate, starfruit, kiwi
Couscous with brown sugar
Banana slices with agave nectar
Breakfast burritos - not "unique" but O. of the things we do....
I've "baked" the french toast so they could eat it like cinnamon bread...
cinnamon bread
Yogurt with Wheaties mixed in
Bananas with chocolate chips (I know, i know!!)
English muffins with an egg on top
Sausage biscuits
sausage and egg mcmuffin (home made of course)
Your son sounds just like ME...I crave variety in my food.
Except when it comes to Tea and Toast, but there are endless teas and bread to choose from too.
I definitely rotate through the regions or the cultures.
Breakfast:
Homemade buttermilk oatmeal pancakes with sausages
Fry bread...meaning toast buttered and heated in the pan....the BEST.
Scrambled eggs with ham and cheese; or mushrooms and spinach and cheese, or just cheese, or just plain
Oatmeal with a variety of toppings...my kids usually want it simple, butter and brown sugar. I prefer peaches or apples or raisins with cinnamon.
Bacon, broiled in the oven on high for 15 minutes, turns out better than me cooking in the pan. Served with cereals.
Lunches are:
Rice and seaweed with a grilled meat (leftover)
Frozen chicken pot pies
Leftovers from dinner (lots of Korean, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian)
Pizza
Costco sushi
Bean and cheese burritos
Tuna sandwich for my daughter, not for my son.
Frozen meals, like linguini, for my son.
Progresso soups and biscuits or rolls
BBQd pork ribs
Happy cooking girlfriend!!
Breakfast muffins (egg, bacon, veggie, cheese, etc). Upside down pizza (its a pizza ingredient casserole where the crust is on top). Banana boats (halved bananas, any yummy ingredients (fruit, peanut/other butters, etc), toppings (jelly, whipped cream). Homemade cereal bars (marshmallows, pecans, coconut, corn chex). Pudding parfaits (using paper cups, layer crushed cookies or cereal and pudding mixed with yogurt, chill until set).
I will eat anything for any meal. I like tater tots [potato puffs], french fries and the hash brown patties with Hormel [or other brands] chili with beans or without beans, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Velveeta shells & cheese spiced up with some taco seasoning, tomato sauce and hamburger or turkey burger. Banana Raisin cookie bar has no sugar added. Pizza bites are pizza dough with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni baked inside with italian seasoning sprinkled on top. Add sauce on the side for dipping. Ramen noodles with 1/2 the seasoning packet and steamed frozen veggies added. I just ate a sub roll with pepperoni, provolone cheese, parmesan cheese and some pizza sauce for breakfast today. My kids prefer just about any fruit and grain cereal bars or granola bars for breakfast because sometimes they are in a hurry. Peanut butter and any flavor jelly on bread, toast, bagels, biscuits or tortillas. They will also add sliced bananas to that. They like breakfast burritos that have been made, frozen and easy to reheat and eat while getting ready. Of course they always love left over pizza and stromboli.
