If you have a 9 year old - what do they like to eat?

[birdsarecute45]

I am running out of ideas.

Simple, relatively healthy ideas gratefully received.

(He is also currently eager for me to mention to all of MN that he is a big fan of Minecraft).

I have a nine year old who also loves Minecraft!

Are you thinking dinners or snacks?
We make a lot of rice based dishes, our favourite is using left over roast chicken or ham in an egg fried rice dish with peas and sweetcorn and stuff.

Dinners - good eater, eats what we have
Snacks /lunches - wraps, English muffin oizzas, scrambled eggs and omelettes, macaroni cheese, snack plate like a nice version of lunchables, spread a wrap with nut butter, roll a banana up in it and cut into slices.

Any ideas for a seven year old who is a total grazer?!

to be honest i am looking for anything that I can get down him! He is teeny. Rice he likes so i can expand that. English muffin pizzas sounds really good.

7 year old grazer..... hmmm...... I do snack plates with cheese cubes and ham and sliced vegetables.

Minecraft is beyond me. I just tried to play it with him and only succeeded in blowing things up rather than building. Not sure how, and DS1 is frustrated at having to explain....

My ds is 10. He loves any pasta dish, any noodles dish, fajitas, prawns, scampi, chilli, sweet and sour chicken, casseroles and of course a roast!

Lunch he likes;
Bagels, pitta breads, soups, toasted sandwiches.

Breakfast
Pancakes, bagels, fruit loaf, bacon and eggs.

Pancakes!! Yum.

Bagekls I never even considered.

[writing notes]

Anything and everything mostly.
Pasta dishes are a hit. She also loves roast dinners, rice based dishes, salads.
The only things she's not really keen on are bread and potatoes.

Chicken tacos?
I make a marinade/rub from smoked paprika, cumin and a bit of oil. Let chicken breasts sit in that, then grill. Stick it on the table with refried beans, salsa (I make my own), guac (from the shop), lettuce, cheese. Shove in tacos.

courgette cakes - there's a Delia recipe and I serve with rice and peas. According to my veg dodging 9yo they don't taste "courgettey".

Pasta with sauce made with red onion, bacon, borlotti beans, chopped tomato and creme fraiche.

DS1 has ASD and is desperately fussy. He likes very very plain food, and I am tearing my hair out. he would eat plain pasta without anything on it (even cheese), carrot sticks and apples every day of his life and for every meal.

I worked hard for months to get him to eat cucumber. So my default has been to more or less just give him what he will eat. I think english muffins has a chance though. I might have to start with a muffin with plain butter then build up to toppings though.

I do not get it. I ate everything when I was growing up. I still eat literally everything.

(Sorry shoulkd have mentiuoned the fussy thing in the first post, but he was watching over my shoulder and objected mightily!!)

My Ds (7) also is autistic and loves minecraft, he started eating pork chops because of the game 😄

Pork chops?!

[eyes Minecraft again]

Also, tacos, burritos. Sushi. Hamburgers. Porridge. Stir fry. Pizza, obviously. Hot dogs. Mine love making their own salads, very simple usually just lettuce, tomato, cucumber. Fish and chips. Any kind of sandwich. Lots of fruit, obviously.

Hot dogs!

That is a go.

Sushi I thought would be a hit (rice based), but he vomited it back up onto the carpet like a furball.

I need to get him to start helping me in the ktichen though as I think that will assist. I can expand the fruit selection too i think. I have gotten into a bit of a rut I think.

I find we get in a rut too. Weeknight dinners are the bane of my life.

My 9 year old says Minecraft foods are : apple, pork chop,chicken,carrots,cake, cookie,mutton (who eats that?). But he also says an enchanted golden Apple gives you double health ,

pizza
chilli con carne
mac&cheese
pasta with tomato sauce
(fake) chicken nuggets
fish fingers

If she has her way, anything that starts with a P

Enchanted Golden Apple you say....

My DD of similar age eats these kinds of things for dinner: ham and cheese crepes, lasagne, chicken cordon bleu, tomato soup with grated cheese and toast on the side, sausages with mash/veg, hash browns/chips, noodles, rice, plain cous cous. Corn on the cob, carrots, broccoli, green beans. Nothing more adventurous for the veg. Can't really get her to eat sauces but found enough of a variety now that I dont worry too much, is annoying for eating out though.

My 8 year old loves Minecraft and I currently watching Stampy play it! As for eating he is extremely picky but will eat any amount of pasta and raspberry's down!

Macaroni cheese is high calorie and could be rebranded as minecrafteroni cheese??

Cubes of tofu for a block theme?! Smoked tofu from Waitrose is a hit with my 9yo.

Cashew nuts and other nuts are kinda plain but healthy. I put them in a stir fry or toasted with muesli/fruit.

Bagels and wraps. Falafel and humous wraps with raw carrot/cucumber are good.

DS is now 11, but his favourite meals have remained the same for a few years. Fajitas, chicken or salmon, tacos where you can build them yourself at the table, bacon and sausage carbonara, pork fried rice, spaghetti bolognese, chilli with nachos, chicken pad Thai, homemade tomato soup and crusty bread, tortilla pizzas with salad and chilli dogs.

The only thing she has ever not eaten was stir fry. She decided at about 3 she didn’t like it & only started eating it again last year. I’ve just asked her & her favourite dinners are: chicken korma, sausages, dauphinois potatoes & veg, beef casserole, sage, leek & bacon risotto, roast (any meat) & chicken wraps. My take on this is they’re all meals she helps cook so maybe get him involved in the making if possible.

good idea. We are having a chicken bake thing tonight. I even bought a 'flavour sachet' (if any The Castle fans are about) as if he thinks it is coming from a can or a packet it is better than anything i make from scratch!

Just chicken thighs with vegetables and rice. Fingers crossed.

he would eat plain pasta without anything on it (even cheese), carrot sticks and apples every day of his life and for every meal

i don't know why that is a problem. . Serve large portions of what he likes. Make other types of food available but optional. Job Done.

YES I HAVE A FUSSY child. Mine is almost 12 now. I don't let it stress me out. I swear MNers have the weirdest expectations.

No expectations here. Just asking for ideas.

actually.... a wrap with cream cheese and grated carrots has real possibilities!

[still making notes]