What’s the healthiest thing your young DC will willingly eat?

[monkeymamma]

I just feel a bit stuck really.

Neither DS will eat: lentils, chickpeas or beans
Cooked spinach (eldest will nibble it raw)
Vegetables other than carrots or broccoli (occasionally peas)
Blueberries or avocado
Salmon (unless smoked)

They love cheese, ham, mash, pasta, rice, korma curry (but I’m very bored of chicken curry and plain veg curry!), bolognaise, macaroni and fish fingers. Oh and pizza of course. Chicken is acceptable to them (but literally my least favourite foodstuff!)

I’m trying to wean them off too much ham/sausage/processed stuff but I don’t know what to give them instead?

What’s the healthiest thing I can give them given the above restrictions?

Yours eat really well compared to mine!

But we were also trying to get our dc to eat less processed meat. They like meatballs which I make using mince (beef or turkey) mixed with ground almonds/egg/herbs/spices.

Homemade fish fingers using crushed cornflakes?

Do they like cucumber? Might they like homemade 'sushi' (sushi rice rolled up with cucumber/tuna) and soy sauce?

Sweet potato wedges are always a hit here. And DS1 will eat frittata with peppers/onion/peas/sweet corn in it.

How old?
I think OP is asking only about evening meal, not other meals.
spinach, Broccoli & carrots with mash is a decent meal. Every night if that's what they will eat. To me this is uncomplicated.

Beef stew - I've got a fresh one on my stove now.

If you've got veggie dodging kids then chop onion and garlic finely and fry in crock, pulverize carrots/celery in a blender on the shredding side (or Hand grate) and add to pot.
Fry for few mins and add stewing beef.
After couple mins add 1 tsp cinnamon and stir in.
Finally add 1 can tomato purée and 500ml beef stock.
Bring to boil, turn down to simmer, Cover and leave for 2 hours. Remove lid for second hour.

I serve it over cauliflower rice and they don't know the difference. That being said DS2 is getting much better at eating veg.

I'm of the mind that I know what my DC definitely like, but will keep serving other stuff and they can either come round to it or leave it.

I found that for my DC cutting back on snacking made them a little bit more open minded to trying other and new foods.

I do find fussy eaters a nuisance and I should try and be less intolerant.

have you tried things like mange tout? Mine like them raw along with raw carrot sticks.

personally I hate lentils and avocado, so can't get excited about those.
I gave mine peices of whole battered/breaded fish rather than fish fingers, as the fish inside is still one peice of fillet, rather than mush.

You don't mention any other meat, eg beef/pork.
I found stirfries with strips of beef/pork, and a small amount of tasty sauce worked too

Mine like homemade meatballs too but not sure how healthy they are really? I often mix a spoon of pesto into the meat beforehand making into balls and a little piece of mozzarella in the middle.
Two of mine also like homemade fajitas or tacos with guacamole (no chilli in my guacamole) the third one will not eat the guacamole.
Sometimes in the summer I make what we call a tapas board - could be anything on it but for example, cooked prawns, sliced up red peppers, pita and hummus, sliced avocado, smoked salmon, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs sliced, I usually have a bowl of penne with pesto too and sometimes bread rolls, they all love this when we have it, maybe cause they get to pick and choose

Eldest (9) loves most fruit and veg and is obsessed about getting more than 5 a day
(He also loves steak pie, pizza and chocolate so a good balance I think)

Youngest (2) is more fickle he loves strong tastes but is hit and miss over fruit and veg
If he's having a fussy week he will eat vegetable soup, olives, gherkins, satsumas(but only whilst sitting in the trolley going round the supermarket) and dried apricots
He's also loving carrots at the moment and is good with beans & pulses especially in a tomato sauce with lots of garlic.

Mine too like homemade meatballs, although there isn’t a meat mine won’t eat. They like most veg. And my DS like most of the tropical fuits, mango, pineapple, kiwi, watermelon etc. I just try an array of different things, try some similar foods but change up the sides etc. Mine both love bulgar wheeat. If you use foods they like but just add s5uff you wouldn’t usually. I find it usually works and they they end up liking something new

Could try them with omelettes. Plenty of scope to add veg!

My DD also used to like tuna pasta. Just tinned tuna mixed with mayo, and added to pasta and sweetcorn.

I find the problem is when some of your DC will eat something but another DC won’t, you feel less inclined to make it and just end up with the less healthy thing they’ll all way because it’s so tedious having the same discussion every day!

*they’ll all eat

Those two veg will do it, no need for out of season watery muck. Don't make work!

What about making a lentil curry? I cook up red lentils till they are mush, add some stock, chopped (or blended) veg and spice - would they know the difference?

My 11 month old loves tuna frittata. I lace it with chopped onions, garlic, peppers and sweet corn! She loves it and wolfs it down.
Mix with a couple of eggs and whole milk, even a sprinkle of cheese x

I have always offered stuff they aren't keen on, tiny bit for the one who doesn't like it.
After a while they do accept stuff, and in the long run may even like it, I kept it low key - everyone has a little bit, and then ignore if it has been sampled or not, as eventually it probably will be.

Mine like raw veg (peppers, carrots, cucumber, lettuce etc) but aren't so keen on cooked. They do love kale (but only if it's roasted in the oven with olive oil and salt so not sure quite how healthy that is after all)

They'll eat all eggs, meat and fish and especially love squid (I make a quick paella regularly with frozen baby squid and they fight over who gets the most tentacles).

None of them used to eat chickpeas or cannellini beans but I kept putting them in things and now they dont pick them out.

Still can't get them to eat avocado, aubergine or courgette though. Or cheese (unless on pizza).

My dd adores avocado, but won't eat cucumber or tomatoes.

Mine love cucumber, tomatoes & olives. That's their standard side for sandwiches etc! They also love peas, sweetcorn, broccoli and pretty much all fruit. DC1 eats most vegetables, DC2 is more into fruit.

The only thing my 6 year old won't eat is mushrooms. His grandad has an allotment so he's regularly chomping from there. He loves fruit and veg. Not something we've pushed on him (def not bragging out part) He just loves food / eating. He's skinny as a rake too.

I was insanely lucky. My kids ate everything and anything. Oysters, mussels, artichokes, asparagus, you name it. It was a hoot. Actually, my 20 year old son won't touch lettuce. Yet he eats everything else under the son. Kids are weird.

Thanks so much for comments! My ‘don’ts’ list was really incomplete!
They eschew all ‘orange’ veg (other than carrot) with a special dislike of butternut and sweet pot (my favourite foods basically).
DS1 refuses any egg that seems ‘scrambled’ so frittata and omelette are both out (he only eats egg whites, like some kind of clean eating lifestyle blogger ffs)
Ds2 refuses any kind of meat other than ham and chicken (and the fish in fish fingers).
They both hate risotto (which I love).
DH is away next week so it will be just me and the little uns. I really can’t think of food that’s interesting enough for me that they will actually eat! I don’t want to do separate meals as I’ll have no help with washing up!
They are 3 and 6.
Tapas night sounds good though!

I am really lucky with mine. they eat quite healthily. I tried to do things right from the start, but that was no guarantee that it would work.
you can do everything right and they still hate veg. (ditto sleep, behaviour, doing well at school etc. )

they have phases where they do not like stuff. they have veg they do not like. but overall they eat a range. I stop worrying about the stuff they do not eat and worry about the stuff they do.

ie you can do everything right with sleep and they still do not sleep.
(as mine has proved tonight. )

Fish

Sweet potatoes.