Recipe books, web pages or ideas for non-mixed-up foods?

[systemsaddict]

My son refuses to eat foods that are 'mixed up' - anything in a sauce, anything which mixes vegetables and meat or mixing pasta and rice with anything. My cooking has always relied heavily on stir fries, curries, pasta bakes and I am SO BORED of just doing a plate of meat - raw veg chopped up - a carb. But anything more interesting leads to disaster.

Does anyone know of any resources or ideas for slightly more interesting non-mixed-up foods?

Could you think of his meals as 'picnics' so each food is in a separate package (or just separately on a plate). Or if he feels more grown up, then Tapas!

How old is he?

TBH this is very common, they do gradually grow out of it - I came to the conclusion that as what my DD wanted was easy, I'd just do that for her and then whatever DH and I wanted seperately.

Thinking back, the 'proper' meals DD first liked were trad roasts, she could decide where to put the gravy. And pizza

He's 4, GMM. (My 2 year old dd will eat anything!) Yes, roasts seem acceptable to him! that's a good idea actually as it would at least feel like a 'proper' meal. I was always so resistant to cooking 'kids' food, sigh!

My four year old is the same, he will break down and weep at "stewwwww!"

yes, issues around food touching are very common

ramekins holding each part of the meal really helped my child, so that for eg the gravy did not 'contaminate' the mash

I'll try ramekins - I wonder if he might eat mixed foods if they are presented in little sections like that, rather than in a lump on a plate.

LOL @ stewwwww - oh yes - mine will walk into the dining room and collapse wailing "but I don't like that!" simply at the sight of a very innocuous noodles-ham-and-and-peas dish (when he likes noodles, he likes ham, and he likes peas ...)

With roasts, you can do a lot of it plain but maybe have one or two fancier things he can try or not - interesting stuffing, veg gratin maybe.

Would he eat meat that's been marinaded - eg instead of curry do chicken tikka (not masala), naan, yog/chutney in ramekins

Marinades, yes, brilliant - he will eat foods with interesting flavours, it's the textures that seem more problem. That would at least address the boredom problem for me a bit!