ideas for fussy teenager

[Cynthia32]

My teenage DD is at boarding school and whenever she comes home I try to make a lot of her favourite meals as I know she doesn't like a lot of what the school serves up! But it seems everytime she's home theres yet another thing she doesn't like! It gets quite tiresome to think up meals. She won't eat any meat except pork. She will eat some vegetables such as sweetcorn, carrot, broccoli, sprouts, potatoes, peas and tomatoes. She will eat pasta and rice. She eats lot of fruit so eating healthily isn't really a problem but its hard to think of meals that aren't pasta or rice based! I tried different pies but she didn't like the sauce so any ideas?!

Why dont you get her to email you her preferred food list in advance, so you can provide her with what her heart desires and no arguments?

Or give her a few cookery books and a wodge of cash

Why don't you ask her what she fancies. Get enough ideas for a couple of days, and when she's at home involve her in the menu planning, shopping and cooking.

Does she like spicy food? My dd likes vege chopped into small pieces and fried in a bit of oil with some spice, add a tin of drained green lentils and use to fill pastry cases (like mince pies). She is happy to eat this warm as part of a meal or cold as part of a lunchbox.

Veggie curry and chapati or naan bread instead of rice?

Veggie shepherd's pie?

Does she like things like chickpeas? If so, falafel are good with pitta and salad.

Fajitas? Fry up some vege: peppers, onions, small florets of brocolli, sweetcorn etc and add either some paprika, thyme and chilli or a sachet of fajita mix. Use to stuff tortilla wraps with cheese and soured cream and some salad.