Parents who get into arguments around the dinner table are definitely not alone. Many people struggle with preparing healthy food that their kid will eat. The positive is that meal prepping helps.
Learning how to meal prep for picky eaters will prevent arguments and let them enjoy the variety of foods. With the right techniques and recipes, parents will get their picky-eating child eating healthy in no time.
Why Meal Prep Works With Picky Eaters
By prepping meals in advance parents can:
- Save their child from making spontaneous and unhealthy food choices
- Save their favorite food for later
- Get their children try new foods while still giving them what they want to eat
- Save money in the long run
- Have dinners prepared for the week that are easy to customize
Additionally, many experts believe that letting a child help with meal planning and prep is a good idea, since children are more likely to eat foods that they chose.
10 Easy Meal Prep Recipes Kids Will Eat
The following easy recipes are perfect for meal prepping and should be eaten by picky eaters.
1. Taco Bowls
Keep the following ingredients separate:
- Ground chicken or beef
- Rice
- Cheese
- Corn
- Lettuce
- Mild salsa
Children can mix and match the ingredients to make the taco bowl of their choice.
2. Mini Pizza Bagels
Put pizza sauce on bagel halves. Add the following on each half:
- Mozzarella
- Pepperoni
- Sweet corn
- Ham
- Bagels can be frozen and used for an easy lunch.
3. Chicken Nuggets Boxes
Baked chicken nuggets can be served with the following:
- Apple slices
- Cheese cubes
- Carrot sticks
- Ketchup or yogurt sauce
- Nuggets can be reheated for lunch.
4. Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Warm tortillas and add the following:
- Scrambled eggs
- Cheese
- Turkey sausage
- Mild potatoes
- Breakfast Burritos can be frozen.
5. Mac and Cheese with Hidden Veggies
The following can be added into the cheese sauce:
- Steamed cauliflower or butternut squash
- Mac and cheese will still taste the same, but it will be more healthy.
6. Cheese Quesadilla Packs
The following ingredient can be used to make cheese quesadillas:
- Cheese
- Chicken (optional)
- Black beans (optional)
- Quesadillas can be stored separately and reheated when needed.
7. Bento Snack Boxes
The following ingredients can be placed in bento boxes:
- Crackers
- Cheese cubes
- Turkey slices
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Cucumber slices
8. Pasta Lunch Boxes
Make pasta ahead of time, and add the following:
- Parmesan cheese
- Meatballs
- Butter
- Chicken strips
This lets children make their own lunch.
9. Turkey Meatball Muffins
Baked turkey meatball muffins can be served with the following:
- Mashed potatoes
- Rice
- Pasta
- Dipping sauce
These muffins can be frozen for later use.
10. Banana Oat Pancakes
The following items should be mixed together:
- Bananas
- Oats
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
Make sure pancakes are fully cooked and frozen. Toast pancakes to enjoy them as a breakfast or snack.
Foods That Can Be Frozen
Some foods should be frozen while others shouldn’t. Foods that kids eat are the following:
- Pancakes and waffles
- Chicken nuggets
- Meatballs
- Burritos
- Pasta sauces
- Muffins
- Mini pizzas
- Rice (cooked)
- Shredded chicken
Always make sure to label the foods for reference.
Tips for Encouraging Kids to Try New Foods
Meal prepping should also involve healthy eating. The following are helpful tips for getting kids to try new foods.
- Don’t force a child to eat
- Let them be picky
- Offer new foods over and over again until they try it
- Eat the same foods together
- Don’t encourage your children to clean their plates, but praise their curiosity
- Serve your children really small portions of food that they haven’t tried
- Praise your children for trying new food instead of encouraging them to clean their plates
Studies have shown that persistence, without pressure, helps kids overcome picky eating.
Common Meal Prep Mistakes Parents Make
The following are some of the mistakes that parents make when meal prepping:
Making only child food
Children like to see their parents eat healthy food, even if they don’t eat it themselves
Making large amounts of food that your children don’t like
Testing out recipes before making big batches helps you know what your child likes before making large amounts of it
Mixing ingredients together
Some picky eaters prefer seeing ingredients separate from each other instead of mixed together
Expecting your children to adjust their eating habits right away
It is important to give your children time to adjust their eating habits
Avoiding foods your children like altogether
Healthy foods should be introduced slowly while making sure your children always have their “safe” foods on hand in case they aren’t fond of the healthy foods
A Simple Weekly Meal Prep
New parents who want to know how to meal prep have to be able to start small. Baking chicken nuggets, cooking the rice, getting the pasta, washing the fruit, chopping the vegetables, getting the pancake batter ready, and portioning the snacks on the Sunday are all an excellent start. Throughout the week, you can then combine them in different ways to make meals for the child. The methods and recipes above should help you with meal prepping picky eaters. It is also important to keep in mind that you do not have to always go all out when attempting to have the child learn about healthy eating habits. Letting the kids decide will allow them to have better eating habits permanently.
Final Thoughts
Recreational meal prep for picky eaters is an art that doesn’t require parents to force children to clean their plates or stop them from stealing snacks. Remember that kids will grow out of picky eating so empower them to have control of their food and try to remind them of a healthy diet.
How to meal prep for picky eaters is a relatively easy task to learn which does however require some patience and once learned will provide the comfort that your child will always have healthy eating habits regardless of phase they go through.
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