It’s time for a little tough love here.  Many people complain about what their kids won’t eat.   It’s difficult, I know.  It starts early when they’re toddlers and we’re afraid they’ll starve, so we give in to the food strike with mac and cheese, or hot dogs, or whatever the favorite du jour is.  When they get older they complain that they don’t like whatever we’ve cooked, and it becomes easier to just hit the drive through or warm up frozen food.***  Food Network’s Nigella Lawson has the same problem, and she writes cookbooks!  This just has to stop. 

Make Small Changes to Meals First

Eating well is a skill which has to be practiced to be mastered.   No, this does not mean I’m going to ask you to spend hours in the kitchen, but it does require some planning so that you have what you need.  Start simply by adding a veggie platter or a fresh fruit platter (yes, you can buy it premade, but it’s going to cost more). 

Cook Less, Serve More Food

Prepare an easy main dish like Simple Sautéed Chicken (or pork of fish or whatever is on sale) served with simple fruits and vegetables, and some good bread and olive oil,  and you’re on the way.  You can add sauces and new herbs as you please.  Note that we did not add potatoes or rice or pasta, simple carbs that distract from the better foods, use that time to steam an extra vegetable (ok, it’s fine here to use a frozen one).  But, if you do need a pasta?  Buy a large container and mix your regular pasta with a healthy one.  Over time, mix out the less healthy one.  Start with a blended pasta, not a whole wheat, for maximum acceptance.

Make Food Fun 

Try something new once a week as a family, and get everyone talking about what they do and don’t like about it.  This helps guide your future efforts.  I found out that my kids like ginger, but not paprika.  This works, because while they’re thoughtfully tasting it and forming opinions?  They’re eating.

***There is ongoing concern about frozen foods and salmonella.  Check out this video from NBC Nightly News.  Did you know that freezing does not kill salmonella, and that it continues to grow and multiply while it is freezing and thawing?