What do you think of when I say the phrase “Good Dinner Ideas For Picky Eaters?” I imagine most of you are picturing picky children. If you’re like me, you have one or more children that are pickier than others. They aren’t into trendy foods, but rather seemingly simple things like chicken tenders and french fries (even though they turn their nose up at a perfectly good grilled chicken breast).
Top 10 meals to make for picky eaters
Got a fussy eater in the family? Here are Annabel’s Top 10 meals to make for picky eaters you can’t live without, including hidden veggie dishes, homemade fish fingers, and Annabel’s best burgers!
In need of even more dinner inspo? Download Annabel’s Baby & Toddler Recipe app today. It’s packed with easy mealtimes for every age and stage. You’ll never be stuck for mealtime idea again.
Chicken with Tomatoes & Orzo
The whole family can tuck to this Chicken with Tomatoes & Orzo recipe. Orzo is a great alternative to plain pasta and any fussy eaters out there will be intrigued to give it a try. If your family enjoy this hearty dish, next time try this easy store cupboard Tuna and Orzo Pasta recipe
Crispy Baked Cod With Sweet Potato Chips
Fish and chips can still very much be on the menu if you’re trying to put more healthy food on the family table – simply make a few tweaks so it’s less ‘naughty’ and more nutritious.
Chicken Balls with Tomato & Carrot Sauce
These delicious Chicken Balls with Tomato & Carrot Sauce is a simple and fresh dish packed full of flavour. A foolproof recipe packed with veggies that even the fussiest of eaters will enjoy! For another delicious recipe suitable for babies & up, try these Chicken Croquettes
Sweetcorn & Tomato Rainbow Fritters
This recipe for Sweetcorn & Tomato Rainbow Fritters is super easy. Simply add whichever seasonal vegetables you have to hand. A perfect finger food packed full of flavour! Discover many more fantastic Finger Food Recipe Ideas for Kids, Toddlers & Babies here!
Rainbow Pizza
Vegetables with rich, deep colour are an excellent source of antioxidants to keep the brain cells healthy. It’s easy to sneak veggies into spaghetti sauces, soups and on homemade pizzas, just like this colourful rainbow pizza! If your family love this recipe, next you could try these tasty Mini Puff Pastry Pizza
BEST RECIPES FOR PICKY EATERS
Feeding the family can be tricky when you’ve got picky palates gathered around the table. Whether you’re trying to sneak some vegetables into your meal or just hoping that dinner will get eaten, this collection of simple recipes will appeal to even the choosiest of eaters.
PENNE CASSEROLE WITH CHICKEN & BROCCOLI
“I don’t usually like casseroles, but I had most of the ingredients in the house so decided to try it. It was very, very good. I had some large chunks of good quality frozen broccoli, that I just added to the pasta the last five minutes of cooking, and it turned out perfectly. Used some fajita spiced store-bought chicken, which gave it a little kick.”
SKILLET FRANKS & BEANS
“We got nailed with 10 inches of snow and a pantry that was close to bare of anything my husband considers edible. Quick search on Food.com and found this recipe. It was fast, easy, tasty, child- and husband-friendly.”
EASY MACARONI & CHEESE
“I made this tonight for my two- and five-year-old, who are very picky when it comes to mac and cheese. They both loved it! I read that some added Old Bay to theirs, so I just sprinkled a bit on top of my own portion… Delicious!”
PIZZA MEATLOAF CUPS
“My kids and I really enjoyed these. I’m a dad that likes to experiment with the kids for Wednesday’s dinner. For a bit of a kick we added some green bell pepper, onions and some chopped up pepperoni for an extra bit of flavor.”
TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE
“Yum! I don’t like fish and so my poor family—who loves fish—never gets to eat it. I have always been able to tolerate a little tuna casserole though, and this was absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to experiment with different veggies too.”
HAMBURGER STROGANOFF
“Easy, tasty and inexpensive to make. You can add mushrooms or a dash of Worcestshire sauce. Went over well with the family and definitely will make again and often.”
LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN BREASTS
“My family devoured this! I flipped the chicken over when I added the rice and it was moist and delicious. Next time I’m adding capers.”
EASY BAKED COD
“My young kids loved this dinner. I cooked it probably closer to 17 minutes and served some creamy Caesar on the side as a dipping sauce to encourage the young ones to try it. They asked me to also make it the next night.”
LEMON CHICKEN MILANESE
“I was so pleasantly surprised by how great this tasted with the lemon juice squeezed over it! And it was so quick to make that I know I’ll be making it again. Followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing!”
TACO BELL QUESADILLAS
“This is my new ‘go-to’ quesadilla recipe. The sauce was fantastic. We really enjoyed this, my three-year-old couldn’t get enough and my husband (who is picky) actually requested them again—which never happens.”
30-MINUTE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
“We all had colds and I was looking for a good chicken soup to soothe the soul. This definitely did the trick! This soup is excellent! It’s quick, easy, tastes homemade, has a wonderful combination of flavors and fills the house with pleasant aromas.”
ULTIMATE NACHOS
“Quick to make and fun to eat. These nachos are delicious! The addition of sausage was new to us and something we really liked. I used a mixture of cheddar and hot Pepper Jack cheeses along with sliced black olives on top of the nachos.”
EASY AND DELICIOUS DINNER IDEAS FOR PICKY EATERS
If you are dealing with a picker eater, or picky EATERS, you’ve come to the right place! Here are 7 easy and delicious dinner ideas to please even the pickiest of palettes!
These main course recipes were selected based on the feedback I’ve received over the years, of my top recipes that have been enjoyed by even the finickiest of eaters!
FIRST, SOME WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT!
- Food battles can really wreak havoc on the family. Not only for the picky eater in question but for the person preparing the meals too!
- No one wants to spend countless hours shopping, cooking, and cleaning only to hear “Yuck!”, or “What’s That?” or “I don’t like this weird thing!”. Talk about deflating!
- But I recently heard a wonderful bit of advice on the Raising Good Humans Podcast a fantastic resource for parents BTW! You’ll love Dr. Aliza Pressman. So much great advice! And she did an episode on Tots To Teens How-To Deal With Picky Eaters and the guest expert said when dealing with food battles and presenting a new dinner you just say, “You can have as much or as little as you like of this”. And then just leave it like that!
- Talk about the weather, what everybody learned at school that day etc. Let them come to the new foods gradually and on their terms (taking a little or a lot) and I can honestly say from my own “picky eater” field notes this piece of advice is working!
- I also am a fan of the old piece of advice that claims you need to try something seven times before you can honestly say you don’t like something! My kids absolutely hated these Slow Cooker Tacos when I started making them, but I just kept serving them up and after about 7-8 times later they were hooked! So sometimes it just takes “normalizing” a dish to turn a picky eater around.
FOR THE ONE WHO ONLY EATS PASTA
- Get them outside their comfort zone, just a tiny bit, with my Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta Recipe.
- It’s kind of like pasta and tomato sauce (but better!) and creamy and decadent so there’s this comfort food factor.
- It uses basic pantry staples, so you can make it on a whim.
- And it allows you to sneak in some extra vegetables too!
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan and red pepper flakes on the side for added flavor and heat!
Sundried Tomato Pasta a Delicious Twist on Pesto Pasta