Meal Ideas? I feel like I must be missing something...

designer303

Okay so G is a very odd eater and everytime I have to make him a meal I dread it because I know half or more of the time he will reject what I make so I have been feeding him what I know he will eat (chicken nuggets) but I just can't anymore.  I need other options.  I have to pack him lunch and need dinner and I feel that my options have become so limited.  Here's the list of what DS won't eat:

cheese and all related cheese products, potatoes, pasta, certain chicken (depends on the day), most veggies (occasionaly I get lucky), avocado, pb sandwhich, pb & j sandwhich

What I can get him to eat: sweet potatoe fries, chicken nuggets, steak, brioche (no other bread), turkey burgers (only when freshly cooked), salmon, hot dogs, yogurt (sometimes) and berries.

Part of the propblem is most of the things G is willing to eat require a ton of prep and he actually is much less likely to eat things that have been pre-made and frozen except the aforementioned chicken nuggets.  I am also worried about him eating too much processed food- I buy all organic, but I still worry about sodium and just don't think it makes for a healty diet.  Sorry to ramble, but I need some easy ideas to try that aren't on his long list of no no's (as G calls them). 

moosebaby2011

If he'll eat turkey burgers do you think he'd also eat turkey meatloaf? I often put finely shredded veggies in mine (carrots and zucchini work well) to sneak in extra nutrients. You could make a bunch of mini sized ones and freeze them.

rockychryslerb2010

Mealtimes are still a struggle for us, with most meals ending with the food all over the ground for the dog and E being told he gets two chances to try something, then he is done.  But, I worried about fruits/veggies, so a few things that help us:

1. pouches - we still eat these, but we've moved on to the toddler purees, they are great, convenient and he finishes the pouch 95% of the time

2. smoothies - E also loves banana, so I do a banana / pb2 / greek yogurt / spinach or kale smoothie for me, and he usually shares it with me or gets his own cup with a few oz.  He thinks it is a milkshake and he sucks it down!

3. instant oatmeal, probably the most 'unhealthy' thing E eats, but he will eat an entire packet (flame away!)

4. lunches are leftovers or a PB&J sandwich - we eat a lot of lean meats and veggies for dinner, so he usually does OK with the leftover roasted veggies and meat

designer303

Thanks for the replies glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with this. I'm going to try the turkey meatloaf/ meatballs, but I am really tired of trying something just to make it and have it thrown on the floor. So if they end up on the floor I'm not cooking for him for a little while j/k. All of your suggestions were good it has just made me realize how picky G is being. No cereal (oatmeal or cream of wheat), no pancakes, no cheese, no cream cheese, no rice cakes, sometimes no eggs, no cottage cheese, no hummus, no peanut butter, no sandwhich of any sort, no squash, no real sweet potatoes (only in french fry form) or white potatoes...

He does eat pouches but that is also on my too much list I think if I let him he would eat cheerios, goldfish pouches (left up to him I think he would have 4 or 5 a day) and fruit with some chicken nuggets and maybe I should just be okay with that it just doesn't feel right nutrition wise to me and it also I feel like he has been systimatically eliminating things he eats a ton of, as he used to eat pretty much everything besides cheese. So I am a little worried that if I feed him too much of the things he is currently eating soon he won't be eating anything...

I just read this back and realized its just a crazy mommy rant, but thanks for listening sometimes I just wanna complain about stuff

Jmcmahon21

DS was eating different things well and is going through a picky stage too. I've heard a lot of it could be the age and they want to show some independence but who knows. I keep reading to keep offering and eventually they will eat a big variety but I too am sick of making things I think for sure he'll eat only to have him throw it on the ground! So frustrating!