Start Cooking!
What should I cook first?
There are so many inspiring food bloggers out there creating some seriously delicious and creative offerings for your kids. Just take a spin thru Pinterest, and down the rabbit hole you'll go chasing endless images of perfect lunch boxes, ooey gooey cheesy delights, and perfectly coifed cupcakes. I believe the paradox of choice can be paralyzing for some parents with picky eaters, and until you find your trusted sources, a Pinterest search for “Mac N Cheese” can leave you feeling rudderless in a sea of macaroni.
Yes, I believe your children can learn to enjoy salad if you take baby steps!
My recipe section has been designed to look “basic” for a reason: it’s not as much about the specific recipes as it is teaching a method that can be applied to any of your favorite recipe sources. I chose the most common childhood food favorites to start with - you’d be hard-pressed to find a picky child who couldn’t find at least one group on this list to serve as their starting point in the kitchen! Since I believe each child has a different level of comfort with homemade food, I intentionally chose categories that felt safe and accessible to even the most persnickety palate. Remember, building trust in the kitchen is key to starting off The Picky to Persuadable Method and kids who start off taking baby steps with their eating habits will naturally compound into more exciting and interesting choices in the future.
Each category has also been designed to encourage your family along their journey to expand their culinary curiousness with three versions of these simple recipe groups with graduated levels of adventure and complexity, yet still remaining child-centric and fun.
Guacamole three ways: "Start Here" "Work Towards" "Yummy and Unique!"
For example, when I was introducing avocados to my step kids, I started off with my "Brain Food" simple avocado spread (since avocado has so much good stuff for growing brains) which is a simple mixture of pureed avocado mixed with a tiny bit of mayo, lime, and salt spread thinly on the inside shell of a tortilla boat (my kids didn’t mind mayo, so this worked!). Once they began to accept that, I moved into my simple guacamole recipe which had chunks of avocado, lime, cilantro and a bit of minced onion. And finally, I made them my Pomegranate Cuties Guacamole with Cumin Spiced Chips which is so colorful, unexpected and really fun to make! My three kids grew to love “brain food” and now go at it with gusto (all the while talking about who’s brain is growing bigger!).
"Make your own taco" parties are a HUGE hit with picky eaters!
You'll be surprised what your kids will put on a pizza if they see a friend do it first!
Choosing meals that offer a natural “option” for your picky child will also be better received than a meal that comes complete with little choice for their plate. For example, starting off with a taco or a make-your-own pizza party where your child gets to choose the toppings is going to get a better review in the beginning from your small fry than putting a slab of lasagna in front of them that they can’t pick thru easily.
Kids have a natural tendency to prefer different food tastes separate from one another. My kids often wanted to try new tastes separately the first time around from the main dish, and since The Picky to Persuadable Method is based on mutual respect, I would put my picatta sauce on the side and let them take a pinky dip to describe the flavor to me first. Eventually, chicken picatta came out looking the same for my kids as it did for my husband and myself, but in the beginning, this helped put them at ease knowing that the chicken wasn’t going to be covered in a pool of some flavor they didn’t prefer at the moment.
Make your own pizza party!
I am a firm believer that kids' taste buds naturally adjust over time, hence my mantra of trying a new food 17 times before they can say "I don't like it", and nutritionists agree that the more often children are exposed to a new flavor, the quicker they can begin to discern their new taste preferences accurately.
Kids are more likely to try something new if a friend eats it first!
You and your family CAN do this!
Picked out some fun recipes to start with?
Learn how to get cooking with your small fries without losing your mind next!