Recipes For A Picky 13 Year Old? Help?

[AutumnMist]

My niece is coming to visit me for two weeks, starting on Tuesday. I am so excited! The problem being is that she is a very picky eater. No green anything (salad even gags her) and she is basically a french fry and nugget girl. Well why thats all fine and dandy where she is coming from...we don't cook like that here. :) Not that we are always wonderful in the healthy department when it comes to food. But I am not going to eat nuggets and fries for two weeks. LOL. Any kid friendly recipes you can share with me? She likes chicken I know that much. Thank you in advance!:popcorn:

[MrScorpio]

1. A make your own shit recipe

There's 10 dollars and the door.

[AutumnMist]

4. LOL~

n/t

[ret5hd]

9. HAH! Excellent idea...

my wife gives me that recipe everytime i want something non-vegetarian.

[MissB]

18. It may have been tongue in cheek advice,

but you're right on. I wouldn't accomodate someone to that extent. If they want to fill their body with crappy food, they can do it in their own home.

I'd make sure I had enough of whatever I was serving, and if they choose not to eat it, tough shit.

[RC]

2. Macaroni & cheese

[AutumnMist]

7. Thank you

our toddler loves mac and cheese. I don't why I didn't think of that. I think the paint fumes have gotten to me from this weekends remodeling project. ;)

[RC]

33. One of my kids was/is a picky eater and

Mac&Cheese can be spiced up with just about anything. Don't forget the catchup.

[RPM]

3. JVS's recipies for placenta

...

[coffeenap]

5. Smoothies? Makes a great breakfast! --wait--

have her make them herself--and clean up!!;-)

[DS1]

6. F that

Put food out. It will be eaten. Eventually.

[SarahB]

10. I'd go with that.

With my brood, they are all never pleased 100% of the time. I try to keep within limits (usually forgoing the vindaloo, for instance), but if they start getting whiny, it's time for "Ok, then make yourself a peanut butter sandwich." ;D

[AutumnMist]

11. Well This Is Very true

I guess we all get hungry enough. But just wanted to make her feel special for a few weeks. I don't get to spend much time with her, we are on opposite sides of the U.S.. I don't mind spoiling her from time to time.

[MissB]

19. If she's there for a few weeks,

then choose one day a week to spoil her. Not the whole few weeks.

[AutumnMist]

26. Well It Wont Be Total

spoiling time for her. Hence the lack of nuggets and fries. I just dont cook for anyone outside of us and our four year old. LOL. So I wasnt sure if their were any new recipes that I could cook for the whole family when she was here. I was looking for recipes more than any new ways of spoiling a child. LOL. I am sure we will work it out. Thanks again!

[BattyDem]

8. Recipes for kids and picky eaters ...

http://kids.cdkitchen.com/

Maybe this site will give you some ideas. :-)

On edit: They have a whole section for chicken!
http://kids.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/283/0.shtml

[ghostsofgiants]

12. Sounds a lot like me

There's a lot of different ways you could prepare chicken that she'd probably like. Baked potatoes are probably a good bet. Pasta. Tacos. Barbecue maybe, whether it be steak or hot dogs and hamburgers.

[AutumnMist]

13. Thanks!

:). BBQ I think is going to be our best bet. Plus the weathers nice and we can build a fire outside and she can roast marshmallows with us after dinner. Thanks again!

[ghostsofgiants]

15. Sounds like fun

And you're quite welcome. :)

[tjdee]

14. Fruit instead of veggies...and most other things will work.

If you've only got her for two weeks, I think fruit is going to work for the "healthy" thing, LOL!

Dinner is the hardest for picky eaters (for mine, anyway)--mine will eat corn on the cob (but not regular corn), she likes frittatas, omelettes with home fries and fruit... grilled cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers, hamburger helper, pork chops, baked chicken, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, rice...

And the holy grail of foods...pizza.

Lots and lots of fruit, LOL. And if she doesn't like what you're having, you can always provide the cereal/pb&j option.

[SOteric]

16. At 13 she can shop and do some of her own cooking.

Take her to the supermarket on one of her first few days of the visit and have her choose some easy to prepare items that she might enjoy for meals.

And have plenty of chicken soup and grilled cheese sammiches handy, just in case.

[SarahB]

20. Excellent idea.

You could make it into a project and allow her a part of the decisions. Have her look into some recipes and participate in the prep work. :thumbsup:

[AutumnMist]

22. Great Idea!

I think I will do that right after she gets here. She can pick out things we can cook together and that she can cook on her own.

[Obamarama]

17. Call her and ask her what she likes!

Seriously - I did this when one of my nephews came for a two week visit. Call her and ask her - not her mom or dad. I was going to go out and do some grocery shopping before he arrived and had no idea what I should buy.

So, I called him and asked him what he liked. I ended up changing about half my list and there were no "I don't like that" incidents at meal time when we ate in. Plus, he appreciated the fact that I called and asked him instead of his mom (my sister).

[AutumnMist]

24. Thank you!

Makes sense and I am sure she would love the phone call.

[maveric]

21. Sloppy Joes. Kids love Sloppy Joes.

I love em too. When my kids were in a picky mood and couldnt agree on what Dad should cook for dinner, Sloppy Joes and Tater Tots always were always a crowd-pleaser.

[snacker]

23. Quesadillas (sp?)

She can have plain cheese, add chicken or whatever else she might like, AND you can put whatever you like on yours. Quick and easy.

[yewberry]

25. I was going to say something similar: tostadas.

The ultimate build-your-own dinner, pleases even the most diverse group: my family.

[AutumnMist]

27. I LOVE

Tostadas! :) I am sure she will as well.

[yewberry]

28. Yay!

How can someone NOT like tostadas? You only put what you want on them!

[Midlodemocrat]

35. That is a great idea. I bought one of those Santa Fe quesadilla

makers and my kids adore them. 15, 13, 9. They get their choice of toppings, meats, cheeses, etc.
Very easy and very quick to clean up.

[Catchawave]

29. Take her grocery shopping and let her

help plan the menus ! Grilled stuff is great too.

All my picky children loved spaghetti :)

[MissMillie]

30. hot dog hash

easy as you can get

in a skillet, cook up some garlic and onion in some butter. Add one bag of frozen hash browns (cubed potatoes) and 6 hot dogs (cut up)

don't forget the salt and pepper. (I add parsley for just a little color)

[Rabrrrrrr]

31. Rabrrrrrr's house rules:

Whatever you're allergic to, we leave out, that's fine.

Beyond allergies, you get to pick one food you don't want to see at all (for me, it's green peppers, can't stand the smell or the taste, even the smell of them being cut, so I understand and allow people to have one item that's an automatic no go). You will not see that food at all. I will even allow you a couple other things to take off - such as hot peppers, mushrooms, raw fish, the things that many people don't like. I can live with that.

Beyond that, what I put in front of you is the only food you will see, except snack time - but if you don't eat at meal time, you don't get any snacks.

I happily and gladly cook for you - I love to do it! That's the whole reason for having company!

But if you're gonna be a picky little bitch, especially kids, I ain't adjusting. Fact is, it is by grace that you are here, and while I cook you whatever you want, I also will not cook you entirely different meals, and there is NO WAY in hell that I'm living on shit all week just because you will only eat chicken fingers and fries and mac and cheese and apples. Too fucking bad. You stay here, you eat my food, or you go hungry. The choice, as they say, is entirely yours. And if you starve, it ain't my fault, because every meal I will put out more food than we can eat.

[Rabrrrrrr]

38. I didn't mean this as pissy as it sounds

I'd also be willing to entertain what she/he (any small guest child) likes.

I'd also take this opprtunity - since I am a LOVER of food - to teach the kid how to eat and how to appreciate food, how to taste it, how to enjoy food and what to look for/taste for, how it works and blends together, and how it's put together. And I'll bend over backwards to make sure to use their favorite stuff as much as I can.



But, if the kid won't show any interest in that, then fuck 'em. They eat what I eat, or they don't eat.

When kids are that picky, it's the fuckin' parents fault for not training the kids properly. I will happily provide the training that child needs.

I've known adults who's parents never bothered to train them, and they still live on catsup, mac and cheese, hot dogs, and other shit because "nothing else tastes good" and is too scary for them to contemplate eating.

[Pharlo]

39. LOL...Ok Rabrrrrrr,

My Mother's short, succint version of those two posts was the old standby:

"This is not a restaurant, and I am not a short order cook. And you are not leaving the table until you eat every bite."

And if we didn't eat it we sat there until it was time for bed, and it was still there in the morning for breakfast.

[xmas74]

32. buy some breadcrumbs and use the spices in your house.

Take boneless, skinless chicken strips (unbreaded) and dip in a beaten egg. Then roll in breadcrumbs and spices mix and bake until no longer pink.
Have her help you. Chances are she has never helped cook before.

Another idea is to tell her to look over your cookbooks or log online to a recipe site and have her plan an entire meal. Tell her what has to be served at the meal (a main course, a side dish, veggies, fruit, grain, drink-even a dessert). Tell her that she will help make the meal also and help do the grocery shopping for it.
Maybe if she feels that she is overall controlling the menu (w/ some advice from you) she will pick better options. And it would be a good activity for her to do.
It might be something that she ends up taking home w/ her and trying tere.

[youthere]

34. Try this link:

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/tool/pickyeater_tlp/

It's the "Picky Eater Problem Solver"

You can type in what your kids like or don't like by ingredient and you'll get a list of kid friendly recipes. I use it all the time. Good luck and enjoy the visit!

On edit: Also Sandwiches are always easy and adaptable like grilled cheese, or grilled pb&J.

[Midlodemocrat]

36. I would also take her grocery shopping.

Let her look at some of the fresh fish, meats, etc. and pick out something she thinks she might enjoy.

Worked very well when we had a foreign exchange student several years back. Finally got the kid to eat something.

[kodi]

37. put her on the gandhi diet. no food just water, see how picky she becomes

.

[Wcross]

40. 13 year olds have not earned the right to be picky.

Feed her what you eat, if she doesn't like everything then she can go without that dish. The human body can go quite a while without eating (2+ weeks), I am pretty sure she will eat before she dies.

(PS- just posting as the uncle of two "selective" eaters. At such a young age they do not really know what they like, they just know what pisses off mom and dad)

[LisaL]

41. I am sure you understand you personally don't have to eat

nuggets for 2 weeks, just cause the spoiled brat won't eat nothing else.
Eat whatever you want, and buy a whole lot of frozen nuggets for the brat.

[Midlodemocrat]

43. I don't think a picky eater is necessarily a spoiled brat.

People's taste buds develop at different levels. I have one child who will eat anything you put in front of her, and one who won't eat anything. He isn't being spoiled, it is just that certain things simply don't appeal to him.

I have never forced the food issue in my house. I don't believe in the clean plate club. I think it is fine for a child to reject something and make themselves a sandwich. There are plenty of things I am not crazy about, heck the other day at a very nice Italian restaurant, the dish I ordered wasn't as I had pictured, so I ate the shrimp and boxed up the rest to feed to the dog.

And, I think it is very nice of you AutumnMist to want to make your niece feel special while she visits. She will treasure this visit.

[marzipanni]

42. At thirteen she might be interested in the health/beauty aspect

of good nutrition. Find a book or magazine written for young teenage girls which gives some nutrition advice focusing on things like how fruits and veggies have lots of vitamins C and A which make your hair strong and shiny and your skin healthy. Leave it around and she'll probably look at it, then you could discuss it in a auntly, non-pressure manner.

Many kids like frozen vegetables- peas taste sweet and are like little popsicles. My 10-yr.-old son chooses to eat frozen green beans or peas, or whole large leaves of Romaine lettuce or baby lettuce mix (he hasn't developed a taste for salad dressing). I teach him that his body needs different foods and he accepts that, and asks for fruits and vegetables now.