EASY MEALS to FEED YOUR FAMILY, (EVEN PICKY EATERS) // Recipe Ideas, Tips & Tricks
For more great Instant Pot recipes, please visit InstantPotEasy.com
Get your FREE e-book: https://seemindymom.gumroad.com/l/dunnn Follow me on Instagram: @seemindymom E-Books you can …
I have been watching your videos for some time, but held off at first with watching this because I wasn't sure what to expect, but so glad you went in the direction that you did! I have two kids (adults now) that were both picky eaters along with having sensory and texture issues. Despite how severe they were, we were not short order cooks and just worked around what they could and couldn't eat. As they both grew older their picky side diminished and all that was left was their sensory side. My oldest is able to eat most things fine, we just have to work on my youngest because they have such a difficult time with textures. Then, my husband got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and we once again worked on making dinners for everyone. My husband is diet controlled, and everyone is eating the same dinners, just some avoid certain aspects of the dinner.
I think that de best way to keep going on with pickey eaters is to treat them like picky eaters. This doesn't means to never think about them when cooking, but for me, it's means that mom prepare a meal and everyone receive this meal. After, no one is force to eat all the plate, but trying and trying over 10 times a certain food helps to learn ho to like it. My daughter learned to like aspargus, shrimp, peper seasonning but still dont wants 2-3 things at 19. I'm pretty sure that if a would served her only wath she wanted during all those years, she would become a picky eaters. I was a picky eaters myself when I was young et my mother was always creating special things for me. I never learned except when a became young adult. I promissed myself I would'n do the same with my kids. (excuse my bad english!)
I still don't like veggies despite my family being a very good example, but I think I have the extra bitter sensors that a few people have, so many bitter veggies literally make me almost throw up. The solution? Fat. Not joking. Broccoli, steamed or seared in a pan, absolutely coated in alfredo was edible. It was better the smaller each piece of broccoli was. Also helps when you don't overcook em- veggies should still be bright green when cooked! not depressed green. And this trick worked with almost every vegetable I couldn't eat. Brussel sprouts? Hoisin sauce. Kale? In a pot roast. Peas? Mac and cheese with sausage, all in the same bowl. etc.
My middle kid as my crohns disease and worse then me. He got diagnosed at 6 because he was throwing up at school every Friday not to much at home but there was other issues. He developed
avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). So he would not eat food he felt mighy not be safe. Anything new would cause extreme anxiety. It was and is a struggle. We have a feeding tube now and his stomach is getting used to getting filled. We have a look at, smell, touch rule. He tastes when he can over come his anxiety. I feel my biggest improvement with him is him staying calm. It's ok if his anxiety can't, just stay calm. So happy the day he ate 7 chicken nuggets a cheese burger a few fries and 2 solo cups of flavored water. He is 12 so this is weird, I have two little brothers.
Good advice. I have Started offering fruit and pretzels for snack now too. Or most days, I say No snack and try to start dinner sooner.
Thank you for the free download it will really help my family out. Kathy Utah
Never mind got it thanks alot have a great day and week
Tried to get free ebook doesn't work
Last night made mac and cheese added chicken navy beans and corn one pan meal family loved it
Glad my family is not picky
Love your videos thanks ❤️ 😊
My husband and son both eats vegetables
We use no salt at all. Staters Brothers is the best store for no salt seasoning
If no salt why would you add salt
My sister is probably the pickiest eater I know- it’s like she has the palette of a child. She’s 46 and still eats Cheez Whiz and drinks Tang 🤢 My niece will try the vegetables I’m eating, and my sister will actually try to talk her out of doing so 🤦🏻♀️
Thank you for the free cookbook. Growing up, I didn’t like breakfast foods, so my mother would cook me a small hamburger.
Thank you!
Great video 😊! Thanks, Mindy.
Thank you❤
So, a few thoughts 🙂
I have 9 kids. Several are extremely picky, and a handful are much more adventurous and willing to eat veggies.
My husband, will not touch them. Corn and potatoes is about it. Zero fruit, either. It’s incredibly frustrating.
I have my own picky areas, but I have expanded a lot, and try to work with the kids to do the same.
On the subject of kids and their tastebuds, my youngest daughter is special needs, she’s 7 now, and has only been taking food by mouth for about a year now. She has a lot of neurological issues, but she LOVES spicy, crunchy, sour, and really strong flavors. The theory is that because of her neurological issues, she is seeking that as a sensory experience, in a much different way than other kids. She gets majority of her nutrition through a feeding tube, so food is just for play right now 🙂
We have found a lot of your recipes to be really accessible for my family. The baked chicken alfredo is one of the few that EVERYONE loves, which is almost a non-existent event here 😉
I grew up in a very poor household. We couldn't afford to be picky, so I learned to have a good palate and eat anything. Either that or not eat much at all, plus I felt bad if I declined food, because I knew my parents were doing the best they could. I am actually grateful for that, because I can enjoy so much variety of foods now as an adult.
I’m thankful my kids actually love most veggies. And we all eat the same thing so it’s fair. Also, with after school snacks we don’t do them in my house. My kids won’t eat dinner otherwise so as soon as I get home from picking them up I usually start working on dinner that way they fill up on food better for their body! Plus they get a snack of fruit or veggie that the school supplies for all students before pickup.
I've been doing the Ticktock method before it was ticktock (although milk can go in the same time as the water) to teach my littles to cook Mac and cheese since they can't lift the pot to drain.
Air-fried veg are DELICIOUS, too. Try broccoli, squash, zucchini and carrots. It creates a nice "crispy" edge that, to me, is way more appealing than the canned veg of my childhood. 🙂
Yes! We need to be good examples to our kids in all aspects
Thank you! ❤️
So very helpful, I'm definently in the season of life where I'm exhausted and unfortunately giving in to bad habits.
I cant wait to try all this wonderful advice.
I appreciate you ❤
Thank you!
As an adult picky eater, I would like to expand on Mindy’s tough love by saying that, if possible, it might be a good idea to try to involve an adult picky eater in the meal planning/cooking process. When I first went to college and became responsible for feeding myself, I decided I would only eat my favorite foods and never eat anything else… that didn’t last long. But my mom’s style of “eat it or else” also didn’t work when “or else” included much more appealing options. I had to learn to use ingredients I don’t particularly care for in ways that I could learn to genuinely enjoy. There are still some ingredients or dishes that I just can’t stand, and that’s okay for me right now – but I still work on broadening my horizons because I’ve learned that you never know when financial or health constraints might pop up.
My #4 is RIDICULOUS at dinner time. It can be hours of crying every day, it is exhausting.
Thank you for sharing and thank you for saying what needed to be said. Being a good example is very important.
So funny, my daughter had a feeding tube for the first six years of her life. We took her to feeding clinic at Mott for intensive therapy. So because I have to prep all her food for feeding clinic as purées she got what I was making and I seasoned it up how I would eat it. Fast forward to 9 years old and she’ll eat anything but her fave is pizza!!! 😂she’ll tell me her food is “ super, duper yu- I’m!”
🤔
Hi Mindy, I love your recipes and videos, thankyou for some new recipes 😋
My kids have all been picky, but I treat it as a phase and never make a big deal about it. I make options available, and teach them from a young age to make their own food.
They seem to be more willing to eat things when they've made it themselves and I haven't made it into a fight.
I am a plain eater. Have a strong sense of smell.(My mom was the same.) But, there's a lot I do eat. My aunt and cousins thought I was picky until they realized as an adult, I'm just not big into a lot of condiments. The ones I eat, it's sparingly. I like seasoning and herbs/spices. We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, cooked and raw. I'm a single mom to a teen. I only have issues w her eating beans. She only eats bean dip and burritos. I love bean dishes. People were quite surprised about what she ate growing up. (Still eats bell peppers like apples.)
Archimedes is one of our favorite 🦉 owls.
Those meatballs are a favorite of my kiddos too! Sometimes I do "extra sauce" and serve over egg noodles ( if I need to stretch the meatballs…I have one who begs for them over mashed potatoes too! So they only want 4 meatballs each…instead of 8 or 9 each… just my 2 cents
I actually could not partner for life with a person that eats like a two year old.
So glad you did this video. I struggle with this. My kids used to not be picky and now here we are. I hate cooking now because of this.
I think it comes down to only buying what you and your kids should eat. Managing an inventory of bad food options is just plain boring.
Mindy— A dollop of those yummy Walmart dips are fabulous for upgrading mac and cheese as well! Personally I love a spoon of the “bacon ranch dip” in mine—SO good!
Thank you.
Thanks for the freebie!
Thank you so much for the freebies!!! I can’t wait to try them out!
I totally agree with being a good example of parents eating and cooking vegetables. My Mom made a plethora of different veggies as we grew up and I can honestly say I love all veggies except turnips. So go Mom!
I'm watching this at 8 in the morning with my 5yo sitting next to me watching the CoCoMelon episode where they are eating veggies. He just told me he wants broccoli. When I told him we don't have any fresh broccoli, he told me we have some in the freezer and he wants it. So I'm steaming broccoli in the microwave at 8 in the morning. He's balancing this with a chocolate fudge pop tart. Why not? Whatever, I'm a tired full time working mom with him and an almost 3yo with autism. This is fine 😅
My favorite for our family of 6 (1 pescatarian, 1 with food allergies, and 2 that are just plain picky) is definitely the "bar" type meals…Nachos/Tacos and baked potatoes are definitely the biggest hits!
This is so helpful. Thank you so much for including all of these printables. Your videos are so intentional, and you are my favorite to watch on YouTube. You put so many helpful ideas out there, I appreciate your content so much!