While we may be eliminating certain foods from our diet (ahem, Toblerone), we don’t want our wee ones subsisting on yogurt and cheese strings. So we asked Kids’ Cooking Expert Annabel Karmel for help.
I have a very picky (and very skinny) 4-year-old. How can I avoid making a separate meal for him every night?
I always think with picky eaters that it’s important to make mealtime a positive experience. One of the most important things is to hide your frustration. Praise your child excessively when he eats well or tries something new. You may need to ignore some bad eating behaviour to refocus attention on good behaviour. Your child will soon find that there’s not much point making a fuss if you don’t react.
No one has time to make separate meals for each member of the family so a good idea would be to start of by making something that your child already likes -- maybe a Bolognese sauce and blending with the tomato-based sauce with lots of vegetables such as carrots, celery, mushrooms and red pepper. You can then use this sauce to make a variety of dishes: a lasagna, a cottage or Shepherd’s pie, an enchilada or simply serve as Bolognese sauce with pasta.
Another good idea is to try making some tasty, slightly more exotic foods such as Thai-style chicken with noodles or a mild korma curry. They can be surprisingly popular with children and to add some fun you could give your son some child-friendly chopsticks that are joined at the top to eat it with.
Other good dishes that are quick and simple to prepare -- and perfect for the whole family -- are Teriyaki Salmon, Sweet and Sour Pork, or Egg Fried Rice with Chicken and/or Shrimp
Annabel Karmel is the mother of three children, a bestselling author of books on nutrition and cooking for babies and toddlers, and a familiar face on British television. Annabel recently released a Canadian edition to her hugely popular baby recipe book More First Meals. You can also find resources and recipes at her website www.annabelkarmel.com.