My 11yo kid eats a lot and still snacks before bed. I try to keep late-night snacks to things that will be filling like bananas, apples and peanut butter, yogurt, etc.

My kids have different eating styles and one (7yo DS) is super picky. His current rotation includes:

Pasta - Barilla Protein Plus in the yellow boxes. Serve with either red sauce, ricotta or alfredo and top with grated parm. You can also sneak some veggie into the various sauces, added grilled chicken, meatballs, etc. I typically keep this meal vegetarian because the pasta has plenty protein and fiber to fill you up.
Tacos
Burgers
Chicken (any preparation) and rice
Breakfast for dinner - some combo of eggs, pancakes, waffles, fresh toast, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, toast with jelly, fruit, yogurt, etc
Make your own pizzas with various toppings

All of these are very basic, but it's stuff he will typically eat that fills him up.

Anonymous wrote:OP cereal is a bad snack. Give them a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Or even slices of banana with peanut butter topped on each. Fat + protein.

You people that want to feed your children like orthorexic middle-aged women are insane.

It is ok for kids to have a carby snack.

Dumplings
Meatballs, either in subs or over pasta
Chicken fried rice
Sweet and sour chicken
Noodles of any sort
Black beans, corn and quinoa/rice
Butter chicken
Sliders

OP cereal is a bad snack. Give them a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Or even slices of banana with peanut butter topped on each. Fat + protein.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you need to adjust your thinking on them stuffing the selves so they don’t bother you for a snack later. We eat dinner early, like 345/4 most weeknights because that’s when my kid is hungry. She generally eats a lot. She still has a snack before bed though. Why can’t your kids eat and still have a healthy snack later? Assuming it’s not like an hour after the meal.
Tonight we were going to have pesto salmon but I dropped it on the floor and broke the bowl it was in. Plan B was black beans over rice with cheese melted on top. Tomatoes and cucumbers for the veg. Tomorrow we’re having lentil soup mixed with the rest of the beans from tonight, we are having naan bread with it, I’ll have a small side of salad ( from a bag) and DD will prob have tomatoes/cucumbers again. Yesterday we had rotisserie chicken, frozen mixed veg, and corn on the cob.

That's not dinner time - that's after school time! That's not a weekNIGHT. That's literally still the afternoon.

Burgers
tacos
baked breaded tofu
rice and beans (many ways)
pasta (many ways: meatballs, with shrimp, with veggies)
chicken tenders
chicken noodle soup
dumplings
chicken drumsticks
sushi
pad thai
pizza/calzones
chicken pot pie

Maybe you need to adjust your thinking on them stuffing the selves so they don’t bother you for a snack later. We eat dinner early, like 345/4 most weeknights because that’s when my kid is hungry. She generally eats a lot. She still has a snack before bed though. Why can’t your kids eat and still have a healthy snack later? Assuming it’s not like an hour after the meal.
Tonight we were going to have pesto salmon but I dropped it on the floor and broke the bowl it was in. Plan B was black beans over rice with cheese melted on top. Tomatoes and cucumbers for the veg.
Tomorrow we’re having lentil soup mixed with the rest of the beans from tonight, we are having naan bread with it, I’ll have a small side of salad ( from a bag) and DD will prob have tomatoes/cucumbers again.
Yesterday we had rotisserie chicken, frozen mixed veg, and corn on the cob.

I have one moderately picky kid and one who eats everything. Some of our standards that we all will eat happily:

-macaroni and cheese (from a box, not homemade)
-turkey burgers or breaded chicken sandwiches
-pasta with meatballs
-swedish meatballs
-various preparations of chicken in sauce (I use mild Indian simmer sauces, gravy, teriyaki, honey-garlic) over rice
-pork tenderloin with a soy/brown sugar glaze and roasted sweet potatoes
-very mild chili (and then the rest of us add hot sauce)
-breakfast for dinner

We eat a lot of steamed veggies. I keep carrots and cucumber on hand so if I'm making a more exotic vegetable (asparagus, Brussels sprouts) my picky kid gets those.

Anonymous wrote:Birria tacos
Regular tacos
Real ramen
DIY sushi (ds uses cooked shrimp)
Teriyaki skewers
Coconut crusted fish
Garlic parm chicken
Any type of steak.

This is like stuff we served the past month. Tastier than ever since I did a few meal kits, did some NYT easy recipes.

You’d *think* they like it. And they do. But not enough to eat a big meal and fill up. Dominos Pizza, yes he will fill up on. That’s like once per month.

Chicken
Broccoli
Any kind of noodle
and a sauce like peanut sauce (https://www.foxandbriar.com/the-best-thai-peanut-sauce-recipe/), sometimes I just make whatever sauce comes together using things in my pantry

Background:

My 3 kids vary in age. Elementary would be the average.

They're not "picky," as I have seen other kids be picky. They try lots of stuff..but the question is do they *like* the stuff to fill themselves up?

Fortunately I got a lot of good advice from a family member from when my oldest was age 3. This relative did intense food therapy for one of her kids. It was a medical issue, and she had the best feeding therapists to teach how to eat! Really applicable to all kids. We've used this advice well.

So, we've had a really good foundation (I'll post some of the "rules" from food therapy later.)

My middle and youngest are giving me more trouble lately. Sometimes they try a bite of our meal. And they like it! Win! But they won't eat much, and they're hungry again and again before bedtime. Sometimes they try a bite of our meal, and they don't like it. They eat the alternative--cereal. Then they're hungry again because that's not really filling.

After not caring for a while, DH and I are getting more frustrated about this second-dinner they need. I try to keep it to dry snacks, but they want something more. We tell them, fine, go get it, but don't bother us. *the youngest can't help himself though.

A few other notes:
-As I said, they like a lot of foods. Middle kid generally doesn't like food mixed together like a casserole or skillet meal. He also likes one thing one day "I love sausage!" and then the next week, he won't eat the same meal
-We are thinking about moving dinner later, so even if there are double meals, it doesn't feel like a surprise second meal juuuust before we thought they were falling asleep.
-oldest kid doesn't like typical kid foods like mac and cheese. will eat what we eat. Chicken / veggies / one pot meals / one sheet baked meals / soup and bread, etc.
-middle kid is so skinny. No danger in filling his stomach. We notice he snacks all day, but like a bird. I just want that kid to have a huge meal one day out of the week. Lol.

Birria tacos
Regular tacos
Real ramen
DIY sushi (ds uses cooked shrimp)
Teriyaki skewers
Coconut crusted fish
Garlic parm chicken
Any type of steak.

Wrong forum

Debated this post going in food, but I think it belongs here.

**I'm looking for ideas for dinners that kids like and fill them pretty well** You can answer this or, keeping reading for background.

Thanks.