My son is picky but he likes all breakfast foods, which you could serve for dinner--scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, whole grain waffles, pancakes, canadian bacon, toast, biscuits, an egg mcmuffin type sandwich, hash browns or some kind of fried potatoes or baked potato, but serve with a green vegetable. Or, do lunch for dinner-soup with a grilled cheese sandwich and salad (not that kids eat salad). My son actually asks for carrot sticks and apples now because I serve those with his lunch all the time. If they see it enough, they get used to it. I even make fish sticks which he likes and he likes shrimp surprisingly. I would have never guessed a picky eater would like seafood. His main issue is he doesn't like his food touching or anything with a sauce. Figure out what exactly your son is picky about.

I've posted about this on here before, but I'm a huge fan of fritters. They're kind of the vegetable equivalent of chicken nuggets, so maybe your kid will be interested? I like the zucchini fritter recipe at smitten kitchen, but there are tons of recipes all over the internet. I often put marinara sauce and cheese on the zucchini fritters, so that may be an especially easy sell if your kid likes spaghetti. I've also had good luck with eggplant fritters, corn fritters, etc. Tonight we had falafel, which is basically like a chickpea fritter. (We also eat a lot of black bean cakes.) Anyway, they're all just variations on the same: vegetables or beans, bound with eggs and breadcrumbs, and seasoned to your taste.

Here's the smitten kitchen recipe:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/08/zucchini-fritters/

Anonymous wrote:Ravioli? I make a pasta that looks like Mac 'n Cheese but is really pureed roasted butternut squash (and is delicious).

At 4, I would honestly stop serving something different to him. He either eats what's offered or waits for breakfast. He will not starve himself.

Nip it in the bud now, or you will spend the next 14 years catering to this.

Will he eat soup? Soup is great because a lot of "icky" things get disguised easily within a soup. And even if they don't like one of the ingredients, the nutrients have usually had time to absorb into the broth. Split pea soup, chicken noodle soup with veggies... my 4 year old loves these, but then again he's not that picky.

Anonymous wrote:If your kid likes chicken nuggets he might do salmon nuggets or breaded tilapia.

Trader Joes fish nuggets are so good! DH & I ate them before we had kids

Anonymous wrote:I donno OP. I think you either get a good eater or you don't - I don't think he's going to like a filet of sole anytime soon.

What I would do is to bribe him. Give him one unknown food each night. He takes 1-2 bites, he gets a point. He gets 5 points, he gets a prize etc. That way he can be slowing trying new things.

I still think once a picky eater, always a picky eater.

Not true. If they are exposed to a variety of food and see everyone around them eating it, they will eventually join in.

Roasted chicken
Grilled chicken
Sweet potato fries
Tortellini with red sauce or pesto
Quiche

Anonymous wrote:He should be eating what the rest of the family is eating, every night, no exceptions. He has become picky because you have allowed this behavior for too long.

+1

He should be eating what the rest of the family is eating, every night, no exceptions. He has become picky because you have allowed this behavior for too long.

Anonymous wrote:I donno OP. I think you either get a good eater or you don't - I don't think he's going to like a filet of sole anytime soon.

What I would do is to bribe him. Give him one unknown food each night. He takes 1-2 bites, he gets a point. He gets 5 points, he gets a prize etc. That way he can be slowing trying new things.

I still think once a picky eater, always a picky eater.

I don't think it's a lost cause at all! My dd was picky from 16 months until 5, we didn't give in and make solely kid food and we didn't make mealtime a battle either. She eats a very varied diet now at age 7...loves sushi, curries, fish, Etc.

I do like the points idea that the pp mentioned.

I donno OP. I think you either get a good eater or you don't - I don't think he's going to like a filet of sole anytime soon.

What I would do is to bribe him. Give him one unknown food each night. He takes 1-2 bites, he gets a point. He gets 5 points, he gets a prize etc. That way he can be slowing trying new things.

I still think once a picky eater, always a picky eater.

Ravioli? I make a pasta that looks like Mac 'n Cheese but is really pureed roasted butternut squash (and is delicious).

At 4, I would honestly stop serving something different to him. He either eats what's offered or waits for breakfast. He will not starve himself.

If your kid likes chicken nuggets he might do salmon nuggets or breaded tilapia.

Anonymous wrote:My almost 4 year old basically only wants hotdog, mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, etc. for dinner. When we make other things, it's a struggle to get him to eat it. Does anyone have any healthy food suggestions that a very picky toddler might like??

OP here, he even hates pizza. lol, I don't know how anyone could hate pizza.

My almost 4 year old basically only wants hotdog, mac n cheese, chicken nuggets, etc. for dinner. When we make other things, it's a struggle to get him to eat it. Does anyone have any healthy food suggestions that a very picky toddler might like??