If you are like me and you grew up in the 60s or 70s, you ate what was put in front of you. There was no asking for something else, and if you were a baby and you didn't like your food, you went hungry. Our mothers were told to toughen us up early. Many of today's moms (especially the moms of the coddled millennium generation) feel too much guilt for not doing whatever it takes to make their kids "happy" even if it made the moms themselves into short order cook martyrs. I'm not talking about kids with allergies.
To all of the brand new moms that I know (Anne, Jocelyn, Amy, Vesna, Jill) I have some simple advice. Mash up what you eat and give it to your kids as soon as the doctor tells you it is ok to do so. If they don't like it, they will learn to like it. I know, easier said than done, but if you had told me that I would be acting out these shenanigans with my picky kids, I would have had that salmon on the high chair tray in a second.
I'm glad I was all confident that I could grocery shop in my sleep, because last night, I fell down the stairs and badly sprained my ankle, I cant walk, I had to summon my mom up from the cape while she is entertaining visitors from Italy, and now, I have to explain all this picky vs. gourmet drama to her. She is about to go grocery shopping for me, and I just had to rattle off my mental list of what she needs to get to cover a million bases. She would rather be making us linguine with clam sauce, fresh focaccia and a salad with a la minute dressing, but instead she is shopping for applesauce, plain bagels and turkey bacon.
As I promised yesterday, this is my simplified dinner plan so my husband knows what he is having for dinner with no added drama, and my kids are somewhat nutritiously fed.
Sunday: About once a month I make a big batch of meat sauce and I freeze it in 4 weekly portions to have on Sunday nights. I usually make it with a salad and garlic bread. Everyone eats this.
Monday:
parents: Salmon and asparagus, or Cod/Tilapia and asparagus, or whatever veg you like
kids: left over pasta with meat sauce from Sunday night.
Tuesday: Wildcard night. Feel free to switch your wildcard night.
parents: healthy baked potato bar, tuna melts, grilled cheese, meat and veg or veg only stir fry. Gourmet fancy side veg for me.
kids: healthy tacos, organic fish sticks, organic no nitrite hot dogs, cheese omelets, salad with ranch dressing for my daughter, applesauce for my son
Wed:
parents: I roast a big chicken and have olive oil mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or rice and a gourmet fancy side veg for myself. I add the leftover chicken to my salads at lunch.
kids: bell and evans chicken nuggets with peas or salad for my daughter, applesauce and maybe raisins for my son.
Thursday: BLT night for parents using turkey bacon, Amy's organic cheese pizza for the kids. Repeat kids veg choice. Big saute of spinach or broccoli rabe for me.
Friday night: I either make pizza or we eat out. Making your own pizza is very east and economical. I either buy pre made dough in the deli area of the supermarket or you can get the pillsbury dough boy kind. Olive oil your sheet pan, roll the pizza dough out and place on pan, season dough with salt, pepper and olive oil, pre bake it a little, then add your toppings and bake. The kids love to help with this.
Saturday night: Eat out, have leftovers or add another wild card night.
Tomorrow we'll talk about snacks and dessert, a great place to add in extra fruit and veg...
Peace out.
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