Easy Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Homemade Meals Because no one likes to spend hours in the kitchen only to hear them say: I don't like it!

Hey, mamas and papas! If you’re here, you’ve probably gone through this scenario a few times:

You spent hours in the kitchen following a recipe that’s supposed to take 30 mins to make, but it has over 20 ingredients and about five different steps! You washed the produce, chopped it – so much chopping! – roasted some veggies while preparing the grains and legumes, created a flavorful sauce, mixed it all together, garnished it – I’m kidding, who has time to garnish? – Anyway, you basically put in a lot of effort to prepare a delicious and healthy meal for your family. You’re exhausted and hungry! Your kid looks at the dish suspiciously. She barely inserts her little spoon to grab the tiniest bite. It barely even touched her tongue when she says those dreaded words: “I don’t like it.”

We’ve all been there! And it can make us feel incredibly defeated and unmotivated. Should you even bother? Is it worth it? Deep inside you know that the answer is a definite “yes.” But like everything, there is going to be some trial and error.

Let’s go by parts. If you are just starting to explore adding more whole-food plants into your diet, you are probably learning a lot of new cooking techniques all at once. So, at first, it will take you longer to prepare these new meals. Also, if you’re cooking for your whole family, you will be dealing with different preferences, maybe the adults like rich flavors while the children prefer mild flavors. And then, of course, some family members may not be thrilled about changing the foods they are used to eating.

So, first, take a deep breath. Remember your “why.” And let’s dig into our easy ways to get your kids to eat your healthy, home-cooked meals.

1. Choose simple recipes at first

As you look up recipes to try out, abide by the “KISS” rule: Keep It Simple, Silly! At first, cooking whole foods can feel very overwhelming. So, start with recipes that have a small list of ingredients and a few, simple steps. This will not only help you put less effort in your cooking, but children actually prefer meals with fewer ingredients! And be sure to go easy on the seasonings. Children don’t usually like strong flavors, so keep foods mild for them while cooking and add additional seasonings to the grownup portions separately. At home, we often do this in our individual portions.

2. Serve foods separately

Younger children prefer to have the elements of their food separated on their plate. This is one of the main reasons they may not like a complex meal. They like to recognize and approve what they’re eating as opposed to trying the “unknown.” When you prepare your family meals, leave some of the elements separated for the young ones in your household, and mix some for the adults. This could be a good time to add seasonings for the grownups too.

3. Include foods that your children already like

Not every child is the same. You may have an adventurous child who enjoys trying new things. Typically, however, children like to eat what they’re familiar with. If you do a 180 on their meals, it’s going to be hard to get them on board right away. So, be sure to include foods that they already like on their plate. For example, if they like beans, make a pot of beans and add sides of vegetables and grains. If they like sweet potatoes or avocado, be sure to include them on their plate together with something new.

4. Slowly introduce your children to new foods

While giving your children foods that they already know and like is important, introducing them to new foods is important too. As you set up their plates, be sure to include at least something new, like a new vegetable, a new grain or legume, or a food they already know but prepared differently. When it comes to seasonings, you can start to sprinkle a little on one of their food elements. If they like it, you can start incorporating it more regularly while introducing something else. The clue is to keep a balance between what’s familiar to them and what’s new.  

Something that always helps is to make an agreement with your children. They need to try everything on their plates, but if they don’t like something, they don’t have to eat it.

5. Involve your children in the food prep process

Children love to be part of the decision making at home. So, get them involved in your meal planning! Ask them what foods they’d like to eat this week or the next day. Bring them to the store and have them help you pick the produce and other ingredients. When prepping and cooking foods, give them assignments according to their age. They will be a lot more likely to eat a homemade meal if they actively participated in making it happen. And they will also feel proud of the end result!

 

We started this article describing a typical scenario that most parents go through when transitioning to healthy eating habits. Now, let’s picture this new scenario:

You and your family agree on the meals for the week. During the weekend, you go shopping together and children actively help select the produce and other ingredients. You also welcome new, healthy suggestions. Once at home, everyone takes on a different task, from unpacking to washing the produce and storing it. The children are involved in prepping and cooking. Some may help peel or chop ingredients; some may help mixing or even serving it. When it’s time to eat, everyone knows what to expect and everyone will happily eat their meal. Maybe not everyone will eat everything on their plates, but everyone will try everything and will at least find some familiar items that they can enjoy and perhaps even get seconds of.

And yes, we are parents, we know that children can change their minds even about the foods they already like and that this beautiful scenario may not play out as nicely as we’d like it to all the time. That’s okay, the next day you will all try again. Isn’t this what parenthood is all about? And, believe me, even if not all days are perfect, doing this regularly will help you accomplish your goal of getting your family to eat healthy and appreciate healthy foods. You will be raising your family to be NutriSavvy.