Nutritious and Delicious! That's my motto for eating healthy and yummy foods, and the boys are really good about eating both nutritious and delicious things. I should give lots of background about the fact that Kevin and I were both super picky eaters as toddlers/kids, and that I am kinda crazy about what and how much my kids eat (and have been since I was nursing them even). I know I have shed more tears when a child refused to eat (for whatever reason - teething, feeling bad, or just plain stubbornness) that one could believe. I know I am really thankful that we get to spend mealtimes together enjoying wonderful dinners. I know that in 100 years I will know every word to every single Charlie Brown movie because we watch it together while we eat and quote and giggle along with the gang. (Save the lectures . . . we are spending family time together at the table and laughing and talking and singing with the movie. No judging!! Besides, kids eat way better when they don't want to get down to play.) I thought I would record a few of our favorite dinners right now, although some of these have been our favorites for years. I spent a bit of time feeling like a short order cook, and it was not enjoyable. Cooking one dinner for Kevin and I, fixing something kid-like for Lincoln, and making something toddler-ized for Beau was too much. I really tried hard to come up with things that we could all enjoy together. Yes, I still make a kid-friendly version sometimes, but we all eat the same basic things. So much easier! We are pretty traditional: meat, plain veggie, fruit, sometimes a carb. Here are the top 6, both parent version and kid version.
An old favorite - grilled chicken! I am a master chicken griller, and it's usually on the menu once each week. Steamed broccoli is everyone's favorite veggie. The parents got roasted red potatoes and the boys asked for sweet potato fries instead.
Rotini with Meat Sauce is a favorite with all four of us. The boys absolutely love it! We used to make spaghetti, but it was hard for them to deal with. Beau was happy to eat it with his fingers and became a spaghetti mess, and Lincoln tried his best to use his fork with little success. When we switched to rotini, the dish was great with everyone! I may never go back to spaghetti noodles! Parents get a green salad, while kids get veggies, apple slices and a string cheese. Super winner!
I found a recipe on Pinterest for Chick-fil-A copycat nuggets that I had to try. The chicken breast pieces were marinated in milk, eggs, and pickle juice, then dipped in flour and powdered sugar. I lightly fried them in about an inch of oil, and they turned out great! They probably wouldn't win in a taste test against Chick-fil-A, but they were the best nuggets I've ever made. I'm throwing out the breadcrumbs and Panko crumbs because this one was way better. Mommy had hers on a salad, and the boys had theirs with sweet potato fries and apple slices.
One of our oldest staples is pork tenderloin. It makes me laugh that Beau learned to say pork tenderloin before he learned to say many simple one-syllable words. We all love it!! Central Market has then with the best marinades, and it is so easy to just bake one for 35 minutes and add veggies. Easy and yummy dinner that everyone loves. Happy plates are always pork tenderloin nights!
Kevin and I are always trying to incorporate more fish into our diet, and he found a great recipe for salmon. Fresh salmon fillets topped with salt, pepper, olive oil, and dill is wonderful when baked for 12 minutes. We add Parmesan risotto and broccoli for a grown up meal. The kids don't really like the salmon yet, so we bake them battered cod fillets and add veggies and fruit. Still working on risotto with them. It's too mushy I think. This is one of the few nights that we eat different, but similar things.
I'm always looking to incorporate a rotisserie chicken when we don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner. It's so convenient to pick one up at Tom Tom after work. I chopped one up and made chicken and cheese quesadillas one night last week, and it was definitely a hit! Mommy added a green salad, and the boys requested steamed carrots and a banana. Yummy and fun dinner!
While I admit that I spend too much time worrying about what and how much they are eating, I love that they love to eat healthful foods. We don't do many casseroles or saucy things because they like their foods plain, but I'm not complaining. I'll try to take pictures the next time we make lasagna or meatloaf, but those are definitely more "winter" foods. My efforts have been rewarded with two little boys who love to eat nutritious and delicious, and I am so proud of them. Beau and Daddy's nightly ice cream snack, and Lincoln's cookie dessert is no big deal because I know that they got the right nutrition at dinner. Dinner is always a work in progress, and I'm always thinking of new things that we can eat together as a family. I'm always happy when we make happy plates and have fun at the table.
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