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    Home » Meal Planning

    Easy Meal Planning Ideas & Recipes for Picky Eaters

    Published: Jan 20, 2024 · Modified: Jan 20, 2024 by Jessica Fisher

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    Enjoy easy meals that the entire family can enjoy, including picky eaters. Meal planning is a great way to save money and time and it can actually help your fussy eaters enjoy family meals a lot more. Check out these top tips for meal planning as well as simple recipes to make meal time a happy time.

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    Table of Contents
    • Why It's Important to Meal Plan
    • Meal Planning Strategies for Picky Eaters.
    • Classic Kid Favorites 

    Choosing recipes and planning meals that suit the whole family can be challenging, especially if there are picky eaters among the group. You don’t want to make separate meals, but neither do you want to make family dinners a source of fussing and arguments. 

    One of the biggest challenges to meal planning is when your food preferences don’t match those of the people you cook for. My husband says that I like frouffy food. That apparently isn’t his favorite.

    When we got married, I had to completely rework my meal planning. The new foods I was discovering graced the pages of Bon Appetit or the menus of high-end Santa Barbara restaurants. The recipes of my childhood featured things that he was adamantly opposed to eating: anything with cream of soup in it.

    While he might not have been a picky eater by definition, I did learn to make some small changes to how I planned meals so that everyone at the dinner table was happy.

    Add children to the mix and you find that planning delicious meals that every family member enjoys can be a challenge. The good news is that enjoying delicious and easy dinners as a family can happen!

    weekly planner for meals and to-do's.

    Why It’s Important to Meal Plan

    It eases anxiety. You might not realize how important just having a meal plan can be for picky eaters. Knowing what’s going to be dished up at dinner time can help the person with the picky palate prepare for the meal and not be anxious wondering if it’s something they will like or not.

    It helps reduce decision fatigue. If you have a plan for your meals you won’t be wondering every night what to serve. You don’t want to be a short-order cook, so having a meal plan can aid in decisions at the grocery store as well as in food preparation.

    It saves money. If you have a list of meal prep ideas and great meals your family loves, you’ll be able to look for sales and tailor your grocery list for meals that you know will get eaten.

    Meal Planning Strategies for Picky Eaters.

    1. Make meals that everyone loves.

    We waste less time and money and can enjoy our time at the table more when we prepare meals that everyone loves, familiar foods that your choosy eater has no problem enjoying. 

    Not sure what they like this week?  Ask your people what they really love. This answer can change from time to time. That’s okay. Revisit the topic of favorite meal every season and refine your Grocery Staples Checklist to reflect current preferences.

    The more you include your picky eaters in the meal planning, the more buy-in and agency they will experience.

    meat and cheese platters on buffet table.

    2. Make meals that can be served as a buffet.

    When you serve a buffet prep you allow kids and adults alike to choose exactly what they enjoy most.

    Often I serve burritos, nachos, tacos, even pizza set up in a way where my people can customize their meals to suit their preferences. I get it my way, they get it theirs.

    A pasta salad bar is perfect for busy nights. And a Snacky Dinner never disappoints.

    Some of our favorite buffet meals include:

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    Nacho Bar
    Serve a fun nacho bar with tortilla chips and cheese dip, along with a variety of nacho toppings so that your diners can make their own plates with their favorite taco toppings.
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    Hot Dog Toppings Bar
    Serving a variety of hot dog toppings is a great way to elevate the classic summer party meal.
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    Build Your Own Burrito Bar
    Serving a Build-Your-Own-Burrito Bar is a great way to make dinner simply, easily, and economically. With tortillas, beans, cheese, and any number of fillings, all can have a burrito just the way they like it.
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    Sandwich Bar
    Offering a sandwich bar for dinner is a great way to feed a crowd on a budget. Here are some tasty ideas to include in your build your own sandwich bar.
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    3. Make meals that challenge them.

    It’s okay not to “love” every meal you eat, provided that it’s nourishing. It’s a good thing to plan an adventure meal for your family on a weekly or monthly basis. Yes, really. That’s the only way that we learn new flavors and expose ourselves to new foods.

    Doing this at a restaurant often seems to help. Gramma’s house is even better. I don’t usually plan new recipes or different flavors as the main dish. Our biggest challenge (usually) is vegetables. I try to include several different vegetable options so they have options and can continue to try new things.

    4. Plan weekly theme nights.

    A meal plan can help your picky eater swallow what you’re dishing out. Using the same weekly meal plan ideas in rotation can really help them as they know to expect tacos each Tuesday and pizza each Friday. 

    There are lots of ways to implement the same weekly dinner menu ideas and theme night templates without it getting boring for the more adventurous eater.

    open page of Bread and Jam for Frances

    5. Let them eat bread and jam.

    One of my favorite children’s books is Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban. In the story, big sister Frances refuses to eat anything new. She insists that she only wants to eat bread and jam. So her parents let her. Until she’s absolutely sick of the stuff.

    Surely, there are children and spouses who could eat the same old, same old every day, but I think eventually most people want a change. Be ready with some new and interesting foods to tempt them with and offer options. 

    Now that my picky eaters are in college, they are no longer picky. In fact, they have more adventurous taste buds than I do now! I think this is largely in part to making options available to them along the way.

    close crop of square of taco casserole topped with olives on a dinner plate with sliced avocado.

    Classic Kid Favorites 

    Hungry for some easy recipes to make your kids’ favorite foods homemade? We’ve got you covered:

    Main Dishes

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    Fried Chicken Strips Recipe
    Fried Chicken Strips are easy and delicious to make at home. You don't need any special equipment for this easy recipe, just a skillet and a few simple ingredients.
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    Hot Chicken Sub with Bacon
    These Chicken Bacon Subs disappear lickety split at my house. They are the perfect hot chicken sandwich, so easy to assemble and very freezer-friendly.
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    Gluten-Free Meatballs Recipe
    These hearty and naturally gluten-free meatballs feature a combination of beef, pork, mushrooms, and scallions, perfect for dousing in tomato sauce or enjoying in a sub.
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    Peanut Butter Chicken
    Peanut Butter Chicken is one of my favorite take-out fake-outs. It’s got all the flavor of a pad thai without the expense or hard to find ingredients. You can also make it with sunflower seed butter to accommodate for nut allergies.
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    Lawnmower Taco Casserole Recipe
    Lawnmower Taco Casserole is super easy, freezer-friendly, and totally delicious. Rich in flavor, it contains ground beef or turkey, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and taco spices layered in a savory gravy that comes together in minutes.
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    Baked Chicken
    Baked chicken is one of the simplest, but one of the most comforting of meals. It’s also pretty economical when you buy bone-in chicken pieces.
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    Enjoy a delicious air fryer turkey tenderloin in a half an hour with this easy recipe. Seasoned with spices and glazed with a fruity spread, it's packed with flavor.
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    Easy Side Dish Recipes

    ?If the main dish isn’t super exciting for your picky eater, having some easy dishes on the side can make it a little easier.

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    Stovetop Mac and Cheese
    Ditch the boxed mac and cheese, you can make your own tastier and better version at home. Use this Stovetop Mac and Cheese and free yourself from mixes!
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    Sweet Potato Fries
    These Sweet Potato Fries are super simple make, and they taste great! Bake up a batch in about 30 minutes with no fuss or hassle.
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    A stack of tortillas on a plate
    Homemade Corn Tortillas
    Homemade corn tortillas are not difficult to make and best thing — they will transform your taco night into something out of this world!
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    Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Garlic
    Enjoy this dairy-free alternative to sweet potato casserole. These savory sweet potatoes are mashed and dressed up with olive oil and garlic for a delicious side dish.
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    Easy Instant Pot Black Beans
    These instant pot black beans are a game changer when it comes to serving beans. No soaking required, you can prepare tastier and cheaper black beans in less than an hour.
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    Easy Garlic Green Beans
    Containing only five ingredients: frozen green beans, oil or butter, salt, pepper, and garlic, they take about ten minutes to pull together.
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    Fill the Bread Basket

    While every family may have different standards for eating requirements at the dinner table, I find that offering lots of options, especially things you know everyone enjoys, makes it easier for the pickiest eaters to deal with foods that might not be their favorites.

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    Easy Garlic Bread Sticks
    You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to bake these Easy Garlic Breadsticks yourself! You may want to make a double batch and freeze the extra.
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    Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels are easy to make and so delicious. This recipe takes a little time, but it’s worth it.
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    This Buttermilk Cornbread is so easy to make, super delicious — and it even passes muster with my Southern friends — even if it’s sweet cornbread.
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    Homebaked Pita Bread
    Pita Bread will take on a whole new identity when you bake it yourself. Print off this recipe for Homebaked Pita Bread and bake someone happy.
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    cookies stacked on white plate with fresh blueberries and a lemon round in the foreground.

    Favorite Desserts

    Having a sweet treat at the end of the meal can be a satisfying way to end a meal with picky eaters.

    jello 123 copycat layered dessert in glass ramekin topped with whipped cream and a raspberry, on a white dish with a spoon.
    Jello 123 Layered Dessert Cups
    This copycat of Jello 123 is easy to make with just three ingredients. It comes together easily and tastes delicious. Customize it to suit whatever color and flavor gelatin you prefer.
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    peppermint chocolate chip cookies in a red Christmas tin with white tissue paper.
    Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Like Peppermint Bark Bliss, these Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best thing you'll eat this Christmas! Loaded with white candy melts, dark chocolate chunks, peppermint baking chips, and crushed candy canes, they are a taste sensation!
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    oslo kringle pastry on a serving board with holiday decor nearby.
    Oslo Kringle
    Oslo Kringle is a delicious Norwegian dessert, with the flavor and texture of a cream puff, but with a simpler preparation and fjords of almond icing.
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    fruit cobbler in glass baking pan
    Summer Fruit Cobbler
    Enjoy all the luscious summer fruits available by baking them into a Fruit Cobbler. This one with a luscious lemon biscuit topping is a winner!
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    ramekins of Cherry Crumble on wood board
    Personal Cherry Crisp
    This recipe for cherry crisp is extra fun to make and serve since each person gets his own! The recipes is full of whole grain and tart cherries.
    Learn More
    white spoon and fork on a teal plate logo.

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    This post was originally published on February 8, 2014. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elizabeth

      April 03, 2015 at 2:25 am

      Hi Jessica,

      My son (who is a week off three) is what I would have considered a very picky eater not that long ago. I always dished him up our dinner first, but if he didn’t eat enough to get him through the night – then his dinner would finish with a plate of plain porridge! This went on for months, but eventually he got bored and started eating more and more off his plate. He is a lot better now, although sometimes we still have to resort to the porridge again… However he is now, in our house, considered old enough to go to bed hungry if he decides not to eat dinner – both my children have tonight, after refusing to eat Chicken Fried Rice, a dish they have scoffed down in the past *sigh*! I just wanted to pop in and thank you for this series, Menu Planning is my nemesis; life is so much sweeter for it, yet I still struggle to organise myself enough to do it regularly!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        April 03, 2015 at 1:48 pm

        So glad to hear it’s been helpful. Hang in there, mama. Here’s to better eating tomorrow. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jo Cormack

      February 10, 2014 at 12:48 pm

      I know my philosophy might seem hard-line, but I advise parents to serve up whatever it is THEY want the family to be eating so that their children get continuous, repeated exposures to a really wide variety of textures and flavours. You acknowledge the value of challenging picky eaters’ palates, but I feel that to do so only on a weekly or monthly basis is nowhere near enough. Predominantly serving up food that you know will be acceptable to picky eaters will make the problem worse.

      I am a huge fan of Rusell Hoban, but I would also advise steering well clear of the bread & jam! let children’s natural appetite direct their eating choices.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        February 11, 2014 at 7:19 am

        I was being a little tongue-in-cheek about the bread and jam. 😉

        I think the idea of guiding your family’s food culture is super important. Thanks for making that point.

        Reply
    3. Sandi

      February 09, 2014 at 8:36 pm

      I wasn’t allowed to be picky growing up and thankfully neither the hubs nor the kid were picky. Hubs is gone now, and kid is a teen. When he was young, it was a ‘tough, eat it anyway’ type thing. Since he’s legally considered an adult now, I am more accommodating. Things he truly doesn’t like, I try to eat when he is not around. Things I know aren’t his favorites are often paired with something he super likes. He is very much a creature of habit, and would definitely eat the same couple of things every day of his life if I was ok with that. Happily for his nutritional balance, I am not at all ok with that much repetition. 🙂

      Reply
    4. cherie

      February 09, 2014 at 9:44 am

      I have to say, as a child [and a picky child at that] Bread and Jam for Frances was one of my favorite books. My youngest also loves it and put a finger on why we both adored it so – those elaborate lunches, with little baskets of cherries, a tiny shaker of salt, a small pot of this and a that and another thing! So elegant! So adorable!

      We love it.

      In fact, she has a laptop lunchbox we sometimes use for what we call ‘frances lunches’ . . . in fact she had a frances lunch today at home – a scoop of tuna salad, with a cute little poppy seed roll toasted and buttered, a small cup of banana yogurt with a pink spoon, a few carrots and a small arrangement of pepper strips . . .

      Heaven

      I do have to say though, I also never did the separate thing like frances got – frankly my son, 13, would still eat pasta for every meal every day happily and never tire of it – I guarantee. Pizza? ditto for all my kids. And I see oh so many parents who are still making chicken nuggets or mac n cheese at every meal for the one child who literally eats nothing else

      Not how I wanted to parent – not judging them but no way LOL

      Reply
    5. Donn

      February 09, 2014 at 6:28 am

      Great post. My teens aren’t as picky as they used to be (thank God for that…) but when they were little I “deconstructed” a lot of meals and let them eat the parts that they favored with a deal that they at least try some of the other parts. This worked well. They got fed, I got what I wanted and their horizons were expanded a little bit. I was a picky eater as a child too (still am about some things) and the worst thing my parents would say to me was that I had to eat something. Really made me resistant to try things for quite awhile. Give choices within reason (like deconstruction of a meal…I don’t make special food just for one kid) and let them decide. Worked for us! Now I can’t keep enough food in the house for two teens! LOL

      Reply

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    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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