Expanding Food Choices Without Spending a Lot Of $

My oldest is a picky eater as well. Really picky. He's almost 14 now. Anyway, I've always serve him the things he doesn't like as well as food he likes. From toddlerhood to about age 10 he only liked raw carrots and broccoli. He always had to take a small bite of whatever veggie I served. Now he also eats green beans, asparagus, peas, cauliflower, and corn. If I make a dinner he hates we taught him at age 11 how to cook something easy like pasta with spaghetti sauce and he could make himself that. My SIL says she thinks he is a "supertaster". Anyway...just keep having him try things and keep reminding him that taste buds change. We struggle with this too, but it's getting better.

One of my kids was (is) more picky than the other and had some texture/smell sensitivities.

The #1 thing that has led to his willingness to try more foods was cooking/food prep. As his practice in the kitchen increased, so did his adventurous spirit. Weekend lunchtime is often fend-for-yourself so both of my kids are busy in the kitchen. Sometimes they cook for each other. They also pack their own lunches for school when they take lunch.

It used to be that my picky child didn't like any foods to touch. Now he will purposely combo items to see how it tastes. He is currently in a culinary arts class at his high school and will come to me with things he has tried and liked at school to ask if he can make them or I can alter my old recipe a bit.

Get your kid into the kitchen with you. Teach him how to prep stuff, use the microwave, then the stove and oven, etc. It's only a matter of time before he's adding stuff to your grocery shopping list.

I just wanted to tell you you're not a sucky mom. I've worked with docs going through med school, internship, and residency. It is a hard road as a single person and I'm sure with a family it's even harder. You've done well and now things are more normalized. If a friend came to you and asked these same questions, I'm sure you would be supportive of her and recognize how instrumental she was to her husband's success. Please be kind to yourself. Nothing wrong with improving but you are far from a sucky mom. 💕.

You've received great responses below so I won't add to those.

We do meal planning one month at a time. It saves money, time, and gives me a chance to preplan healthy meals that my family will actual eat. I also use my crockpot a lot (I mean like 2 or more times a week a lot) and cannot imagine my life without it. I do everything from soups (great way to get those veggies in!), to pulled pork, to beef roast with potatoes and carrots, to "dump" meals. I usually plan on the last weekend of the month, grocery shop the last Sunday of the month, and then I am set for the following month, other than some fillers of fresh stuff that doesn't keep for 30 days like bananas, milk, etc.

One website I use a lot as well for ideas is skinnytaste.com It is actually for healthy eating and for folks who are looking for gluten free/paleo/weight watchers/vegan/etc recipes. I generally don't use the actual recipe, but it gives me great ideas and also since I am very carb/calorie conscious, it often gives me good ways for me to cut a few things out on my side, without sacrificing taste for the rest of the family.

A great way to get kids to be less picky is to let them help plan and cook some of the meals. Especially for kids with sensory issues - sometimes working with and touching the food before eating it, really helps with reducing some of the sensory issues at meal time (speaking of my 2nd youngest with pretty several sensory/eating issues).

Oh, as far as salads - many salads are not made with lettuce :) Look for ones that are made up of other items than lettuce. You will be surprised how many there are!

Good luck!

When I make dinner and try something the kids don't normally have, I try to make sure there is at least 1 thing that I know my kids will eat alongside the new item. To use your list above, I'd put a new chicken recipe with rice and broccoli as sides. They have to at least try the chicken (my rule is 1 bite), and if they don't like it, they can fill up on the rice and broccoli. Burgers with fruit salad.

And once it's on their plate, I don't micromanage how they eat it. One of mine will eat sloppy joe on the plate with a fork, and puts butter on the bun like it's roll on the side. For years he ate burgers the same way - bread like a roll with butter, burger cut up into pieces which he dipped in ketchup and ate with a fork. I don't care. One of mine puts ketchup on baked fish. I think this looks gross, but he's eating it so I don't comment. One of mine doesn't like sandwiches, but will eat a slice of bread with butter, lunchmeat, and a slice of cheese all separately. As they've gotten older, they have gradually come around to eating things the more commonly accepted way (burger on the bun). But I let that come on it's own.

I made dinner. If my picky eater decided he didn’t want it, his option was to go make himself peanut butter on wheat. That was the only option. I did not make 2 meals. I made one. Period.
When we put dinner on the table, there was usually one thing he would eat. If he chose not to, so be it. We also didn’t do dessert, except on special occasions. And there were no snacks after dinner. So - eat or be hungry.
My picky eater will now eat most everything...

when i add a new food i make a regular meal and the new food too. example, chicken parmesan on noodles with greenbeans. is the meal. and i will make baked turnips as well for everyone to try out. this way i know the meal is complete, and a new option has been offered
only one bite of the new food is required. if its not liked i don't stress over it. i just try something different next time.
i aim to add something new each week. and currently ceasar salads are on trial with grilled chicken.

using this method i have learned that turnips are a no go no matter how i make them, broccoli is only acceptable steamed or raw. and peppers are acceptable raw or sauteed. i only do one new food a week since dh has food allergies and i don't want to add too many new things and not know which one caused the issue.

Try variations on a theme.
You can mix almost anything into mac n cheese - hot dogs, chicken, broccoli, peas, spinach, onion, etc.
Instead of mac and cheese - try chicken alfredo - you can make it with almost any pasta shape - I like shells and bowties myself.

Play with types of pasta - some colored veggie pasta is nice.

If he likes chicken - he should like turkey too.
If he likes some seafood - try him on shrimp and scallops.

He might like a pork tenderloin in bbq sauce (sweet, smoky, not too spicy).
If bones bother him - try him on boneless pork chops.
How does he feel about bacon?

You need to get some fruits and salads into him too.

Try and substitute better versions of the stuff he likes, for starters.

For example, if he likes the mac and cheese in the blue box, make homemade mac and cheese. Alton Brown of Food Network has a great homemade version that tastes almost exactly like the blue box stuff. Make your own chicken nuggets with panko bread crumbs. Buy hot dogs that aren't processed with sulfites. Most grocery stores offer a variety of hot dogs and bacon that are not cured (they contain no preservatives).

Make him salads with the vegetables he likes. Make one with edamame, pinto beans, a mild butter lettuce cut up finely, and some roasted chicken with homemade taco seasoning on it, served with tortilla chips and salsa instead of dressing.

It's fine if he doesn't like bread or rolls. They're not essential.

Make a pasta dish with roasted or sauteed or steamed broccoli, cooked pasta, real grated parmigiano cheese (not the stuff in the green can), and a little olive oil. Use whole wheat or vegetable-based pasta noodles if possible.

Put roasted broccoli on a baked potato, or smoked salmon, or pinto beans and cheddar cheese.

Just take what he enjoys, add one small new item, and think of different ways to cook them.

You are not a sucky mom! You're concerned, trying to help a picky eater, and willing to be flexible. You're willing to change the habit that you got into. That's the sign of a good mom!

How about Mexican food? Most kids like quesadillas, and as they get older tacos and burritos.
Meatballs are fun, with dipping sauce. Simple Asian type stir fry, noodles and pork and veggies he likes.
I think his diet sounds fairly typical. My son was SUPER picky as a kid and now he eats almost everything, so don't worry :-)