Meal Planning Tips for Picky Eaters

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Meal planning for picky eaters can be a challenge. Whether it’s picky kids or picky adults, it can be difficult to come up with family dinner ideas that everyone in the family will enjoy, while also making sure there are enough nutritious options to keep everyone healthy. Sometimes you can feel like a short-order cook trying to make everyone happy.

Meal planning is a great way to make your life less complicated, so making it work with a picky eating family member is worth a shot. Fortunately, I have some tips and tricks you can use to make meal planning delicious meals easier and more successful, even with fussy eaters.

Meal Planning for Picky Eaters

1. Make a list of favorite foods

Once you have an idea of what the picky eaters in your family like, brainstorm some creative recipes that incorporate those foods. For example, if they like macaroni and cheese, think about adding some vegetables or a protein to make it a complete meal.

This can be one of the easiest ways to accommodate them. Sometimes you have to sneak in healthy foods to make sure that picky eaters are getting healthy meals. Looking for ideas? Check out our top ground beef recipes for kids.

2. Don’t be afraid to experiment

If a dish doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. Try to incorporate some different flavors from new foods and new textures into the meals, as well as rotating some tried-and-true favorites.

As time goes on, a picky palate might change and they can warm up to the idea of other foods so you’ll definitely want to keep trying so family meals can be easier for you to put together. Since food preferences tend to change as we age, you’ve got a good chance of successfully introducing new foods if you don’t give up.

3. Think outside the box

Instead of serving up the same old meals, try to think of new ways to serve up familiar ingredients. For example, you can use shredded cheese and diced tomatoes to make a quick quesadilla, or use cooked pasta and diced vegetables to make a delicious macaroni and cheese.

You can also make a main dish like a sheet pan dinner that foods they don’t like can be removed from easily and the whole family can pick and choose what they want from it.

4. Make substitutions

Try to avoid having to make separate meals for any of your family members. If the picky eaters don’t like a certain ingredient, don’t be afraid to offer a substitution. For example, if they don’t like bell peppers, offer zucchini instead.

Make sure the substitutions are minor and won’t make things too complicated. At the end of the day, sometimes it just gets complicated and there’s nothing you can do about it. Just do the best you can and keep healthy snacks on hand that you know they like in case your picky eater refuses food.

5. Focus on the presentation

Picky eaters can often be won over by attractive and appetizing presentations, especially kids. Try to make meals look as colorful and inviting as possible. Use a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as different ingredients.

6. Invite your picky eater to help plan/cook

Sometimes involving your picky eater in the meal planning, shopping list making, and cooking process makes them more likely to try different things. Make sure you always encourage them to include familiar foods, but to also add something a little different to them. Small changes, especially with little kids, will work best for parents of picky eaters.

Use simple recipes or recipes with some simple steps that your picky eater can help with and let them taste ingredients as you put your easy meals together. Invite your picky eater to choose new recipes with you so they feel like they have a say in what goes on the dinner table.

7. Offer options

Picky eaters often want to have a choice in what they eat, so be sure to offer several options at each meal. That way, they can choose something they like. This doesn’t have to be a whole meal and can be within reason. For example, if your picky eater is a young child and won’t eat the spaghetti you’re serving, try plain buttered pasta.

Sometimes just having a stash of balanced options you can offer is your only option, if you have an exceptionally picky eater. Always keep things like their favorite veggie and classic kid favorites like grilled cheese, chicken fingers or chicken nuggets, and french fries you can throw in the air fryer or oven on hand just in case.

Most importantly, like I mentioned above, don’t give up!

Meal planning for picky eaters can be difficult, but with a little bit of patience and creativity, you can come up with some great ideas to make it work for your family without much work. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and remember that even if something doesn’t work out the first time, it doesn’t mean it won’t work in the future. With a little bit of work, you can make meal planning for picky eaters a success.