Hello...first I would like to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Sandy and I have a 22 month old daughter named Sienna. She has always been a pretty good eater up until a couple months ago. She seems to be getting a bit more picky. I really have 2 dilemmas here...first, I have always cooked fo 3 people, but now it is just me and my daughter because my husband and I are separated and I need to figure out how to cook for 2...well 1 and 1/2 I guess you could say, lol. I can make a meal, be it chicken, meatloaf, anything that is time consuming and find she won't even touch it...that then leaves me with all this food that ends up going to waste because I cannot eat it all by myself. I think if I were to look in my fridge right now, I would honestly have a bout 3 meals sitting in there that I cooked this week that will get tossed. I can't afford to waste food this way. I am looking for something that is quick and that perhaps she would actually eat. It seems lately her favorite is mac & cheese or hotdogs and frankly I am tired of her eating these same things all the time. She will eat fruits and veggies, but it's the meats I have problems with. Can anyone suggest some meals to me that I can try with her? I am desperate at this point and need some tips.

Thank you so much!!

well my son went through something similar. when i spoke to his dr. about it she said "if the child is hungry, they will eat. a child will not starve themselves." i would continue to offer healthy choices and perhaps SOME of what she really likes. if the extra food is an issue, freeze it so meals can be alternated instead of the same thing day after day or having to ditch it. you can also purchase a food sealer. perhaps not in the budget, but if you're just throwing out good food, perhaps it can be an investment. they run about $100 and you can find them at local places like walmart. if you're not interested in doing that, you can always find your local homeless shelter and bring the excess down there. i have done it and it makes me rest easy at night knowing it went to a better cause than the garbage can! you can also alter what you make for dinner into kid friendly meals. it's a sacrifice but you won't have to do it forever! you can email me if you care to chat more about it, you can email me at vonnie1999@yahoo.com. best of luck!!!

Hey Sandy.  Maybe she's a vegetarian?  ;)  Kidding.  My daughter is very picky too but she's growing out of it I think...  Anyways, if you're worried about her not getting enough protein in her diet try using rich alternatives that are easy to cook and mix with veggies such as cous cous and tofu.  These alternatives are very easy to cook, delicious, and highly nutritious.  You could also try topping each bite of meat (chicken, beef, fish, etc) with fruit (mango, mandarin oranges, apples, etc) to help sweeten the deal for her.  I've seen this work on many a picky eater.  Keep it healthy and good luck!