Skip the Hotdogs Use These Recipes for Picky Eaters Instead

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You don’t have to be a child to be a picky eater. Some people do not have a palate for a wide range of tastes – and others are not willing to try a wide array of foods.

When you are putting together a menu, there are a few things you can do prior to cooking and serving. Some of those things include: sending out an email/text to guests asking for any potential food allergies, creating a quick menu with an RSVP option, post your upcoming meal menus on a community board for your family to see, or incorporate meal planning and prepping into your weekly family meetings. You’ll find that all of these options will alleviate any food discrepancies or worries you will encounter from picky eaters.

It doesn’t matter if you are feeding your family or hosting an event, there are a number of options for any meal. Let’s dive into some of those menu options.

Peanut Butter Smiley Faces

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Let’s be honest, unless you have a peanut allergy, everyone loves a good PB&J. Registered dietitian, nutritionist, and cookbook author, Liz Weiss has curated the perfect PB&J that adults and little ones will love. Peanut Butter Smiley Face Sandwiches can be recreated in so many different ways. You can use whole wheat English muffins, peanut butter (or another nut butter), a banana, raisins, strawberries, grapes, and oranges.

Slice the muffins in half and toast lightly. Then spread the peanut butter onto each muffin half – then get creative. Slice your fruit in half to create a face. This fun sandwich can be served as a breakfast or lunch entrée, or even as a snack with a glass of milk. If you have extra fruit, consider serving along with the sandwich as a nutritious side. Your little ones will enjoy chomping away at this creative dish.

Ranch Taco Ring

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Tacos are always a safe dish to serve because it allows people to add additional toppings, if they’d like. A fun twist on the standard taco is this taco ring. Parker Wallace is the genius behind this simple and delicious meal. If you don’t have a Bundt pan, no worries – this dinner meal can be cooked on any regular cooking dish. If you’re not sure whether or not your guests like ranch, allow them to add that topping themselves – and serve it on the side.

The taco ring calls for black olives and jalapeños, you could leave those ingredients out or add that to only one half of the ring. If you decide to omit them from one side, use a toothpick to mark the side that includes those spicy ingredients. This easy dinner option bakes in 20 to 25 minutes and serves approximately four people.

Simple Avocado Toast

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Avocado toast is a delicious breakfast or snack option, but everyone makes it a different way. You never know if the avocado will be sliced or smashed, how much seasoning will be added, or what type of toast will be served. But Amy Goodson has a wonderful avocado toast option that is simple and yummy!

Goodson is a registered dietitian and loves creating healthy options that are also tasty. Her avocado toast has three ingredients: one slice of Artisan bread, 1/3 avocado, and a dash of Everything Bagel Seasoning. You’ll want to toast the bread or broil it for 1 – 3 minutes – depends on how crispy you want the toast. When you serve the toast, you can also include additional toppings such as nuts, seeds or a dried fruit of choice.

This simple breakfast (or snack) option can be coupled with a side of fruit or eggs. It doesn’t matter if you’re enjoying breakfast in or are on the go, this is a quick and delicious option.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

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Everyone loves pizza! This buffalo chicken pizza takes about 10 minutes to prep and only 12 minutes to cook. No need to get super fancy or invest a lot of time to make dough, use prepackaged pizza dough and divide it into six pieces. Then add the toppings: buffalo wing sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, buffalo cheddar, red onion, crumbled blue cheese, chopped scallions, chopped jalapenos, and spicy chicken sausage.

Feel free to add or omit any toppings that your guests are not crazy about – except for the buffalo wing sauce because that is a must! Make sure you grab extra cheese because let’s face it, you can never have enough cheese. If you have other guests, or family members who aren’t afraid to try things, consider putting out additional pizza toppings. Sometimes less is more, but when it comes to pizza that’s not always true.

Tomato Basil Soup with Tortellini

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Soup is the perfect option for a busy night. Pick up a baguette and BOOM, dinner is served. This tomato basil soup with tortellini takes about 15 minutes and can be reheated for leftovers. Iowa Girl Eats is the mastermind behind this delicious option.

Couple of things to note, I use onions versus shallots, 2 tbsp minced garlic versus cloves, and instead of fresh basil, I use the packaged stuff. When it comes to frozen tortellini, I’ve found that the fresh option works better and I’m a Buitoni fan.

If you’re reheating leftovers, consider adding about a ¼ cup of marinara and ¼ cup of chicken broth. Once the soup comes to a steady boil, turn to low, and then voila – dinner is served again!

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Cooking and serving picky eaters doesn’t have to be a difficult task. There are several wonderful breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options for just about anyone. Not only do these options not require a ton of prep work, they can be curated to include additional ingredients for people who like to try new things. Having dishes with options is a great way you can appease your guests or family, without having to create multiple menu options.

Remember, cooking and eating is a great way people can come together and bond. It doesn’t matter if you are hosting a party or simply preparing dinner for your family at home, creating meals with intention also creates memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.