Meal Plans for Picky Eaters – Top 4 recipes to choose from!

You have family members who are picky in terms of their food. Cooking for them is a task! Also, while picking dishes that suit their palate, you will also have to remember to fit in the key components – proteins, vitamins, and minerals. How would you structure a meal plan for the same? Here are a set of meal plans for picky eaters, which you may use as a reference.

As you scroll down this listicle, you will find that we have managed to incorporate the required nutrients into each meal plan. Also, the dishes we have shared are main-course dishes. Let’s scroll down –

What must you remember before picking a plan?

Before you pick up any of the meal plans for picky eaters you must remember to create a balanced meal. The meals must have a healthy blend of whole wheat grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products.  Also, if there is no way to ensure your ‘fussy eater’ would have his or her fruits, you could always add it as a side dish or make a milkshake. Let’s see how to do the same.

Listing out meal plans for picky eaters

These meal plans are primarily main-course dishes, which you may choose to serve at lunch or dinner. Checking them out now –

1. Monterey Chicken and Pasta

Ask your ‘fussy eater’ if he or she would enjoy a plate of pasta, and there’s absolutely no chance for a negative answer. Hence, topping the list of meal plans for picky eaters is this chicken pasta which would be ready in a maximum of 35-40 minutes. Here’s how you should do it –

What will you need? 

  • Shredded pre-cooked chicken (you could use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken).
  • 7-10 ounces of diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 2 sliced green onions
  • Cooked bacon (3 slices)
  • Pasta – 1/2 pound (you could use Rotini pasta or any other pasta of your choice)
  • Chicken broth (2 cups)
  • Barbecue sauce (1/2 cup)
  • Shredded cheese – made of cow milk (1 cup)
Meal Plans for Picky Eaters
Image Credit: 12 Tomatoes

How to cook? 

  • You will have to combine the chicken, tomatoes, and pasta in a large skillet. On top of that, add the chicken broth. Blend the components together.
  • Cover the skillet and put it on high flame to allow the blending to come to a boil.
  • Once it starts boiling, you will have to reduce the flame and let it simmer for 15 minutes. During that time, at an interval of 5 minutes, you will have to keep stirring it.
  • After 15 minutes, you will find most of the pasta is cooked.
  • You will have to drizzle the sauce and cheese over the pasta and cover it. Lower the flame and check after 5 minutes; you will see the cheese has melted.
  • Garnish with green onions and bacon.

Serve it up with toppings of zucchini, carrots, and homemade tomato sauce to ensure the correct balance of nutrients. After all, there’s no harm in adding on some hidden veggies to enhance the nutrition supplement.

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2. Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Dipping Sauce

If it’s chicken nuggets, then there’s nothing more your dear ‘fussy eater’ would want to have that meal! Additionally, you can freeze them and serve them out as per your picky’s pick. This is another of the most opted alternatives to add to the meal plans for picky eaters.

What will you need? 

  • 4 pieces of chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • All-purpose flour, garlic, and onion powder (1/4th of a teaspoon each)
  • Grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
  • Corn flakes (3 cups)
  • Beaten eggs (2)
  • A pinch of pepper

How to cook? 

  • You will have to prepare the baking process by pre-heating the oven to 425 degrees. Spray the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Cut the chicken pieces into smaller flat-sized pieces. Ensure you keep them bite-size.
  • Now you will have to blend the remaining ingredients. Firstly, crush the flakes into crumbs. Then add the cheese, pepper, salt, garlic, and onion powder. Blend them completely to form a thick mesh.
  • Combine the eggs, flour, and pieces of chicken and drain the excess liquid after some time. Now add this mixture to the blending of corn flake that you created.
  • Once you have prepared the concoction, cut them into balls or finger pieces – as you like. Lay them out on the baking sheet.
  • Here you can choose to either bake it or fry it. If you are baking it, do the same for 15 minutes minimum. Else, you may deep fry it till it reaches a golden-brown hue.

Meal Plans for Picky Eaters

# If you are in the mood, you could patch this dish up with cauliflower tater tots to create full-fledged meal plans for picky eaters. Add a salad dish of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions to add to the list of veggies.

If you plan on freezing the mixture, then you will have to bring it to room temperature every time you need to cook it up. Else, if you have frozen the nuggets (place them in ziplock bags), you will have to bring them to room temperature and then fry or bake them.

3. Chicken Pot Pie

One of the choicest dishes on this listicle of meal plans for picky eaters is a chicken pot pie. Prepare this in less than an hour, see the picky person pick it out of the plate, and not even leave shreds.

What will you need? 

  • Butter and All-purpose flour (1/3 cup each)
  • Milk (1 cup – must be used in halves)
  • Shredded cooked chicken (3 cups)
  • Chicken broth (1 1/2 cups)
  • Mixed vegetables – 2 cups (add the choicest of vegetables. Just suggesting – broccoli, beans, chilies, shredded cabbage, and peas can be amongst the basket of vegetables you choose).
  • Double Pie crust
  • Chicken bouillon cube (1)
  • Pepper and salt to taste

How to cook? 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Keep the baking paper ready.
  • Put a saucepan on high flame, and heat the butter. Once it has melted, cook the flour and ensure that it turns golden brown.
  • Once the golden brown hue comes, add the chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk into it. Continue cooking on a low flame till you get a creamy sauce. Allow it to simmer for some time.
  • Into it, add the chicken bouillon. Flicker the salt and pepper on that. Allow it to cook for 7-10 minutes, and keep stirring the mixture in the meantime. If you like, you may add a pinch of oregano flakes over this mixture.
  • Now you will have to pour in the shredded chicken and the vegetables and cook for less than 20 minutes on a medium flame. Before you put it off the flame – ensure that a thick mesh-like structure is formed.
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Here comes the main job of creating the pot pies. You can roll out the pie crust and cut out 2 sets of discs. For doing the same, you will have to use mini pie pans. Technically, in our meal plans for picky eaters, we prefer to slice the crust into pies before we bake them same.

  • Take the pie crust and top it up with the chicken potpourri that you have created. Take a wooden spatula and level it down to create a thick layer. Take the other disc of the pie and place it over the same. Seal the edges with a little touch of butter. Ensure that the discs are placed closely on top of each other like a pie. You can create up to 6 such mini-pot pies.
  • The oven has been pre-heated, and you will have to bake this crust (if kept as a whole) or the pies (if already sliced) for 20 minutes.

You can either make the crust at home or get the pre-made pie crust from the bakery.

4. Taco Macaroni Casserole

This is the last of the recipes on this list of meal plans for picky eaters. No listicle of food can end without a casserole summing it up. Also, even the pickiest of people have no chance of saying no to it when it is a taco. So, here’s the process –

What will you need? 

  • Ground beef (2 pounds)
  • Packaged cream cheese (7-8 ounces)
  • Macaroni noodles (16 ounces)
  • Minced garlic and onion (1 tablespoon each)
  • Sour cream (1 cup)
  • Water (1/2 cup)
  • Taco seasoning (2 packets)
  • Salsa (2 cups)
  • Salt and Pepper (as per choice)
  • Shredded cheese

How to cook? 

  •  Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta in it. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set it aside.
  • Take a skillet and cook the beef by adding onion and garlic to it. Place it over medium flame till the cooking is complete.
  • Once the beef has been cooked, you will have to add the taco seasoning and salsa to it and allow it to simmer for a good 5 minutes.
  • While the beef concoction is simmering, you will have to pour in the pasta, sour cream, cream cheese, and water and leave it to be cooked. Keep stirring at intervals and ensure that the sauce is thoroughly blended.
  • Ready to be served? Not yet. When the casserole has been cooked, you will have to transfer it to a baking bowl and spread shredded cheese over it. Then you must bake it for 25-30 minutes.

#As a hint, continue baking till the cheese over it does not bubble up. Garnish with salt and pepper and serve it to your picky eater. 

Meal Plans for Picky Eaters

Congrats, you have just listed out one of the best meal plans for picky eaters.

Have you made your choice?

Which of these dishes have you picked out from this listicle of meal plans for picky eaters? Would you like to alter any of these dishes? If you do, please share with us what additions you have made or which ingredient you have replaced. For more updates, keep checking this space.