Brainstorming new foods to try out for picky eater veggie kids

[mumkimum]

I think I've run us through all our normal 'transitional' favorites recently, and I'm bored of the same foods myself, and they've also become less appetizing to the kiddos too.  

Something new, kid-friendly (especially to kids who aren't very enthusiastic about new dishes).  Mainly needing snack/lunch/dinner ideas since we have a lot of favorite breakfasts already.  What have you tried lately?  What do your kids like if they're like this too?

Kids here are 5 & 2 - one can't eat nuts/lentils/some beans/eggs.  We eat lacto-ovo generally.

Best well-liked foods:

vegan beanballs

noodle soups (like tortellini soup, homemade with soba noodles, or veggie-fied ramen)

hash browns (shredded, not really my homemade ones)

creamy potato stuff

rice - mostly plain or homemade fried rice

black bean tacos

One also really likes broccoli, other often likes indian dishes.

[LitMom]

We have hard boiled egg shapers, which make eggs a hit here. http://www.amazon.com/Kotobuki-Plastic-Mold-Rabbit-Bear/dp/B002TZ04J6

I usually cook fast dinners. Here's my plan for the week:

1-Ginger and Cinnamon quinoa with broccoli, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas; cheese and crackers

2-Gnocchi with peas and parmesan; edamame

3-Refried beans and quesadillas

4-Muffin-tin quiches with broccoli and peppers; this lets us make them to individual's tastes; and easier to freeze extras/put in lunch boxes 

5-Lasagne rollups (lasagne noodles rolled up with cheese and veggies inside instead of as a lasagna; easier to pull a few out of the freezer for each person, rather than a whole lasagna that doesn't get finished)

6-Smart dogs and cole slaw

7-Breakfast for dinner--pancakes and fruit

[mumkimum]

Thanks for the ideas. 

I really should try the lasagna roll-ups, I bet I could kinda personalize them veggie-wise with or without different stuff, and freezing is a great idea too if they're popular here.  

[hasya]

How bad is your allergy kid's reaction to lentils? Have you ever tried fermented lentils? Can they eat mung beans? Chickpeas?

If any of the above is true, I can give you many Indian food ideas.

[mumkimum]

So far, she's gotten hives on her face pretty immediately from lentils & other split peas (and then refuses to eat any more).  I have never tried, nor thought of fermented lentils so I don't know about them.  

I can't recall if we've tried mung beans, but she's been fine for chickpeas (and various forms of it - chickpea flour, blended in hummus, etc.).  Other beans have been fine so far - white beans a favorite of hers.

[caiesmommy]

I second lasagna roll-ups. I make a tofu ricotta and puree roasted eggplant/zuke/onions and spices into the tofu mixture roll them up into the lasagna and my kids chow down. I LOVE faking them out!!!
 

[Ragana]

White beans go well with greens in soup or stew. Chickpeas - hummus with pitas, falafel? And black bean tacos are great with sweet potato, if your kids eat those. Something along these lines:

http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv87.htm

Any of those three beans can be made into various permutations of chili.

[annaknitsspock]

My DD is really into goat cheese (which I think is kind of funny because she's only 17 months) so on a really busy night I like to whip her up some whole grain pasta and top it with goat cheese, tomatoes, and corn (for DH and me I melt the cheese with garlic, a chipotle pepper, and a little water--soooo tasty. I found the recipe in Vegetarian Times). 

You've probably tried this one, but we've had some pretty good success with broiled pita pizzas--DD doesn't love veggies so I chop them up tiny and hide them under the sauce and cheese. Good reheated. 

I do a corn and potato chowder that would be a good creamy potato thing--the recipe is from Student's Vegetarian Cookbook by Carole Raymond, which I got for myself when I was in college but actually has some great, simple recipes that have gone over well with DD. 

I got a cookbook for Christmas that I am OBSESSED with: Vegetarian Food for Kids by Laura Washburn. I have had such great success with these recipes. One favorite is a polenta pie: toss some veggies (I do cauliflower or broccoli, red/yellow bell peppers, zucchini, and red onions) with olive oil and bake for ten minutes or so until just browning, then cover with polenta, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese and bake for 35 minutes or so--yum! 

If all else fails, I make mac-and-cheese with chopped up spinach. At least a few bites of spinach end up in DD's mouth. 

 

[hasya]

I'll give you names of the dishes too, so that you can google and find recipes that suit you and your kitchen the best.

If mung beans are a go - mung bean crepes or pesarattu. soak, sprout, grind to paste with salt and/or spices, spread, cook, eat. I am sure you can freeze the batter. I've never tried it that way, though.

Chickpea salad or Indian chickpea salad with channa chat masala (available in any Indian store).

Chole, rajma.

Chickpeas/kidney beans/virtually any bean and rice (cooked beans can be simmered in an onion-ginger-garlic-tomato-spices base, Indian style for one kid and plain, tossed with olive oil and chopped tomatoes for the other). If you think that your kids may be allergic to anything in the store-bought spices, just use roasted (or not) and powdered cumin and coriander. It'll work out fine.

I have the same book by Laura Washburn. I'd highly recommend getting it because it has some great recipes and I am sure you can adapt them to your unique situation if they have any offending ingredients.

Cream of wheat can be prepared as a savoury dish as well (called upma). Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds, curry leaves (optional but enhance taste), chillies, red and/or green, to taste, saute onions, toss chopped vegetables in (frozen works fine, usually, potato/carrot/peas or a combination, thereof), and after a few min, add water and salt. When water starts boiling, reduce heat, slowly stir in cream of wheat (also works with broken wheat or bulgur wheat).

Variations - don't use onions and/or add tomatoes and/or grated ginger. For added flavour, you can dry roast cream of wheat or roast it in a tsp of ghee before stirring it into boiling water. Or, you can add ghee into the final product. Can be eaten as is or with any sauce, chutney, or even ketchup or sugar. Mint chutney from an Indian store will work great with it.

Note that the original recipe also calls for roasting split black gram lentils and split chickpeas in the oil also. I changed this up to accomodate allergies. If you don't have mustard seeds or curry leaves, skip. It'll change the taste, but don't tell your kids, and serve it up with a sauce/chutney. Do use at least cumin and if possible ginger too, if you cannot find the other seasonings.

Khakhra - flat Indian bread, rolled very thin and cooked to crispness. They stay for a long time in a airtight container and can be bought in most Indian stores.