I can't think of anything an average three-year-old could reasonably be expected to prepare. If you are really committed to offering him another option besides the family meal, I would keep cut up veggies, a dip such as hummus, and cut up fruit in small containers in the fridge that he could get out and snack on while the family is eating.

I do not allow my daughter to prepare separate foods from what we are eating. She can eat what we're having, or at least just the parts she likes, and if she wants a snack later she can choose her snack.

 

i'm just trying to find a reasonable compromise... my kids are on the skinny side (not unhealthy) but it drives my husband crazy when they don't eat. I don't want to be hostage to the 2 things they will eat without fail and need some quicker options ... AND want to keep them exposed to things they won't eat so maybe one day they will... (I kind of agree with you lynsage about eat or not - they snack plenty during the day so no one is starving) ... i refuse to play short order cook, but was thinking about giving them another option. Cut up veggies/hummus would work i think... we eat it all the time so its not a treat and if i kept them cut up they could get it themselves...

Hmmm... whats the best way to store cut up veggies so they don't spoil quickly? I'm thinking peppers, carrots, and celery... anyone know if theres a way that they'd store for a week or so?

 

I've cut up veggies in strips in advance & they store pretty well for a few days in tupperware, though I don't think they'd make it a whole week.

Also I would consider involving him in the meal planning & cooking the family meal... maybe if he has a hand in it he'll be more inclined to eat it?

I'm not crazy about the idea of preparing something separate but I understand why you would... We offer DS whatever the rest of the family is eating. He eats it, sometimes just a few bites & other times a good amount. He is not picky at all but he's just not a big eater. He is allowed snacks whenever he wants (though he almost never asks) and he's still nursing tons.

As far as what a 3-yo could make, maybe guacamole (you could cut the avocado in half & he can scoop it out & mash it & spice it)... If you feel comfortable letting him use the food processor (or have a small personal blender like the Magic Bullet), he could make hummus or bean dip... You could pre-cook some veggies and he could put them in a tortilla with sauce or cheeze or whatever...

 

If you have the hummus already made, he could make a wrap...spread the hummus on a tortilla, sprinkle on some small pieces of veggies, and roll it up.

 

Dd is 3.5-she doesn't know how to make much besides pb&J, but she does get her own snacks-so I agree with pp, just keep things you are okay with her eating in the fridge at her level-if you do dairy, things like unsweetened yogurt with fruit, string cheese or cheese cubes, etc. are popular snacks around here that are easy to grab.

We don't let them pick something besides dinner. What I did was build in a bedtime snack (usually a banana, sometimes string cheese or a hard boiled egg) so that if she doesn't eat her dinner, she still has another chance to eat without feeling like we are "giving in".

 

yogurt and granola?

cheese stick? If cheese is eaten in the home. ditto for pre-boiled egg.

ummm....sorry I'm striking out because everything I can think of is treat-y---my dd had a snack drawer at that age with dried fruit, nuts, and granola bars and another little spot in the fridge for cheese sticks and other perishables.

 

-cereal and milk
-pb and j sandwich
-hummus or cream cheese and veggie sticks
-cheese sticks
-yogurt and cereal
-granola and yogurt

alternatively you could just keep some leftovers in the freezer, so if the current meal isn't appealing to your kid and you want to make sure he gets a full meal, you can heat him up something he liked that is frozen.

 

veggie sticks (esp. carrots and celery) keep very well in a tupperware full of water and closed. up to a week, i'd say. i just scoop out what i want, and sometimes refresh the water after a couple days. keeps everything nice and crisp.

what about toast with just almond butter on it? toast with hummus? toast with avacado? with a little help, he could also cook a small sweet potato in the microwave (very quick cooking... 3 min) and top with whatever (olive oil and salt, ketchup etc).

 

agree with all the PP that keeping small containers of cut up veggies on the lowest shelf in fridge, along with small containers of dips-hummus, yogurt, salsa, etc would be relatively easy for a 3 year old. The veggies will stay fresh in small airtight containers. Celery and carrots stay crisper with a little water.

You could keep single serve containers too of cut up cheese, hardboiled eggs (if you eat them) for nibbling along w/ cut up melon, strawberries, pineapple, etc

I would also find a low cupboard or drawer and stock it with acceptable non-perishables, again in small containers. ie: whole wheat crackers, cereal/granola, whole grain snacks-pretzels/tortilla chip etc would work well with the dips too

A small bowl on a low shelf for handfruit would be good too- apples, banana, pears,