Ever try a new recipe (or worse yet, pick up all the groceries for a new weekly meal plan), only to have a picky eater snub their nose at it?
Between adjusting meal time to accomodate everyone’s tastes and keeping the grocery bill down, trying to keep cooking quick, easy and cheap can be a challenge even the best parents face!
JM Nutrition developed this meal plan with the goal of providing families quick and easy meals that are kid friendly, while still being nutritious and easy on the wallet. Find a balanced approach to eating that supports both your family's health and your budget with Family Friendly: Cheap and Easy Eats meal plan series.
We hope Family Friendly: Cheap and Easy Eats can help you and your family find joy in planning meals together that everyone can enjoy!
High Protein Pancakes from Week 1
Tips to help ease picky eaters
We know that families can have picky eaters in them, and no one wants to follow a meal plan or try a recipe with ingredients they don't like, just because it's cheap or easy to make. That being said, it’s always recommended to encourage the picky eaters in our lives to try new things, and it can be a little easier with these tips.
Engage children in the meal planning process to encourage them to try new foods. Take a look at the suggested meal plan, and create a grocery list together. Kids can choose their preferred snack for the day, or vegetables for an easy side dish.
Encourage children to help in the kitchen with easy tasks like washing and peeling the vegetables, or if they’re older, teaching them about food and kitchen safety skills.
Take time to experiment with different fruits and vegetables, as well as your protein choices! You'll see that a lot of the time, we say "of your choice" after a recipe ingredient or in the grocery list. This way, your family can still enjoy the foods they love, while slowly introducing new ingredients in a way that's manageable for everyone.
Find your next easy weekday meal with the Y@HOME+ Meal Maker!
Want to Try Making Your Own Meal Plan?
Y@HOME’s online meal planner for members allows you to create your own custom meal plans based on your personal preferences.
Make meal planning easy with the ability to save your favourite recipes, print customized grocery lists based on your meal plan, and customize it based on your personal needs.
About the Creators
Lyndsay Hall, R.D., JM Nutrition
As a Registered Dietitian, Lyndsay offers highly personalized and client-centred nutrition counselling from an evidence-based perspective.
Lyndsay prides herself on being thorough and detail-oriented. At the same time, she has a realistic, down-to-earth and supportive approach. As a result, her clients highly appreciate and value her counselling methods.
As an added bonus, Lyndsay has a solid knowledge base of various international foods, placing her in a prime position to help people from various cultural backgrounds adjust their eating habits.
Shirley Khuong, R.D., JM Nutrition
Shirley is a registered dietitian licensed with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia.
Shirley has many areas of expertise. Her goal is to build connections with patients and empower them to continue to make behaviour changes. She provides encouragement and empathy as patients undergo their nutrition journey.
Shirley provides evidence-based and client-centred care to help you create sustainable changes in your nutritional goals.