Hellobee Boards

What about other fruits? H loves apples, bananas, raisins, and recently, clementines. I don't know how to get more vegetables in her, but she has had a green smoothie before so I may try that again.

@blackbird: I'm definitely making that pizza spaghetti pie this weekend.

Quesadillas with veggies and dairy-free cheese like Daiya? We sauteed coconut crusted haddock last night and D LOVED it. Normally I just dip tilapia in italian seasoned panko, but the haddock came pre-crusted. I've also had a lot of luck with using the food processor to chop up things like spinach and adding it to meals. When I make spaghetti and meatballs I'll put in chopped mushrooms and super chopped spinach.

Weelicious (website and cook books) has a ton of ideas for kid friendly (and family friendly meals).

My LO had MSPI and we originally suspected nut allergies as well so she ate alot of dairy and nut-free foods at first. Some favorites are: hummus with pita and chicken, rice and beans and guacomole, pasta with veggie/meat sauce, chicken and rice casserole (we had to make the base with rice milk so it was dairy free, but that was pretty easy), beef stew, and chili. We often grind up bags of frozen veggies in the food processor and throw them into stuff (like pasta sauce) and it works great to get some extra veggies in there.

@jedeve: My LO can have nut products, but we are still avoiding dairy and soy. I think one piece of advice I've tried to internalize is that it can take over 15 exposures to a new food before a kid "likes" it. I think I read that somewhere here on HB way back, actually.

And for my LO, I find that's kind of true. I have given her foods countless (countless!) times and have had her refuse it, and I just don't let it stop me from offering it again. Like...she used to not eat white potatoes in any form--last night she suddenly chowed down on 2 whole potatoes (the smaller kind), that I'd thrown in a roast, along with carrots and onions.

Sweet potatos are always hit or miss--even in fry form--but I still give them to her 1-2 times a week and figure at some point, she will catch on.

For the longest time, LO refused hummus, but now she gobbles it up--like she can eat half a container of hummus herself, if I let her.

In know it's been said a lot on HB, but I really like that saying "You as the parent decide what foods you give LO, and they decide what they eat and how much". That means, sometimes my LO only eats 1 of the 3 things I give her. I don't get out a "backup" favorite food, I just let her end the meal, figuring she will be more hungry at the next one. Exceptions are when she's sick.

Things my LO likes to eat:

fruits: bananas, blueberries, oranges, grapes, pineapple
vegetables: broccoli, green beans, peas, occasionally sweet potato in some form, occasionally something random like carrots or cauliflower or butternut squash
meats: roast beef, brisket, rotisserie chicken, the Aidell's sweet onion meatballs (they are the only ones MSPI friendly), breakfast sausage
breakfast: eggs in any form, oatmeal, squash pancakes that I make in big batches and freeze

snacks: hummus with crackers, fruit, the baked puffed peas from Trader Joes, the "garden tomato" long gerber puffs (the only ones that are soy and dairy free), cheerios, guacamole with crackers or with the above mentioned peas.

I've been sick since December with my current pregnancy and have found a TON of convenience foods that are MSPI friendly if you want specific brand names. I have many days now where I just can't cook, and since LO is MSPI, I can't just give her a sandwich or mac n cheese or something.

Some kids are just picky--and there's not a lot you can do except keep exposing them to new foods and waiting for them to come around. Good luck!