Raising a Foodie Family: Menus on Mondays 4-22-13

 “You’re kids must not be very picky,” a friend said to me the other day.  I wondered why she thought that, and she mentioned my Menus on Mondays series and how my kids must be really adventurous.  I thought about what she had said.  My oldest kid will eat pretty much anything, except for beans and anything spicy.  My youngest will eat pretty much anything that isn’t green.  

So yes, they are pretty good eaters, but like most children, they have their limitations.  Despite my oldest not wanting beans and my youngest not wanting greens, you can bet that when my dinner involves one or the other, they still get the no-no ingredients on their plate.  I’m hoping to win this battle with sheer determination.

They don’t have to love it.  They don ‘t even have to eat it all.  But they do have to try it.  Sometimes they are pleasantly surprised.  Sometimes, they spit it right back out.  You win some, you lose some.

I’m hoping that one day, Graham will forget he doesn’t like beans (he keeps saying that he’ll love them when he’s five), and maybe one day Will will accidentally eat a green bean and decide it’s not the enemy.  A mom can dream. In the meantime, I’ll continue making colorful and healthful dinners under the assumption, that at some point, they’ll just have to cave.

With that in mind, I present to you Raising a Foodie Family menu collection:

Monday
Asian Salmon and Noodles, recipe from Julia’s Album
(cook double the salmon and reserve half for Wednesday night’s taco dinner)

Tuesday – Grill!
Grilled Pork Tenderloin, recipe from My Kitchen Snippets
Grilled Scallion Sweet Potatoes, recipe from Food Network Kitchens

Wednesday
Salmon Tacos, from Recipe.com
Mexican Sour Cream Rice, from A Taste of Homecooking

Thursday, Vegetarian
Stacked Roasted Veggie Enchiladas, from Perry’s Plate
Southwestern Cole Slaw, from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Friday (Optional Vegetarian)
Angel Hair with Asparagus, Prosciutto and Parmesan, from ValSoCal
(omit proscuitto for vegetarian diets)

Weekend Cooking
Black Bean Hummus with Pita Chips
Crawfish Corn Soup, recipe from Tastebook
Jalapeno Cornbread, recipe from Small Home Big Start

Weekend Breakfast
Baked Oatmeal Muffins (customize able for each person), recipe from Sugar Free Mom

Lunch Idea 
Macaroni Salad with Asparagus, Peas & Feta, from Real Simple