You have a job.

You have one or more young children.

You juggle a LOT!

But one of the most difficult things is….getting dinner on the table.

So many parents are feeling guilty about giving their kids too many processed foods –

Or just not being able to figure out what to serve their kids when they get home at the end of the day.

Getting dinner on the table for your toddlers isn’t always easy. So many parents are irritated with themselves because they are having a hard time figuring how how to give their little ones a healthy dinner on top of everything else they have to do.

Recently I was talking to the mother of two small children, ages two and four and she lamented that she had started too late trying to get vegetables into their meals.

Too late at two and four?

Yes, she said, they were onto her already – if she tried to sneak some peas into the mac and cheese, they would just eat around them.

And the research supports her. 

Early exposure to a variety of flavors including bitter tastes can help a child to tolerate them. A number of studies indicate that the introduction of vegetables and fruits into an infant’s diet as soon as they start to eat solid foods is extremely helpful in getting them used to these tastes and in choosing to eat these foods as they become toddlers and young children.

So, here’s the deal, parents: start early!

As soon as your baby starts on pureed foods, offer broccoli, spinach and other non-sweet vegetables. This goes against conventional wisdom – but it’s important. And as soon as toddlers are able to eat some pasta, add veges to the mix. Don’t make a big deal of it, just serve it that way.

And if they don’t eat the veges?

Don’t stress. Just keep serving it that way. Try different veges. Eat some while your kids are watching. And again, don’t make a big deal of it. Research has shown that it may take many exposures to a new food for children to accept it.

And also – don’t make life hard for yourselves – just keep a few bags of green beans, peas and corn in your freezer. And while you’re at it, a few bags of frozen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries too.

And keep the snacks in between meals to a minimum so your kids are hungry at meal time: one small snack between breakfast and lunch, and one small snack between lunch and dinner. Peel and cut up an apple. Make a little bag of raisins. Peel a mandarin orange and cut each section in half. Cut up some cucumbers or carrots or celery and have a little ranch dressing for dipping. Make a little bowl of cut up watermelon or blueberries or some fresh or frozen raspberries or strawberries. Always have a couple of cheese sticks on hand. Keep it simple and healthy.

Continual snacking?

That’s a no.

Continual pouches they can suck on?

No.

A big brownie or cookie from Starbucks?

Also a no. (At least most of the time)

Just provide two of the snack choices I listed above and you’ll be fine.

And here are the 10 good dinners. They won’t take more than 15 minutes to prepare. I promise. (Except maybe some Sunday prep for one or two of them.) And there are no processed foods involved!

1. The favorite: mac and cheese with peas or green beans thrown into the pasta water during the last two minutes of cooking your pasta.

2. The second favorite: big square raviolis stuffed with cheese, again with a frozen vege or fresh broccoli florets thrown into the water in the last two minutes of cooking the ravioli. Add a little butter and parmesan if your kids like that. Or a little red sauce.

3. Frozen pierogies stuffed with potatoes or cheese – and again add the veges when there’s two minutes left to boiling them.

4. Baked chicken. Yes. Kids will eat this. Roast a whole chicken or bake chicken breasts and thighs. Put salt and a little garlic powder on top and bake. That’s it. Do this on a Sunday and you will have dinner for two or three meals during the week. Or, just buy a rotisserie chicken when you go shopping. For younger toddlers, remove the skin when serving and shred the meat so it’s finger food. Provide catsup or ranch dressing or mild barbeque sauce for dipping. One frozen vege, a cup of applesauce or thin carrot strips are your sides.

5. Quesadillas. Put some munster cheese slices on a tortilla, add a few small chopped vegetables, fold and microwave or bake until the cheese melts. Serve with a side of black beans or pinto beans and mild salsa – and it’s Mexican night! If your child doesn’t eat the beans, no worries. Just keep offering them when you serve quesadillas. 

6. Spaghetti – boil the pasta in chicken stock with a few frozen veges thrown in at the end – and you’ll be shocked how much your kids love it when you do it this way. Use the stock sold in cardboard boxes – or just serve spaghetti boiled in water with butter and parmesan on top. No child can resist this – as you probably know already. Serve with thin carrot and celery sticks or slices of cucumber with ranch dressing for dipping.

7. Chicken or turkey tenders. Not the frozen, breaded, processed ones – just the plain ones that are sold raw in every grocery store. Saute in olive oil and add a little salt and garlic powder while sauteing. Brown them just a little bit. And let your kids eat them with their fingers with a cup of applesauce and a vege on the side. Again – catsup or ranch dressing or barbeque sauce for dipping.

8. Burgers with or without the bun. Using ground chicken, turkey or hamburger, make some small patties for your kids. Salt and garlic salt on top and saute in a little olive oil or butter until they’re done. Serve with steamed broccoli, carrot or celery strips and a dipping sauce.

9. Meatballs. Buy a good brand. Read the ingredients on the box and make sure that they only have a few in ingredients. Saute or microwave. Service with a cup of applesauce and a vegetable. IF your child likes red sauce or parmesan, put that on top.

10. Lasagna. Yes, most kids love this. Make on the weekend or buy a good brand. Serve a small amount to start and see if your child wants more.

Other hits with toddlers? Believe it or not, many love smoked salmon torn into small bits, tuna or salmon from the can, or other canned or fresh fish (although only serve once every other week because of the potential mercury content), halved cherry tomatoes, fresh raspberries, strawberries or almost any other fruit, dried cranberries or cherries, pickles. Chicken noodle soup is an old standby and many will also eat tomato soup or even pureed bean soup. Try any and all of these – and more. Expose them to the foods you love. If possible, eat what they eat and eat with them. If you don’t like the foods I’ve suggested, serve what you like and give your child some small portions of exactly what you’re eating.

And for dessert? Again – fresh fruit or frozen berries. And for some fun? Spray on whipped cream! This has very little fat and sugar. Buy a good brand without a lot of additives. And if you allow a real dessert in your house? Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cookie to go with that fruit!

And most importantly? Again, sit with your children when they eat. Or better yet, eat with them.

It’s easy to fall into the habit of letting your children eat on their own while you look at your phone or do clean up.

But try not to. Sit together and talk. And make sure everyone stays at the table until they’re finished. These are good habits to get into – and to keep!