After spending the day chasing a toddler or working in an office, somehow you have managed to prepare a meal for your family. The table is set, the sippy cup is full and your spoon is ready to ply food in your feisty toddler's mouth with the nutritious, fill-in-the-blank food.
There's only one problem: Your little one refuses to eat anything besides mac 'n cheese or peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches.
Registered dietitians and moms Janice Newell Bissex and Liz Weiss ― commonly known as The Meal Makeover Moms ― are fighting the age-old battle of picky eaters with their line of cookbooks, podcasts and interactive Web site. Their newest cookbook, "No Whine for Dinner: 150 Healthy, Kid-Tested Recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms," offers a unique take on family-favorite recipes that weaves in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy oils without your children realizing it.
“It's geared for busy families,” said Newell Bissex. “All of the recipes are tested by kids and moms … Some of the recipes were thrown out when we didn't get good feedback.”
The Meal Makeover Moms collaborated with real-life moms and dads from their social media sites for a book chock-full of such fun and healthy recipes as "Smiley Face Casserole," "Grab-and-Go Granola Bars," "Piping-Hot Peanut Butter Soup" and "Buffalo Chicken Pizza Pies."
Weiss said her children continually ask for the "Smiley Face Casserole," a playful and healthy makeover of the tater tot casserole.
"It's great when the weather turns cold," she said, adding that another fall favorite is the chocolatey pumpkin bars.
Newell Bissex said her 11-year-old love the whole enchilada bake and she finds the blueberry muffin corn meal a particularly flavorful snack for kids.
In addition to kid-friendly meals, "No Whine for Dinner" also serves up real-life tips and tricks for getting picky eaters to eat new foods. For instance, a mother from Georgia started the "three pennies game" in which everyone at the dinner table must say a compliment and put a penny into a pot. Other tips include starting a vegetable garden, having the kids pick out the menu by downloading the recipe and gross them out by getting kids to try vegetables that give them gas or make their urine smell. For more tips, click here.
"When people cook at home, they eat healthier diets," Weiss said. "There is such a push on having a healthier lifestyle — not only because people are getting overweight but they're malnourished."
"A lot of kids are deficient in certain nutrients, such as fiber and calcium," added Newell Bissex. "Almost everyone's diet out there could use some tweaking."
For more information on the Meal Makeover Moms, check out their website.
