Ultimate Guide: How to Meal Prep for Picky Eaters

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Meal prepping is one of the best life hacks to save money, save time, and eat healthy. There’s no question that it works.

But some people just can’t do it. They hate eating leftovers and they need variety. They may even have legit reasons such as allergy restrictions or just dietary goals.

If you’re trying to meal prep for yourself or a picky family member, I’ve got you covered today. Whether you, your partner, your kids or someone else is a picky eater, meal prepping can be challenging — but not impossible.

I’ll give you some of my best tips for how to meal prep for picky eaters and I’ll give you some of my best meal prep ideas for picky eaters.

5 Helpful Tips for Picky Meal Prepping

Meal prepping doesn’t have to be hard when you or somebody else has specific food restrictions. Here are five helpful tips for preparing healthy, balanced meals for the pickiest eater you know.

1.   Meal prep buffet-style

Buffet-style meal preparation is somewhat foolproof when you have several people with varying tastes and dietary needs. Buffets allow people to decide what they want themselves.

Start with a carbohydrate base, such as noodles, rice, quinoa, polenta or potatoes. Then, prepare a protein. For example, bake chicken cutlets to cut up over salads, using gluten free breadcrumbs for restrictive diets. Check out my list of gluten free meal prep ideas if you’re trying to prep for someone who doesn’t get to enjoy life.

Slicing and dicing vegetables is often the most time-consuming part of meal prepping. Keep things simple by choosing one or two vegetables and have several condiments or dressings on hand for others to decide what topping they prefer.

This method works best for customizable creations like pasta or stir-fry bowls, taco salads and wraps.

2.   Play it safe with textures

Research shows food texture acceptance begins between 9 and 36 months old with the development of chewing mobility. No wonder it plays such an important role in meal pickiness.

Prepare foods properly for picky eaters who have texture aversion. One example might be avocados. While some people may love eating guacamole, others may prefer a sliced avocado. The same goes for Brussels sprouts, typically favored as roasted and caramelized rather than mashed. To save time, you can use a food processor to chop and puree your vegetables.

Other examples may be to use onion or garlic powders in cooking rather than diced onion or minced garlic.

3.   Incorporate new foods in different ways

Picky eaters have a hard time opening themselves up to trying new foods — yet eating the same thing every day can get boring. Sometimes I convince myself I’ll hate a particular food before trying it. Other times, it’s all in the way it’s cooked and prepared.

Cauliflower is a versatile, mild-tasting vegetable people either love or hate. Florets may not be to everyone’s liking, but mashed or riced cauliflower is a carb-free alternative many are surprised to discover they enjoy.

Suppose you’re aiming for a Meatless Monday or cutting back on animal protein in general. In that case, black bean patties are a healthier, vegetarian way to add new ingredients and flavors to the typical burger familiar to picky eaters.

4.   Prep a few snacks

Meal prepping isn’t just about the meal itself. Hunger may arise throughout the day, as well. That’s why it’s essential to keep some healthy snacks on hand.

Snacks are a lot easier to prepare for picky eaters than meals, and there are hundreds of options for people to choose from.

Keep fresh fruits and vegetables in the house, such as strawberries, bananas, carrot sticks, clementines and cucumbers that are quick and easy to cut and pack in baggies. Crunchier snacks could include pretzels, mixed nuts, granola bars or seed crackers with cheese cubes.

If you decide to keep packaged snack foods around, pick low-sugar, high-fiber products like rice cakes, organic popcorn, individually portioned hummus or apple chips.

5.   Prepare smaller batches

It’s common for picky eaters to change their minds at the last minute. Even if you decided on trying something new or cleared a particular recipe with your household, takeout may be in order for the unpredictable taste buds.

Prevent food waste and extra costs on groceries by prepping meals in smaller batches. You’ll have better luck finishing the week’s meals when you make fewer servings at one time. It also removes the pressure of feeling like you need to eat everything you spent hours cooking and putting together.

It may be best to plan for midweek meal prepping in these situations. It’s a bit more time-consuming, but it’s worth it.

6.   Keep an Open Mind

While picky eaters are often set in their ways, it never hurts to try new foods every once in a while. Taste buds develop over time, so something you did not like as a kid might actually taste good to you later in life. You might steer clear of foods like avocados because of their consistency, but they could surprise you if you just give them a chance.

If you find a recipe that sounds good, but you’re uncertain about one ingredient, don’t be afraid to give it a try. A salad recipe might call for a type of cheese or dried fruit you’ve never tried. Before skipping it altogether, buy a small amount to add to your salad. When all the ingredients are mixed together, you might not even notice the unfamiliar flavor.

7.   Make New Things Familiar

If you’re daring enough to try something new, you can pair it with something you already enjoy. Maybe you want to try a new vegetable. Serve it with your favorite chicken tenders or mix it into your go-to pasta dish.

Especially if you are trying to sneak more nutrients into your diet, mixing healthy ingredients in with comfort foods is a great way to ease into it. You could even blend up your vegetables and mix them in with marinara sauce if you really don’t want to taste them. As long as you’re getting the nutrients you need, there is no shame in making meal time easier.

Meal Prep Ideas for Picky Eaters

With these tips in mind, it’s time to get started on your meal prep journey. It’s best to start with a basic idea and build a recipe from there. Decide if you want salad, pasta, rice or another easy meal prep dish, then pick what ingredients you want to make the recipe your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1.   Customizable Pasta

Pasta is a great dish to meal prep. You can cook noodles in large batches and simply separate them into individual containers to reheat each day of the week. Plus, you can switch up your sauce and toppings to keep it new week to week.

For something simple, go for marinara sauce, your preferred vegetable, and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. If you want to expand your food tastes, mixing a new ingredient in with your favorite sauce is a great way to test something out.

2.   Build-Your-Own Salad

Build-your-own salad restaurants are popular for a reason. They give you all the control to pick what you want. Why not recreate this method at home? There are endless meal prep salad ideas, so all you have to do is find what ingredients you like.

This option is great for families with picky eaters. Simply buy a variety of ingredients and let every family member choose what they want. If you’re not sure where to start, try some of these toppings: cucumber, tomatoes, bell peppers, sliced almonds, orzo noodles, black beans, corn, croutons, dried fruit, and your favorite cheese. Top it off with your preferred dressing, and you’re good to go.

3.   Rice Bowls

If you don’t want noodles or lettuce as your base, rice is a great alternative, and it works with a variety of cuisines. Maybe you love Mexican food. Try a burrito bowl using all the ingredients you’d normally order at a restaurant, like beans, corn, salsa and chicken.

If you prefer Asian cuisine, you can cook a large batch of stir fry, adding whatever veggies you like with soy sauce. Or go Mediterranean, with chickpeas, olives and feta cheese.

More: 42 Mexican meal prep ideas

4.   Dips

If you’re tired of salad and want to cut back on cooking, you can try a dip-based meal. Think about what dips you like to eat. That could be salsa, guacamole, spinach dip, hummus or even yogurt. Then pick a few sides to go with it.

Carrot sticks, peppers and cucumbers go great with hummus or veggie dips. You can also go with pita bread or chips. With salsa and guacamole, chips are the obvious choice, but you could also tear up tortillas to dip. For something sweeter, pick out your favorite fruits to dip in yogurt. To prepare, simply put a few spoonfuls of dip into one container and your sides in another. 

Things Not to Say to Someone Who’s “Picky”

I remember the times when my dad used to call me a picky eater. Although he meant it in good humor, it still made me self-conscious. If you have a picky eater in the house, here are some things you should avoid saying:

• “You’re so picky; you’d starve if you were alone.”    
• “You’re not a real adult if you don’t eat vegetables.” 
• “Just try one bite.”    
• “You’ll never try new things if you don’t at least try.” 
• “You should try this new recipe.”
• “You’ll like this if you give it a chance.”

While these comments can be well-intentioned, they’re not helpful. Instead of pushing picky eaters out of their comfort zone, try to understand why they’re fussy. 

How Do You Deal with a Picky Eater?

Don’t worry; you’re not alone. Picky eaters are a common issue for parents. The good news is that there are things you can do to help make mealtime more enjoyable for a picky eater.

Here are some tips to help deal with the pickiest eaters:

Respect Their Preferences

It can be frustrating when your child won’t eat dinner that you have tentatively prepared. However, it is essential to remember that picky eaters have the right to like or dislike certain dishes. Respect their preferences, even if they are different from your own.

Be Patient

It may take some time for a picky eater to develop a taste for new foods. Be patient, and don’t give up. If your kids refuse food one day, offer it again later. 

Involve Your Kids

Let your kids help with prepping meals, grocery shopping, and cooking. This will make them more excited to try new kid-friendly dishes and feel they have a say in what is served.

Lead by Example

My kids are always watching me, so be mindful of your eating habits. Let them see you trying and enjoying new healthy foods instead of making separate meals for them.

How Do You Eat Healthy on a Budget With a Picky Eater?

While it can be a challenge to eat healthy on a budget with picky kids, I also know it is possible! 

I always try to involve my kids in grocery shopping and meal planning. This helps them to understand that I am on a budget. It also encourages them to think of ways to still eat healthy as a whole family. 

I also find ways to make healthy meals that kids love. For example, I like to make a stir-fry with various vegetables, yet my kids don’t like veggies, so I will add some lean protein like taco meat or a sauce they like to make it more appealing. 

I also like to look for discounts, coupons, and store specials to help me save money and still get the healthy items I need.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re new to meal prepping or are still trying to master it, you may be looking for some general information. Here are the most common questions meal preppers ask when getting started.

Summary

If you’re trying to meal prep for picky eaters, put my advice into action and try to create meals that have variety. You’ll be able to change things up from meal to meal without getting bored.

If you have specific dietary restrictions, check out some of my recipe roundups:

• Paleo meal prep
• Vegetarian meal prep
• Keto meal prep
• Whole30 meal prep
• Vegan meal prep