Looking for meal ideas that are heavy on the plants low on the meats...but still edible for kids.

[jnuttier]

I am brand new as of today...looking to make lifestyle changes for my whole family in the cooking area...problems; I hate to cook, 1 very fussy eater who likes heavy carb heavy dairy meals(mac & cheese, grilled cheese, fries)  with a side of steak...would love to go mostly vegetarian and gluten free but that may be asking too much since I have neither the time or desire to cook very much.  Help? I would love some simple recipes that kids will eat. 

[tallson]

Your fussy eater will do better by staying away from that many carbs. If he/she is a young person much is taken care of by the growth hormones. Trading more fats for carbs could save him/her from a lifetime of weight problems. Meat, fowl and fish are good sources of protein and fats. Best of luck

[Missa]

I am new too.. I think eliminating specific things is always a trap.  Eventually, you binge on them (carbs, fats, cheese, whatever)  I would suggest making a plate 3x's/ day that has the following ratio: 1/4 protein, 1/2 veggies, 1/8 fat, 1/8 fruit.  If you are dying for a starch, cut back on the fat and fruit.   And...  give yourself a meal per week (note meal, not day) where you can have the things you want to cut out, be that extra carbs (plate of pasta), or a dessert.  You have to convince yourself that you are not ever going to taste fun stuff again.  No one can sustain that.  Good luck!!  Cheers, M'issa

[akaye]

I would start out with small and simple changes so you're more likely to stick with it. For instance, if your family likes burgers, spaghetti, tacos,etc, you can switch from ground beef to ground turkey, and go with wheat noodles.  Instead of making french fries, why not offer up some carrot sticks with some low-fat ranch. I've also found that if you buy your fruits/veggies and cut/prepare them ahead of time, you're more likely to munch on those throughout the week.

One of my favorite and quickest vegetable dishes is sliced squash and zucchini in the frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder (my four year old son loves it) and you can always add more veggies that the whole family will eat