Foods Children Will Eat

Toddlers are often tough to feed. They like foods that are sweet and simple which is not necessarily a healthy way to grow and develop strong bones and bodies. One of the challenges I face is finding new foods that my children will eat. Here is a list of things my children will eat without question:

1. Cereal
2. Hot Dogs
3. Macaroni & Cheese
4. Candy
5. Cheese or Cheese Sticks
6. Milk or Juice
7. Grapes, Raisins, Craisins
8. Cookies
9. Zucchini Bread
10. Muffins
11. Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast
12. Pasta - spaghetti, chicken alfredo, etc.
13. Yogurt
14. Chicken (Dinosaur) Nuggets
15. Hamburgers or Cheeseburgers from McDonald's
16. Ice Cream
17. Olives or Carrots
18. Pizza
19. Stir Fry
20. Rice with Sauces

However, when it comes to trying something new I usually have a few faces pulled and declarations of "I don't like it" before Michael and I can coax them to try it. Last night I tried a new rice dish with meat and cheese and the children liked it so much that they asked for seconds, a rare occurrence when it comes to a new dish. The really nice thing about it was that it is a low sodium, low sugar, low cholesterol dish, not eggs, no nuts, and if you have a gluten allergy you can substitute a gluten free soup, that is absolutely delicious. I found it in the Stake Cookbook our last stake put together in February of this year. The recipe is:

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake (Diana W., C.H. 4th Ward)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/3 c water

3/4 c uncooked, regular white rice

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 c cheddar cheese, shredded

4 med chicken breasts, boneless & skinless (I used 1 large and 1 medium one and cut it up into bite size chunks)

Mix soup, water, rice, onion powder and black pepper in a two quart shallow baking dish (with a lid if possible, aluminum foil works as a cover as well). Top with chicken. Sprinkle chicken with additional pepper. cover and bake at 375 F for 45 or until chicken is no longer pink and rice is done. Top with cheese. Serves 4 to 6. This recipe can be doubled with no problems (just use a bigger pan so that the depth of the dish is similar to the regular recipe.)

We will probably be having this more often because the kids love it and it is super easy to make. I am so excited to find something different that both the kids and parents can enjoy.