My eyes glimpse almost complete white space on the plate next to me. Where is all the food that is supposed to be on my daughter’s plate? It is Thanksgiving and together, my mother and law and I have logged at least 24 hours cooking. Yet, when I finally sit down next to my daughter to enjoy the bounty, she can’t find anything she wants to eat other than the monkey bread. This scenario repeated itself for 3 years running before I had an epiphany. My child doesn’t like foods with sauce or most types of meat? Why do I expect her to magically want to eat meat and saucy foods simply because it is a holiday? I don’t have that mystical child changing skill. So, I have gotten smarter and done something about what I can control. I tweaked the menu. This year, when I sit down next to my child, her plate will full and she will fully participate in that abundant, Thanksgiving feasting vibe. If you too have a child that doesn’t like most Thanksgiving foods, come on in. I am sharing my families’ guide to Thanksgiving foods kids will eat. From the logistics of specialty foods to behavioral helpers all the way to a recipe roundup, come find out how you can take food woes off the table.
How to Get Thanksgiving Foods Kids Will Eat To The Feast
Before we jump into the list of foods, we need to talk about one practical thing. How do you get these foods on the buffet table? Holidays often bring up complicated family dynamics. Even trickier, a lot of people have “food issues” so a holiday focused on celebration through food often means that addressing relational complexities is fraught.
Help Get Safe Food on the Table When You Host
- If you are hosting the thanksgiving feast, you can simply make sure the menu include some of these kid-safe foods. (Yes, I say safe because it actually can be very overstimulating, even anxiety inducing, for a child confronted with a feast that they don’t want to eat). You can either bake a recipe up yourself or buy it from the store.
- Another good option is to farm out recipe ideas for foods your child will want on their plate. When someone asks “what can I bring?” be sure to include some of the foods kids will feel safe eating.
Help Get Safe Food on the Table at Someone Else’s House
- 1. Offer to bring the foods your kids want to eat.
- 2. Ask the host/hostess to include some of the kid’s safe foods.
- 3. Plan with another guest to bring a food your kid will like. If sweet potatoes are on the menu, you can talk to your sister in law and ask her to leave off the marshmallows if that is a hiccup for you kiddo.
- 4. Sign up to bring and then show up with appetizers full of safe foods.
- 5. Have conversations with your kids in advance about the food.
- 6. Get the kids buy-in. Sometimes if a child helps prepare the meal, they want to eat the meal. Offer them the opportunity to bond with you by preparing some of the dishes you plan to share.
- 7. Bring along a protein rich snack and give it to your child discretely whenever they need a boost.
- 8. Let go of your expectations. They might have a lot of white space on their plate.
- 9. Be prepared to gently defend your kid’s right to eat what they want. No one needs to comment on someone else’s plate. Yes, it is fun to celebrate the complex taste of the new take on cranberry sauce by chatting with your table mate, but your child can join in that conversation when they are ready. I doesn’t have to be this year.
- 10. Food is the focus, and as a baker I am really on board for that. But, with a particular eater, they need something other than food to foster table engagement. On the drive to the venue, brainstorm some questions your child might ask someone at the table. For example: Uncle Rob, what was the silliest thing my dad did when you were kids?
- 11. Change the what you call the foods. Instead of sweet potato casserole, call it sweet potato and brown sugar bake. Say what the food is so they know what to expect.
Shouldn’t Kids Try New Foods?
What about stretching your kids to try new things? I am all for this. In fact, I constantly try to expand their food preferences, but this is a needfully slow process. Some wisdom from the trenches, standing around the buffet table with 10 hungry diners behind you is not the time to convince your kid to try corn soufflé. If this is a value to you, talk about the new foods on the drive over. Get them ready by mentioning new foods are coming and answer any questions they might have. What is a soufflé after all? Pre-feast is the time to share your expectations if you have them. Do you want them to try 3 new things? Start the conversation now and let them have some input.
My Best Hack for Helping Kids Try New Foods
Want to know the most effective tip in my arsenal? Story telling and family nostalgia. Each year a glorious, bright orange sweet potato bake graces our Thanksgiving table and my daughter loves it. My daughter, casserole hater, loves it. How did I get her to even try the sweet potato casserole? We told the story of how back when daddy grew up in Virginia a special neighbor taught the family to make it. Grandma has been making it ever since. Her daddy has loved it since he was just her size. So much about Thanksgiving revolves around coming together, joining in something that has come before even as we forge something new. Telling stories about the foods on our table gives a concrete avenue all of us to fully belong in the exact space and time we inhabit as we stare at a Thanksgiving plate. Get everyone involved with the simplicity of food stories. The car ride is the perfect place to start sharing these stories. If you are hosting, let the family lore flow as you are baking. And, if your family doesn’t have recipe memories, you can share historical insights about the foods you will be eating.
Kid Friendly Thanksgiving Food Ideas
Bread
My in-laws always have a loaf of the simplest white bread each year. Before kids I thought it was ridiculous and honestly, a waste. Now, I think it is brilliant. I might want brown butter, roasted sage babka but my children do not. The classic, simple white bread holds an important purpose for those with a simpler palette. Consider making the bread option, something your child can easily put on their plate.
Vegetables
My kids don’t like sauce at all. They eat a lot of veggies but not if they get too exciting. Cue the nose scrunch at the sight of maple bacon Brussel Sprouts. Our solution? We include raw veggies at the appetizer time and simply move any leftover veggies to the buffet table. I have noticed that even the grown ups will put a simple, raw carrot on their plate.
Fruit
All of my kids are fruit fiends. Thankfully, fruit is low prep and travels well. Grab a bag of apples, cut them in eighths and put the dish on the buffet table. A bowl of clementines looks cute and adds a pop of color to the muted aesthetic. Sliced strawberries can be prepared in advance and become a safe spoon to grab. If you want them to try something festive, make homemade applesauce. I added this to the Thanksgiving feast 3 years ago on a whim and now it is a top 5 family favorite at the holiday. Not enough time for homemade, pour a jar of store bought sauce in a glass bow, sprinkle with cinnamon, and call it good.
Dessert
Conventional thinking says treats will be a hit, but not for a kid that likes simple foods. We solve this with ice cream. Our crew loves pie and ice cream. My kids eat the ice cream and everyone is happy. People often will do whip cream at the holidays and a bowl of whipped cream can be a huge treat for a kid. To make my middle child’s heart sing, I include a bowl of berries. Berries and cream is all she wants. My bonus discovery is that bowl of berries adds a lighter option for some and a safe option for food allergies and restrictions.
In General
Take some of their everyday, go-to foods and make them fancy. Will they only eat mozzarella cheese sticks? Put them in a glass cup on the table. Chicken nugget fiend? Make chicken nuggets in the microwave and set them on a silver charger instead of the usual plastic plate. You and your family get to decide what level of accommodation is right for you. Whatever you decide menu wise, they can join in specialness with a simple presentation upgrade.
Recipe Ideas and Roundups for Thanksgiving Foods Kids Will Eat
Here are more ideas and specific recipes you can use in order to find Thanksgiving foods that kids will eat.
Appetizers
- You will find a recipe roundup of 23 appetizers by Celebrating with Kids at this link. There are many good ideas that are both fun and safe.
- Another option is a super simple platter with pre-sliced cheeses from the store or deli, some chopped veggies and hummus. If your kids love crackers, those can go on the appetizer tray as well. You can even use string cheese if that gets your kids appetite going.
Fruit
- This can be as simple as a bowl of sliced pears, sliced apples or berries. Think about a fruit your kids like and then put it out on the table.
- For a festive option you can utilize a crockpot for homemade applesauce or a simple stove top option. All recipes can be made with no added sugar, or you can add a bit of sweetener to taste.
Bread
- Try this no knead, overnight recipe you can make the day before. Find the recipe at Simply Ceecee.
- Another great option made in a standard bread pan is this no knead sandwich bread by Chef Lola’s Kitchen.
- A different option is to support a local bakery or cottage baker by purchasing a few simple loaves of bread
Dessert
- For a berries and whipped cream option try a bag of frozen berries. We like a 4 berry blend. Then, let them thaw overnight in the fridge and simply take them out, and give them a stir when you are ready to serve. As they thaw they make their own sauce and my kids can’t get enough of eating berries this way.
- Make it a full dessert by adding whipped cream. You can make it with powdered sugar or refined sugar free. Check out these recipe links to get the steps.
- Try a Thanksgiving themed treat. If you don’t want to do this ahead of time, making the “gobble gobble Oreos” or a themed treat could be a quick craft for the kids between dinner and dessert. I like the treat and snack round up by A Crazy Family.
Whether you adore the thanksgiving holiday or abhor it, I hope that sharing my family’s strategies for Thanksgiving foods kids will eat makes your holiday better. As every parent knows, when our kids are happy life is easier. And, I am happier when I know my kids feel safe and embraced. This Thanksgiving, your food woes can move to the background. Take a deep breath and see what you can focus on instead. Hopefully, this frees you up to focus on the mini milestone of your family’s holiday experience this year.