When Lucy was a baby, I swore I’d never become the mom who makes something different for her kids because they don’t want to eat what I’m serving.

And for the millionth time, I’m laughing at and scolding my old self for being so judgmental 🙂

Because the reality is, kids aren’t always going to like – or be in the mood for – the dinner we’re making on a given night. While this does NOT mean we parents have to become short-order chefs or stop serving healthy foods, it does mean we have to strategize a little if we want our kids to eat well without a big battle.

Here are a few strategies that make healthy family dinners easier at my house:

• Serve vegetables first. More on that in this post.
• Don’t make what-you-ate-for-dinner related to what-you-get-for-dessert.
• Serve kids a version of what we’re having in a slightly different format.

It’s this last point I want to give more attention to today, because this is how I give Lucy what she wants without compromising my food values or creating more work for myself.

Below are four easy, healthy meals I’ve made recently, along with photos of what I served Lucy when she didn’t want the “mixed stuff” or “cooked vegetables” we grown-ups were having. As you’ll see, her meals are made from the same (or similar) ingredients, but presented in different formats.

What the adults had:

Southwestern Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

What Lucy had:

Quinoa, black beans (both topped with goat cheese), corn kernels and carrot sticks.

What the adults had:

Roast turkey sandwiches with avocado, cranberry sauce, baby kale and Dijon mustard.

What Lucy had:

Same sandwich minus the greens, served alongside fruit + roasted carrots.

What the adults had:

Omelet stuffed with greens and avocado, tomatoes and toast.

What Lucy had:

Fried egg, toast with cheese & avocado, and tomatoes (which got eaten before the photo).

What the adults had:

Salmon salad & avocado sandwiches with veggies, hummus and olives.

What Lucy had: 

Salmon salad (which may or may not have been eaten), avocado and salad with carrots & roasted cauliflower.

So, although this isn’t exactly the same as serving everyone the same meal, it works. I like that Lucy feels some control over what she eats, and that we all get to eat dinner sans food battle. (Most of the time, that is).

What are your own strategies for keeping kids happy at mealtime without giving them a whole new meal?