Need tips to make a lasagna more healthy and with more veggies.

[pastamania]

My youngest son is one fussy sausage!!! Trying to get him to eat fruit or veg or anything other than the 5 things he'll eat is driving me insane!!! Especially since his older brother will eat whatever you put in front of him.

Son#2 will eat my home made lasagna (thank god) which is made of beef mince, tomatoes, onion, garlic,mushrooms, herbs, pasta and white sauce. I batch cook this in a massive tray and I freeze individual portions.

I am looking to customize another lasagna that I can freeze, although it cannot be too different. For example if I make a ricotta and spinach or pure vegetarian one, he won't eat it. I need to customize one where he thinks it's like the old one, but it has different ingredients.

Any ideas? Can I freeze chicken or pork mince. I was thinking of perhaps a tomato base and putting carrots in? What other veggies will freeze well? 

[pastamania]

P.s.

Whilst on this subject. If son#2 will only ever eat a decent meal if there is pasta in it, how can I vary this so he is getting different nutritional needs. I mean the pasta itself. What variations of pasta are available so it doesn't seem like he's eating the same thing the whole time.

[Old mother]

You could try the wholewheat pasta which is much better for them - but honestly, it is a tough one to introduce if they haven't had it before.  Mine hated it. Look, pasta is not a bad carbo.  Would you be worried if they ate potatoes every night?  As long as he is burning it off, then don't worry.  I promise you he will one day wake up and eat other things.

As for the veges, if you puree carrots and I mean really puree i.e. no lumps, then you can sneak it into any pasta sauce.  Same with broccoli, just a little at a time so there is not a taste difference then gradually up the ante.

If you are really clever, then you can make your own pasta.  You can get all sorts of things into ravioli and if you let him help you (don't know if this is feasible or not) then he might get more adventurous with the fillings.

Fruit - I have a sister with 3 boys and when they were young, none of them would eat fruit so she used to slice banana and cover them with sprinkles!  Not something yummy mummies would ever do this day and age - but hey, I won't tell. 

[Dr. Phil]

Try using TSP textured soy protein as a substitute for beef.

I used to make lasagna. TSP is great and you must produce a good sharp cheese sauce on each tier and pop under grill before serving. I preferred baked potato or skins with a mixed salad and special dressing. I prefer veggies cut as finger food (carrots, celery with dips).

As for vegetables, try cooking them Chinese style. Try them on your son in a food court. They seriously challenge traditional main ingredients i.e. meat. Europeans tend to boil the veg to destruction before serving them.

[sigh]

Europeans tend to boil the veg to destruction before serving them.

More snide asides from the doctor-of-nothing

[vegan]

Europeans tend to boil the veg to destruction before serving them.

More snide asides from the doctor-of-nothing

But sadly, soooooo true

[Covert parenting]

With kids who are fussy eaters, I would just continue to give what he likes, but with each meal serve a healthy vegetables side dish that he must take one bite of. Just one bite, and tell him he doesn't have to eat any more than that. Don't make a big deal out of it, but when takes the bite tell him you're happy that he at least tried something different. If he wants more that's great, if he doesn't, that's great too, good job trying something new. The idea isn't to get him to eat a portion of it, but to taste it, and if he feels that you don't care either way he will be more willing.

You can make it interesting, au gratin, or with special dressings etc. and variety. The idea is to get him to at least try different things and also they say that once a person has eaten something 10 times then they'll be used to the new taste and may even like it.

[Most Europeans]

Using the term Most Europeans is a huge generalisation and very far from the truth especially when you consider the wide range of cuisine available in Europe.  Even the good old anglo-saxons are long past the boiled cabbage generation post WWII.

If you are looking for variety in terms of the beef a combination of minced pork and lamb mince is good.  The pureed carrots is a great idea and you could also add pureed eggplant or capsicums which have first been roasted and their skins removed.  The skins can cause some allergic reactions.

Does your son eat fish.  A tin of salmon thrown into cooked pasta with some frozen peas then topped with a good creamy cheese sauce and baked in the oven is greatly loved in my household where I have similar issues.

Good luck.  It can be a frustrating time but do persevere.  He will thank you for it.

[Dr. Phil]

With kids who are fussy eaters, I would just continue to give what he likes, but with each meal serve a healthy vegetables side dish that he must take one bite of. Just one bite, and tell him he doesn't have to eat any more than that. Don't make a big deal out of it, but when takes the bite tell him you're happy that he at least tried something different. If he wants more that's great, if he doesn't, that's great too, good job trying something new. The idea isn't to get him to eat a portion of it, but to taste it, and if he feels that you don't care either way he will be more willing.

You can make it interesting, au gratin, or with special dressings etc. and variety. The idea is to get him to at least try different things and also they say that once a person has eaten something 10 times then they'll be used to the new taste and may even like it.

This post reminds me of how naive we parents are. Talk about lambs to the slaughter.
I think we should not be allowed outside of the home unless accompanied by a child. 

I recall hearing my ex-wife saying the same thing.
"Just try a little of the vegetables. Take one taste and if you don't like it you don't have to eat it".
Then my sons take one taste and wrinkle their noses.
Then she complains to me they won't eat their vegetables.
Then I ask my sons why they aren't eating their vegetables.
My sons say, "its okay dad, mum said we don't have to eat them".

You must shift the focus from the vegetables.
Cut long stalks of carrots, celery etc and provide tasty dips.
With meats, serve in small slices or chunks with a central dish of lettuce as the Koreans do. Eat the meats like a fajita replacing the flour with lettuce, which since their is only a centrally located supply, they will fight over.

Kids love to eat with their fingers; they know how much parents disapprove and it purges them of inherent mischief and stubbornness. 

[Covert parenting]

Dear Dr Phil, you completely missed the point of my recommendation.

Based on the scenario you shared, your problem is that your wife told your sons that it was OK if they tried it but didn't like it, but then after they tried it and didn't like it, she got upset with them and became neurotic and naggy. Then by the time you decided to get sucked into the drama, your sons were playing you both like cheap guitars.

OP, in order for my recommendation to work, you can't be spineless like Dr and Mrs Phil.

For the record, my kids eat vegetables, and I think a large part of that is because I have never turned mealtime into a battlefield.

[Bangoed]

Dear Dr Phil, you completely missed the point of my recommendation.

Based on the scenario you shared, your problem is that your wife told your sons that it was OK if they tried it but didn't like it, but then after they tried it and didn't like it, she got upset with them and became neurotic and naggy. Then by the time you decided to get sucked into the drama, your sons were playing you both like cheap guitars.

OP, in order for my recommendation to work, you can't be spineless like Dr and Mrs Phil.

For the record, my kids eat vegetables, and I think a large part of that is because I have never turned mealtime into a battlefield.

Ukuleles. 

[OP]

Thank you all for the tips. We did have a major battlefield tonight and I am TIRED of it. My oldest son (6) happily sat at the table and tucked into chicken fajitas (2 tortillas, grilled skinless chicken. homemade advocado dip, homemade salsa) and he loved it! My other son refused this, so I made him scrambled egg (he loves it) and he refused that too. So off to bed with no dinner.

I think I am going wrong somewhere, not just with the food.

Further advice please 

[Dr. Phil]

Thank you all for the tips. We did have a major battlefield tonight and I am TIRED of it. My oldest son (6) happily sat at the table and tucked into chicken fajitas (2 tortillas, grilled skinless chicken. homemade advocado dip, homemade salsa) and he loved it! My other son refused this, so I made him scrambled egg (he loves it) and he refused that too. So off to bed with no dinner.

I think I am going wrong somewhere, not just with the food.

Further advice please 

Tough Love.
Offer him his meal. If he refuses it ask to leave the table.
If he knows you care or are distressed by his conduct, he will torture you.
Be kind and considerate but firm. You will get tears for a while but if you stand your ground these confrontations will evaporate. He will be the first to want to put them behind him, seeing a no win situation.

[pastamania]

Thank you all for the tips. We did have a major battlefield tonight and I am TIRED of it. My oldest son (6) happily sat at the table and tucked into chicken fajitas (2 tortillas, grilled skinless chicken. homemade advocado dip, homemade salsa) and he loved it! My other son refused this, so I made him scrambled egg (he loves it) and he refused that too. So off to bed with no dinner.

I think I am going wrong somewhere, not just with the food.

Further advice please 

You are so right Dr. Phil. I am convinced that my stubborn son#2 finds it much more delicious to wind me up than eat dinner. He really would rather go hunger and eat me alive!
I think I am going to try it your way.

With my other son you could say "dinner or bed" and he would think on it and quickly choose dinner. With my other son if you ask him "dinner or bed" he will say "No or nothing" which means, none of those options are palatable to me!!!

LITTLE TERROR!!!!!!!!

Tough Love.
Offer him his meal. If he refuses it ask to leave the table.
If he knows you care or are distressed by his conduct, he will torture you.
Be kind and considerate but firm. You will get tears for a while but if you stand your ground these confrontations will evaporate. He will be the first to want to put them behind him, seeing a no win situation.

[Ex-pat]

Grate the carrots into the meat sauce.  There is a recipe using wonton wrappers instead of pasta where you make lasagna 'cupcakes' by layering the wrappers, sauce and ricotta (instead of white sauce.  Perhaps the novelty of these means you can slip in some extra ingredients.  I think they use sausage instead of meat sauce.