I'm a SAHM. We eat a lot of frittatas, soups made from odds and ends in the fridge, pastas with different odds and ends. Though sometimes it's nice to slap a sandwich together for him, and then spend the hour and a half directly after lunch that he naps taking the time to cook something for myself that I really want. Something neither he nor my husband would eat. Curries, other spicy foods, and my favorite, risotto.

Why is it that every kid food idea contains dairy?

Many children don't like vegetables, especially the green ones, for some reason. If you cook them a little, and add the creaminess of dairy, more children will eat the veggies.

I wish I could count edamame as a green vegetable (instead of a tasty legume) because my two young sons will chomp those almost raw.

If you are concerned about dairy in children because of fat or veganism, then let me know how you make veggies palatable for young ones without the help of dairy, please? I'm open to suggestions, for sure.

Try high heat roasting until they get caramelized. My four year old will at least try anything cooked like that. Also, minestrone-like soups. Mine won't eat kale chips, but he'll eat it gladly in soup.

@pumaunicorn: Just persevere, and keep serving them the same food that you eat yourself, which is the norm in most cultures. They will give in eventually if you don't offer a "kid-friendly" alternative.

@pumaunicorn: perseverance definitely helped for our daughter, plus...
- veggies presented in different forms (e.g. cut a raw carrot into big chunks, shreds, curls made with a veggie peeler, thick planks, or the thinnest slices possible)
- veggies with a creamy avocado sauce, coconut curry sauce, mild salsa, mustard vinaigrette, teriyaki sauce, or peanut sauce for dipping/mixing in
- cooked veggies tossed while still hot with olive oil, salt, and pepper
- veggies picked directly from the garden or eaten out of hand on the way home from the farmer's market
- lettuce rolled up like a tight burrito for a crunchy snack
- light colored vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, cauliflower, etc.) simmered with cubed beets so that everything turns pink
- a visually appealing plate with lots of color, "eating the rainbow" as much as possible (e.g. red pepper, orange sweet potato, green beans, black beans, and tofu on a bed of rice or quinoa)

Our kids, 20 months and 3-and-a-half cheerfully eat carrots. Generally I don't make separate dishes for them, but carrots are a quick exception. The older likes them raw, the younger likes them steamed in the microwave. (A wee sprinkle of butter or brown sugar doesn't hurt.)

If you can, avoid store-bought ranch dressing as a dip. It is loaded with sodium and MSG.

@pumaunicorn - Dairy adds a lot of salt to foods, which is why kids like them. Try asian sauces, dipping sauces, etc. Chinese is a favorite among most kids, for the salt, and is almost void of dairy.

Also - kids love to cook -- and eat what they cook. try