Rainbow Confetti Fried Rice

Although his staples were healthy (i.e broccoli, carrots, spinach) the lack of variety concerned me, and it also made it very difficult for me to prepare meals that we could all enjoy.  One of his favorite meals was broccoli fried rice.  It was simple: chopped up broccoli, carrots, and rice. While this filled his tummy, I knew that his little body wasn’t getting all of the nutrition it needed to grow healthy and strong. Like any Mama in this situation, I worried.

Trying to Get My Picky Eater to Eat More Protein

One evening I chopped up tiny pieces of chicken and hid them in the fried rice.  He didn’t notice the chicken and ate it all up. Up until that point, I couldn’t get L to eat any meat products.  He just didn’t like them.  I don’t know if it was a texture issue or a taste issue, but the boy would not eat meat.  Not even BACON!  So, of course, I was beyond thrilled to have found a way to get protein into his skinny little body.  That was the beginning of the evolution of Rainbow Confetti Fried Rice.  Little by little I added new vegetables to his fried rice, always making sure that his favorite veggies were the main ingredient. Today this is one of L’s favorite meals and over the years it has become quite colorful. This is a very easy meal to create and one that your child or children can help you with. Meal preparation is a great way to connect with your children while also teaching them skills that they will use throughout their lives.  I’ve also noticed that when L helps with meal preparation, he usually eats without protest.

Rainbow Confetti Fried Rice: A Recipe for Picky Eaters

This is a very unorthodox recipe as I don’t provide you with measurements or exact ingredients,  but that’s the beauty of it as well.

To prepare this meal you simply have to chop up your veggies and or meat into tiny confetti-sized pieces and fry them with a little bit of oil (I use a combo of California Olive Ranch Olive Oil & Sesame Oil )

Broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, baby bok choy, spinach, cilantro, onions, mushrooms, baby corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, snow peas, asparagus.

Eggs, sausage, chicken, ham, steak.

We like our veggies al dente so I only cook my veggies for about 5 minutes before adding cooked rice.  I mix and allow it to cook for a couple minutes longer. (When I add egg, I do so at this time)

Just before serving, I season the fried rice with salt and pepper, a little cayenne and a splash of Bragg Liquid Aminos (a healthier alternative to soy sauce).

It’s so easy and delicious. I usually make enough to have leftovers as this makes a great school lunch.

There are some awesome resources for Helping Your Picky Eater try new foods. Snotty Noses has a wealth of information from a mother and pediatrician. Check out Parenting.com’s recipes for picky eaters for some more ideas on how to entice your child to try new food.

That’s it y’all!

Thanks, and enjoy!