Are your kids picky eaters this summer? Here's the perfect solution

"The summer vacation is an excellent opportunity to diversify kids' diets and expose them to new flavors. They're home more, eating in 'small portions' and frequently, so they're more open to trying new things," says Rom Yariv, a 23-year-old from Mevaseret Zion and founder of the HomeMade initiative. He knows a thing or two about picky eaters. "My parents joke that I started this project for myself. As a teenager, I wouldn't speak to them if I wasn't happy with the food," he shares. "Most of my clients are young families with small children. Often, they tell me, 'He only eats schnitzel and pasta and refuses to try anything else,' but we later discover that it's actually possible to expand their palate."

"In my opinion, the biggest mistake is giving in to pickiness and serving the child only schnitzel and sushi every day. That's not real life, and it's better to win in the long run by introducing them to a healthier diet. Only if there’s a variety at home, slowly but surely, will they start to enjoy more foods. Does your child only eat schnitzel and meatballs? Try incorporating vegetables like zucchini and sweet potatoes into the recipe. Only willing to eat spaghetti Bolognese? Great! Try making it with gnocchi instead."

"My recommendation for picky eaters is not to fight them but simply expose them to new foods," says Yariv. "Prepare interesting and tasty dishes to show them that they can enjoy food. From my experience, with consistent and frequent exposure, things improve, and they start to eat more and more dishes. That's the reason behind the two recipes I'm sharing here. Both are non-standard, not routine, but kids love them."

Super Mario Gnocchi with Ground Beef

Ingredients:

500g ground beef

2 finely chopped white onions

6 crushed garlic cloves

200g tomato paste

1.5 tbsp silan (date syrup)

1.5 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp paprika

¼ tsp smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón)

Salt to taste

1-2 packages (500g) gnocchi

Instructions:

1. Fry the chopped onion until it starts to turn golden, then add the garlic.

2. Once the garlic and onion are nicely seared, add the tomato paste and sauté while stirring for another 3 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients along with 1.5 cups of water and cook for 30 minutes.

4. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

5. Add water until it’s 1.5 cm above the beef, then add the gnocchi.

6. Cook for 10 minutes at a gentle simmer until the gnocchi is ready.

Asian Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato and Ground Beef

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized sweet potatoes, boiled (with the skin) until soft

500g ground beef

1 tsp chopped ginger

6 chopped garlic cloves

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp honey

3 tbsp soy sauce

White pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Fry the ground beef over high heat until it’s 80% browned.

2. Add the garlic and ginger (you can even add them directly to a bare spot on the pan) and reduce the heat so they sear nicely without burning.

3. Season with honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Peel the boiled sweet potatoes (after they’ve cooled in a strainer to avoid absorbing too much water) and mash them into a puree.

5. In a baking dish, layer the ground beef first, then spread the sweet potato on top.

6. Bake uncovered at 200°C until the sweet potato is slightly crisp on the outside and still juicy inside.

For more details and to try Rom’s HomeMade service.