getting 10 year old to eat more options

I'm not much of a cook and I'm not really interested in it so I usually make really simple and not particularly healthy meals when I have my son. It's usually the typical stuff - mac & cheese with chicken nuggets, pasta and meatballs, pizza, veggie burgers with chips, etc. Basically anything that can be heated in the microwave or boiled (pasta). I want to start making healthier meals but he won't eat veggies or anything out of his usual.

What are some ideas on how to handle this? I don't agree with "cleaning your plate" or forcing him to try everything b/c I hated it when I was a kid. But I'm also not going to make him a second meal and I plan on having fresh fruit for him to eat if he's hungry. What else is recommended for a 10 year old?

getting 10 year old to eat more options

just following... its the same situation in my house. my boys are 9.5 and 6. i hate cooking, so its usually quick and easy stuff. or if DH or I do cook something for ourselves, i don't feel like negotiating with the kids to eat it, so i'll make something simple for them (annies mac and cheese, nuggets, rice, quesadillas, PBJ) while DH and I eat whatever we were planning on cooking. so i'm always making 2 different things. I know its ridiculous, but honesly- food isn't the battle I choose to fight. its just not. some people are "clean your plate!!" people, but i'm not one of them LOL
for me, i'm lucky that my boys are pretty good with fruits. so i always make sure they have fresh fruits with whatever they're eating to kind of balance it out (apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, peaches, bananas) they don't eat a ton of vegetables, but i can usually get them to eat a few bites of corn or carrots. so like i'll give them one taco, and a bunch of corn on the side to kinda sorta balance things out LOL
in the long run, i think its better to not turn it into a battle- and make it a pleasant experience for them to try new things vs a demand, ya know? thats how i try to approach it.

getting 10 year old to eat more options

Put spinach in some smoothies

getting 10 year old to eat more options

My son is younger - 6 - but I find that if I keep adding one small piece of fruit and a veggie every time he eats a meal eventually he will try it. So he has “safe foods” and then a new food. I just ask him to try one bite of the new food.

getting 10 year old to eat more options

I started cooking. I hate to do it. It during this pandemic I didn’t have much of a choice. My son hasn’t had chicken nuggets since it started. He has been at least trying everything I make.

Re: getting 10 year old to eat more options

We've always just had the kids eat whatever we are eating. There is no separate meals prepared.

I usually ask them to try something if they don't like they don't have to eat it all. We do a lot of steamer bags of veggies with dinners. Broccoli and green beans are our go to. Easy enough to start with to add some greens to things you are already making.

Re: getting 10 year old to eat more options