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CLOSE10 Meal Ideas For Fussy Eaters: Irresistible Dinner Recipes They’ll Actually Eat
Last Updated on 18th July 2025 by Hannah
Sometimes cooking feels like a thankless task – hours spent at the supermarket selecting ingredients, working over a hot stove, and taste-testing your creation before it makes that final journey to the plate. Despite all that work, sometimes the best-intentioned meals can still flop when they reach the table. Why?
Picky eating can come from sensitivity to different textures, smells or simply the fear of trying something new. Whether you’re cooking for kids or trying to test yourself, it’s easy to go a bit too far outside your comfort zone or create a meal that doesn’t cater to everyone at the table. That can be frustrating for everyone involved, chefs and picky eaters alike!
That’s where we come in. Gousto has combined classic comfort foods with fresh ingredients and delicious, global flavours, so you can stay in your comfort zone without getting bored with the same old safe meals. The best part? Most of the recipes on our Family Kitchen menu can be adapted for kids. So, whether you need to use less spice, skip the sauce, or amp up the creaminess, you can play to your picky eater’s strengths with these recipes.
Ten Healthy Recipes For Fussy Eaters Of Any Age
We scoured the Gousto Cookbook to find these ten tasty (dare we say irresistible?) recipes perfect for luring picky eaters to the dinner table. From Family Classics to Everyday Favourites and recipes you can tailor to your tastebuds, these recipes are sure to keep things fun while staying affordable.
1. Crispy Garlic Chicken, Waxy Potatoes & Garden Veg
Name a more classic combo than garlic and chicken. The crispy breaded chicken is the heart of this kiev-inspired dish, but unlike a chicken kieve, the garlic butter is drizzled on the outside of the chicken. Add a bit of fresh veg to the side, and you have a delicious, nutritious plate!
Picky Eater’s Tip: If you don’t like garlic, serve without the butter! Or replace the butter with your preferred sauce, like BBQ or ketchup.
2. Posh Fish Finger Sandwich With Chips And Dill Mayo
Add an air of so-fish-ti-cation to your plate with this levelled-up version of a fish finger sarnie. Buttery brioche buns, crispy fish fingers, and a helping of skin-on fries never disappoint!
Picky Eater’s Tip: Replace the lettuce leaves in this dish with a small serving of your favourite veggies — any is better than none, if you’re not a salad fan!
3. One Pan Cheesy Chorizo & Pea Risotto
This one’s a bit of a wild card, but a crowd-pleaser for cooks and picky eaters alike. Prep and cook everything in one pan, with crispy chorizo chunks, fresh green beans, and gooey risotto rice and cheese.
Picky Eater’s Tip: Serve the veggies as a side dish if you’re not a fan of mixing textures with every spoonful.
4. Ultimate Mac & Cheese
This dish is a triple-threat (or triple treat) with three types of cheeses, crispy bacon and breadcrumbs, and just a bit of zing from our secret weapon: mustard!
Picky Eater’s Tip: Replace the baby leaf side salad with cauliflower, broccoli, or your favourite veggies to keep things healthy without overwhelming the senses with balsamic dressing if you’re not a fan.
5. Smoky Beef Mince Enchiladas With Tomato Salsa
These enchiladas are rich with smoky flavour, topped with cheese and baked until crispy. Zingy homemade salsa adds a fresh feel to the dish — serve over the top, or on the side, depending on your preferences.
Picky Eater’s Tip: Dial the spice levels up or down by using more or less smoked paprika, cumin, and chilli flakes. For especially sensitive tummies, you can forgo the dried chilli flakes altogether. Likewise, certain genes can cause coriander to taste like soap – yuck! So you may want to serve the salsa on the side if this applies to you, or forgo the coriander altogether.
6. 10-Minute Chipotle Pulled Pork Tacos
What’s better than slow-cooked pulled pork, prepared over hours in a hot kitchen? The succulent alternative in these 10-minute tacos! Believe us, they’re quick to make, and even faster to eat.
Picky Eater’s Tip: Set up a self-assembly station in your kitchen or at the table, so people can choose how much lettuce, pork, lime mayo, salsa, and cheese they want in each taco.
7. Shepherd’s Pie With Buttered Carrots
It’s a childhood staple: lamb and gravy covered with creamy mash and cheese. Buttery carrot sticks add a fresh crunch to this dish without being too invasive — perfect for people who prefer their veggies served separately.
Picky Eater’s Tip: Keep the flavours mild by toning down the amount of Henderson’s Relish and Marmite you use – be sure to taste and adjust the lamb mixture accordingly before you pop it in the oven.
8. Honey Roast Ham, Egg, Chips & Mustard Mayo
There’s something different for everyone with this dish, from sweet’n’salty roast ham to gooey egg yolks. Plus, it takes less than 45 minutes from prep to plating!
Picky Eater’s Tip: The egg doesn’t have to be fried — if your picky eater prefers a scramble or soft-boiled version, you can cook it however you like and still get the same gooey goodness.
9. Easy Triple Cheese Pizza
A classic with that special homemade feel, this pizza comes with minimum effort, maximum cheese, and endless opportunities for customisation.
Picky Eater’s Tip: Top the pizza with your picky eater’s favourite toppings, whether they prefer pepperoni, crispy bacon, or (we won’t judge, we promise) pineapple.
10. Pan-Fried Chicken, Roast Veg, Stuffing & Gravy
Picky or not, there’s a lot to love about a classic roast — from juicy chicken and salty gravy to buttery roast veg, this dish is a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
Picky Eater’s Tip: Dial the seasoning like Henderson’s Relish and sage up or down according to preferences. You can also serve the gravy on the side rather than pouring over the plate, in case your picky eater would prefer to dunk or dip their food.
Meal Ideas for Fussy Eaters FAQs
What To Cook for Dinner for Fussy Eaters?
Meals that the eater can control, like self-made tacos and pasta bars, or baked potatoes and a choice of toppings, can go down a treat with picky eaters. Likewise, classic meals with the seasoning toned down to salt and pepper can make flavours less overwhelming.
How To Feed an Extremely Picky Eater?
The key is patience and safe foods. Try to offer at least one food you know your picky eater will enjoy with every meal, and let them explore new flavours at their own pace, celebrating them for showing interest in new foods — even if it’s just a sniff and not a full bite!
What To Cook for Picky Adults?
Adults can be pickier than children, and long-standing preferences can be just as difficult as dinnertime battles once solved with an ‘eat your veg!’ and stern look from mum. Instead, you might try playing to preferences, dialling down the spices and herbs, and sticking to plain carbs like rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
Dinnertime Just Got Easier
Take your pick of Gousto’s family-friendly recipes, which can be adapted to suit your family’s tastes, from veggies to spice levels, as well as where you put the sauce. Likewise, our menu of over 150 recipes each week is sure to have something for everyone, whether you prefer mild pastas or zingy tacos, you can find fun new flavours to sprinkle between safety foods.
Gousto provides great value with every recipe box, with portions available for up to five people per box at a time. With our new customer discount, you can enjoy 50% off your first box and further savings across your first 8 recipe boxes. Discover your perfect food box subscription today.