Picky Kids
If you have a young, picky family, most likely they've been groomed this way and you need to start regrooming their likes and supposed dislikes. Some ways to do this is to turn dinner into a game.

Age = bites: each child should eat the equivalent number of bites as their age (a 3 year old should eat 3 bites, a four year old 4 bites, etc.)

Stab and stick : use big toothpicks, if you can find them, to stab new vegetables. Give them dips, ketchup even, to try these new foods. Praise them lavishly for trying, even if they don't like the foods.

Stay focused: this is what's for dinner! Do not allow your child to have a peanut butter sandwich or other "meal" after your regular dinner.

Persevere: just because they don't like a particular item today, they may like it tomorrow. Research has shown that children need to be exposed to a food over 70 times to like it. So don't give up! Keep up the 3 years, 3 bites rule and you'll eventually see success.

Play restaurant: Have the kids give their reviews of dinner and rate the recipes on a scale of 1-10 and keep the best ones for future use. You might even make a score board on the fridge for the kids to keep a tally on. They love things like that! For some reason, the idea that the food MAY not be staying around alleviates some of that tension when change is in the air and all kids love to play games, even spouses.

Don't forget to interject a few family favorites every couple of days as you introduce your family to new recipes. Have fun with it! Be flexible and make the menus fit your family, don't force your family to fit the menus. It's a guide, not a dinner straightjacket.

Planned Overs
Subscribers say one of the best benefits of tasty dinners is the delicious leftovers or "planned overs" they enjoy for lunch the next day. Many report co-workers anxiously hunting them down at lunchtime to see what's for lunch today. You may consider making a bit extra just to have the leftovers. This will also save you a lot of money and keep you from eating out every day.

Frozen Assets
Your freezer can be your best friend when it comes to saving money. Some weeks, especially for those using the Menu-Mailer for Two or Low Carb Menu-Mailer for Two, there are ingredients that we only use a portion of the can or package and leftovers can be easily frozen for future recipes.

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