The secret to getting a fussy child to eat, and five recipes they'll love

After practising on her own children and talking to members of her popular blog, A Mummy Too, Leary expanded her theory into a book, Get Your Kids to Eat Anything. It goes far beyond hiding vegetables in sauces (“useful if you worry about getting them to eat nutritious food, but it doesn’t educate them about a love of food”.) Leary’s is a five-phase method for winning over fussy eaters.

The first puts “the unfamiliar into the familiar”, by tweaking favourite meals, such as adding lentils to a shepherd’s pie or spice to fish fingers. Next, she encourages experiments with flavour, texture and smell, using activity cards to note the child’s observations. She then prompts parents to make food fun, before pushing boundaries with fun combinations, such as her daughter’s favourite meal, strawberries-and-cream pasta. “Because it’s fun and silly, kids want to try it.”

Finally, the book cements that knowledge about variety and urges parents to keep experimenting.

The constant reinvention might seem like a lot of work, but, as Leary says: “The idea is that you get to the end of the book and feel freedom – you’ll be able to look in the fridge and think up something fun for tea, instead of sighing and thinking, ‘they won’t eat anything’.” Freedom indeed.

Get Your Kids to Eat Anything by Emily Leary is published by Mitchell Beazley (£16.99). To order yours for £14.99 plus p&p, visit books.telegraph.co.uk or call 0844 871 1514

Five phases, five recipes, no more fussy eating

Phase 1: Put the unfamiliar into the familiar

Begin to introduce small elements of unfamiliar colour, flavour or texture into family favourites.

Curried fish fingers with sweet potato chips

This recipe is great when you start to introduce your family to more exciting foods because it looks familiar but has great new flavours to explore. Sweet potato fries are a great colour and naturally sweet, so will win over younger palates with ease.

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

For the chips

• 500g sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of pepper

For the fish fingers

• 240g skinless cod fillets
• 50g plain flour
• 1 medium free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 50g dried breadcrumbs
• Pinch of pepper
• ½ tbsp garlic granules
• ½ tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tbsp ground coriander
• Oil spray

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into chips about 1cm thick. Put them in a bowl and mix in the cornflour with your hands. Add the garlic granules, paprika and olive oil and mix again, then tip on to a non-stick baking tray in a single layer and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
4. Meanwhile, slice the cod into 2cm-thick fingers.
5. Set up three bowls: the first containing the flour, the second the egg and the third the breadcrumbs. In a small dish, mix the pepper, garlic granules and spices together, then stir half into the flour and half into the breadcrumbs.
6.  Dip a fish piece into the flour to lightly cover. Shake off the excess, then dip into the egg to coat, then into the breadcrumbs to cover. Repeat with every piece of fish, placing on an oiled baking tray as you go. Spritz all over with oil spray.
7.  Bake for 12-14 minutes until just golden (break one open to check the fish is cooked through). Serve with the chips.

TIPS

• If your family are keen on spice, try upping the cumin level and adding a little chilli powder for a more pronounced kick.
• You can flavour the crumbs. How about a lemon and herb crumb for breaded chicken goujons?

Phase 2: Educate

Experiment with texture, taste 
and smell.

Healthier ‘fondue’ with vegetables

This isn’t as high in fat as classic fondue, and offers the perfect way for children to taste and explore some different vegetable flavours and textures.

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

For the cheese sauce

• 500ml whole milk
• 30g slightly salted butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp English mustard powder
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp nutmeg (ideally freshly grated)
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 100g mild cheddar, grated


For dipping

• ½ loaf of sourdough bread, cubed
• Small head of broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 8 asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1 small courgette, cubed
• Handful of radishes, halved
• 2 boiled beetroot, peeled and cubed
• 4 gherkins, whole or sliced

METHOD

1.  Put the milk, butter, garlic, mustard, pepper, nutmeg and flour into a non-stick pan over a medium heat and whisk gently for about five minutes until it thickens. Add the cheese and whisk gently for one minute until melted and smooth. Allow to cool so that it is safe for children to touch, then pour into a bowl.
2.  Serve with the bread, vegetables and tongs or forks to help with dipping. If your children are reluctant to try some of the dipping items, how about making it into a sort of game? Everyone tries each item at the same time: three… two… one… taste!

TIP

Take your fondue up a notch by introducing more savoury dipping treats such as cooked meats, marinated tofu or kimchi.

Phase 3: Discover the fun in food

Encourage enthusiasm for variety with arty plates and creative, exciting dishes.

Oven fajitas with cauliflower ‘tortillas’

These delicious cauliflower tortillas will challenge your family’s expectations of what a fajita “should” be. Creating the fajita seasoning provides a great opportunity to talk about the smell, colour and taste of different spices.

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

For the fajita seasoning

• 1 ½ tsp mild chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic granules
• ½ tsp salt

For the tortillas

• 750g cauliflower florets
• 2 large free-range eggs

For the sizzling fajita filling

• 200g chicken breast, sliced into strips
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of ½ lime
• 30g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

For the salad

• 40g red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 4 vine tomatoes, halved and sliced
• 2 Romaine lettuce hearts

To serve

• 4 tbsp sour cream
• 150g mild cheddar, grated (optional)

METHOD

1. Mix all the fajita seasoning ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
3. Pop the cauliflower florets into a food processor and blitz until very fine. Spoon the cauliflower into a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for four minutes. Scoop it into a clean tea towel over a bowl and bring the corners together, twisting to form a tight bundle. Keep twisting and squeezing to release as much moisture as possible. Get the kids involved – who can squeeze the hardest?
4. Place the cauliflower in a mixing bowl with the eggs and one tablespoon of the fajita seasoning. Mix well until evenly combined. Divide the mixture into four equal mounds and place two on each baking tray. Use your hands to form each mound into a disc. Press down firmly all over so that each disc is approximately 2.5mm thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. Allow to cool to room temperature – each should be flexible, like flour tortillas.
5. Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the chicken, onion, peppers, remaining seasoning and oil on a large baking tray and toss well to coat. Spread out in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes until the chicken is golden and cooked right through. Transfer to a serving bowl, pour over the lime juice and sprinkle with the coriander.
6. Toss the cabbage, tomatoes and lettuce together in a bowl to make the salad. Serve everything with plenty of serving spoons and encourage everyone to dig in!

TIP

If made in bulk, the fajita seasoning can be used to pep up bolognese, or add a hint of Mexico to mash.

Phase 4: Step into the unknown

Discover ingredients and flavour combinations that may surprise even grown-up palates.

Carrot and coriander baked fritters

Carrot and coriander make a winning combination but it’s rarely served quite like this. These unusual potato fritters are sure to have everyone coming back for more. They’re great as a replacement for hash browns as part of a cooked breakfast, and wonderful for lunch.

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

• 250g carrot, grated
• ½ red onion, grated
• 200g potatoes, grated
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 40g plain flour
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• Handful of fresh coriander
• Olive oil, for greasing
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7. Oil a baking tray and place in the oven until hot.
2. Put the grated carrot, onion and potatoes in a clean tea towel. Twist and squeeze over a bowl until no more liquid comes out. You can throw the liquid away, or decant it into a sealed container to use in a soup later. Put the grated veg in a bowl.
3.  In a separate bowl, mix the eggs with the flour, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper to make a batter. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps. Pour the egg mixture on to the grated vegetables and mix well. I find a fork works best for this job; just make sure you get right down to the bottom of the bowl so that everything is evenly coated. Roughly chop the coriander, add to the bowl and mix well again.
4. Remove the hot oiled baking tray from the oven. Use an ice cream scoop to pick up the fritter batter mixture. Flatten off the top of each scoop and dollop it on to the baking sheet, making sure to leave a gap between each. Repeat to use up all the batter. (You may need to cook these in two batches.)
5.  Bake for about five minutes until browned underneath, then use a slotted spatula to flip them over. Bake for two more minutes until evenly browned on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and eat with a crunchy pepper salad.

TIP

You can make a big batch of these fritters, then pop them in the freezer on a baking tray. When frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag to reheat whenever you fancy.

Phase 5: Cement variety

Techniques to keep mealtimes varied 
long term.

Baked egg breakfast rolls

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

• 4 crusty bread rolls
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cooked sausages, cut into 1.5cm slices
• 2 cooked bacon rashers, finely chopped
• 160g baby spinach
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 40g pine nuts
• 4 large free-range eggs

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.
2. Cut the top off each of the rolls and scoop out most of the bready centre (you can blitz this in a food processor and freeze the breadcrumbs for another recipe). Place the shells on a baking tray.
3. Warm the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sausages and bacon and fry for two to three minutes, just to reheat. Add the spinach, tomatoes and pine nuts and fry for a further two minutes or until everything is fully heated through. Season with salt and pepper and spoon evenly into the rolls, leaving any excess liquid in the pan.
4. Crack an egg into each roll and place in the oven for 15 minutes, until cooked. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Other ways to use eggs

• Three-mushroom scramble: oyster, shiitake and chestnut.
•  Smoked salmon and asparagus scramble.
• Scrambled egg and mashed avocado on toast.
•  Ultimate breakfast frittata: egg, bacon, sausage, tomato and black pudding.
• Individual frittatas, made in a muffin tray.
• Halloumi-chorizo frittata with basil.
• Mini quiches in a muffin tin: ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, eggs, milk, spinach, chopped ham and tomatoes.
• Quiche in a pepper: hollow out a pepper and fill with a quiche filling mixture before baking.
• Carrot and coriander omelette.
• Boiled egg with multicoloured soldiers: avocado-topped toast, tapenade-topped toast, tomato-spread topped toast.