Courtesy Picky Eaterz
A "fish" sandwich from Picky Eaterz
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
Every family likely has a picky eater, and a local mom has come up with a solution.
The meals that Paris Rollins has created for Picky Eaterz are fun, colorful, and artistic. One uses a custom bread pan and clever plating to serve up a turkey sandwich, broccoli, and carrots that resemble a house, with the bread baked in the shape of a home and the veggies arranged to form a tree. Another dish mirrors the frozen dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets sold in the frozen-food aisle at the grocery store, except these are made with 100 percent all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken and breaded by hand using panko breadcrumbs.
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
Salads contain healthy toppings and the dressing is made with nutritious brain food ingredients
The business, which will debut its catering and delivery service next month, doesn’t limit its creativity and innovation to the surface, though. Focused on serving nutritional, allergy-friendly meals, Picky Eaterz proudly “sneaks” extra veggies and vitamins into every meal.
“Everything we make, we try to make into fun shapes,” says Rollins. “It's just taking regular fruits and veggies and making them more fun and appealing to kids. It's a way to encourage kids to look forward to eating by making it fun and to speak their language.”
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
Vegan sliders, made with jackfruit, taste very much like pulled pork.
Rollins founded Picky Eaterz with the mission to serve healthier, eye-catching versions of kids' favorite foods to make mealtime nutritional and enjoyable. The meals allow kids to try nutrient-dense versions of popular fast-food items and junk foods without preservatives or empty calories. The concept was inspired by Rollins’ eldest daughter, who was a picky eater when she was younger; like so many kids, Rollins’ kiddo only wanted to eat chicken nuggets, cheese pizza, and ice cream.
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
"Bird's Nest" spaghetti and meatballs
Determined to introduce healthy foods and eating habits to her daughter’s routine, Rollins started researching nutrition and ways to make healthier versions of the foods her child loved. After testing some new recipes, Rollins says she quickly noticed positive benefits, including her daughter having more energy and confidence.
The business has gradually evolved over the past five years from an idea to a test of concept to the catering and delivery service, which is slated to launch in September. In May 2018, Picky Eaterz vended at its first public event, a baby and children’s expo in St. Charles, where Rollins tested her concept and recipes. She’s taken the feedback she’s received over the past two years to heart and is now ready to share her research, hard work, and recipes with kids across St. Louis.
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
“I first started [menu R&D] with my family,” Rollins says. “My daughter is the person who I will always test everything with first, and then I have another daughter, so she is my other approver. Children are very honest with you. Sometimes adults, we may tweak our answers for you, but children will be honest if they don't like something. So everything has to be approved.”
Her recipes are all made without nuts and fish, and other dietary restrictions can be accommodated, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals. Rollins knows that kids still deserve sweets, too, and Picky Eaterz applies its same approach to desserts, including apple “donuts” (apple rings dipped in a mixture of dark chocolate, avocado oil, and olive oil, topped with blueberries, sprinkles, and more).
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
Another sweet treat, KidzShakes, are healthy smoothies packed with vitamins, digestive enzymes, and probiotics packaged like the towering milkshakes served in ice-cream shops across the country. KidzShakes come stacked with fun toppings, too, including those apple “donuts.”
“We love desserts in our family, and I eat regular desserts, but we always try to figure out ways to make them a little healthier,” Rollins says. “The apple ‘donuts’ were inspired by donuts, of course, but also because apples are really a good kid-friendly food. And kids love the sprinkles—I love sprinkles, too. And when you lay the ‘donuts’ all out and put them next to each other, they literally look like donuts and taste really good.”
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
Courtesy Picky Eaterz
When Picky Eaterz opens on September 1, the business will first offer home delivery and catering (for birthday parties, child care lunches, etc.). Next year, Rollins hopes to open a brick-and-mortar café as well. The first catering menu is still being finalized, Rollins says, but currently features four appetizers, seven main courses, and several desserts.
She also plans to add a line of vitamins for children under the Picky Eaterz brand, plus a blended veggie powder for parents to work extra vitamins into healthy meals for their kids. Rollins says she’d eventually like to expand Picky Eaterz into kid-friendly spaces across St. Louis, including the Saint Louis Zoo and The Magic House.
“I plan to start with catering and home delivery and then open the restaurant,” Rollins says. “And my main goal is to start having cafés located in family destination spots, once things are normal again, because they all have little cafés, but it would be nice to make them kid-themed. My goal is to be a St. Louis staple.”
