As a parent, you probably already know that kids are picky eaters. Sometimes, getting kids to eat healthy, nutritious meals can be impossible. Parenting is hard enough as is, and putting up with your children’s food demands just adds onto the weight (quite literally, too!). But have no fear, HFR is here to help you out with our list of the top 10 kid-approved recipes. These recipes are so delicious, your kids will love them and you will too. Keep reading and give some of these kid-approved healthy recipes a try!
MEALS
- Green smoothie– The easiest way to get your kids to eat those vitamin-rich, nutritious leafy greens like spinach or kale is to blend them into a sweet drink to the point that they can’t even taste them. This recipe by Simple Green Smoothies disguises the flavor of spinach with the tropical flavors of banana, pineapple, and mango that kids will love. No sugar is added in this recipe; the fruit is sweet enough as is. After you make a couple green smoothies for your child to try, they’ll be begging you to make some more.
- Confetti quinoa – Foods that look pretty with fun names are always easier to get your child to try. KidsHealth brings us this recipe for a quinoa dish that takes very little preparation time and that your child is likely to gobble up. The recipe is full of nutritious content, with veggies and whole grains to support the healthy growth and development of your child. Your kids will like it because it’s just as yummy and filling like pasta or rice and you’ll like it because it’s good for them.
- Lettuce wrap tacos – Often kids get on kicks where they only want sandwiches, macaroni or some other food and demand the same meal every day. Even if the meal he or she requests is a reasonably healthy dish, it is important to not give in to your child’s demands for consistency and to provide variety in their meals. Healthier variations of kid favorites like tacos help you provide variety and nutrition in your child’s diet while avoiding screaming fits. These lettuce wrap tacos we found on AllRecipes are the perfect solution to a problem like this. They bring all the flavor and crunchiness of yummy tacos without the high-carb, hard-to-digest taco shell. After eating lettuce in such a delicious form, your kids may be more likely to try a salad or put lettuce on their ham sandwiches.
- Chicken & pineapple kebabs – This dish has a longer preparation time than many of the others, but it is totally worth to make. Parents and kids alike will be watering at the mouth for these tasty kebabs, a perfect treat for family dinners. Another great recipe from AllRecipes, pineapple chicken kebabs will be a well-received alternative to fried chicken or chicken nuggets for your little ones to enjoy. No ketchup required for these delicious chicken and pineapple chunks!
SNACKS
- BBQ kale chips – When your kids are craving a salty snack, sometimes it’s quite hard to find something to give them a treat both healthy and won’t spoil their appetite for their next meal. This recipe for BBQ kale chips by Jeff Mauro on Food Network’s site are a way healthier alternative to potato chips that are low-fat and low-calorie and quite easy to make. Experiment with different flavor mixes to satisfy your children’s cravings without feeding them fried food.
- Ants on a log – A classic recipe that nearly everyone enjoyed at some point in their childhood, “ants on a log” are a crunchy, satisfying snack that won’t fill your child up too much. In case you aren’t familiar with this snack, this recipe on AllRecipes will help you out. Kids can have tons of fun making and eating this snack. You can even make the decoration process more interesting by using peanut butter on some and cream cheese on the others, and using a combination of different dried fruit instead of just plain raisins.
- Ladybug apple – Similar to the “ants on a log” snack, ladybug apples are great fun in addition to being healthy! We found this recipe from AllRecipes and fell in love. Kids can have a blast personalizing how their ladybugs look and they can actually play with their food for once! For safety reasons, however, make sure a grown-up handles the cutting parts, since it requires a sharp knife.
DESSERT
- Yogurt pops – One of the easiest recipes on this list, yogurt pops are a perfect tasty treat, especially for the summer. This recipe from KidsHealth is a quick and fun way to give kids the “ice cream” or “popsicle” that they want without feeding them all that bad high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring. Use ‘light’, low-calorie or greek yogurt for an even healthier alternative to the sugary varieties. You can also place berries or other fruit chunks into the yogurt to sneak some extra nutritional value into the cold treats.
- Chocolate dipped fruit – If your kids want chocolate, let them have it! This incredibly delicious recipe for chocolate-dipped strawberries from Add A Pinch Cooking makes an amazing chocolate dip that you can dip any fruit into. Some kid-approved favorites are orange slices, banana chunks, and any sort of berry. Use dark chocolate chips in the dip for the lowest sugar option that your kids and you will adore. So, go ahead, have your chocolate and eat it too!
- Fruit juice jello – Jello is such a fun dessert for kids, especially when it’s hot outside and you serve it chilled. Super Healthy Kids brings us this awesome recipe for fruit juice jello that has the potential to be really healthy and nutritious, provided that you use fruit juice with no extra sugar added. You could even juice fruits and veggies in a juicer at home to get the most vitamin-rich juice possible. Another trick to make the jello extra healthy is to suspend fresh fruit pieces into the mixture before it cools. If your kids don’t like store-bought healthy juices or green smoothies, give this recipe a try to get those daily doses of fruits and veggies into their diets and to teach them that eating healthy really can be fun, and yummy too!
