Are you looking for kid friendly dinner ideas that you can easily cook at home? Being a parent is a challenging task especially when we have kids that are picky-eaters. Mealtimes are not exactly their happy moments when the foods they see on the table are not their favorites.

The question now is how do you make your kids happy while making sure they get the right nutrition from the foods they eat? Are there healthy dinners kids will eat and love? 

Good news! There are easy and healthy kid friendly meals that will save you from all your worries every night. These recipes are easy to prepare and packed with nutrients that your kids need for their bodies. Check out the list below and start cooking delicious and healthy kid friendly meals every night.

Kid-Friendly Dinner Ideas You Can Cook

#1 Quick and Freezable Fish Cakes

What in the world is a fish cake? It’s simply a patty of shredded fish and mashed potato, typically coated in batter or breadcrumbs and fried. Any kid loves to eat fried foods. However, not all fried foods are good for the body especially processed foods. Good thing there are good alternatives such as freezable fish cakes. 

Fish is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the heart. It is an important nutrient to keep the brain in optimal function. Your kids will also have a good source of Vitamin D from fish cakes. Vitamin D is crucial for bone growth and calcium absorption in the body.

Preparing fish cakes is easy. You can prepare these meals ahead and freeze it for the entire week. Hard to go wrong with quick meals for kids that you can whip up in minutes for school lunches. To add more nutrients to your fish cakes, you may mix more vegetables like carrots and corn.

#2 Cauliflower “Fried Rice”

Who says you cannot make a healthier “Chinese take out” at home? Now, you can always surprise your kids with their favorite take out without ordering on the phone. Make your own fried rice using only healthy ingredients you can find in your kitchen.

The Cauliflower “Fried Rice” offers an excellent alternative to Chinese Fried Rice. Instead of using rice, pulse a huge head of cauliflower in a food processor and stir-fry it with other vegetables. Add diced carrots, peas, scallions, and corn into your Cauliflower fried rice just like a take out dish would.

Cauliflowers help in strengthening your kid’s immune system. It has antioxidants that fights infection and reduce the risk of cancer in the body. You can also find a good source of Vitamins C and K in cauliflowers. 

#3 Comforting Turkey Stew

Whether it is a cold night or any other regular night, a delicious bowl of stew makes a quick meal kids will almost always love. Stews are easy to prepare and packed with nutrients that your kids need while growing up. These dishes are comforting to the body and flexible with any ingredients at home.

When cooking a special dinner stew at home, try making a good bowl of turkey stew. Turkey is a special ingredient in any dish because it has less fat content compared to other meats. It is also a good source of protein, which maintains your kid’s skin, hair, and nails. 

Aside from turkey, add celery sticks, carrots, onions, and sweet-smelling spices to make your stew tastier. A large celery stalk provides a good amount of Vitamin A, which protects and cares the eyes. 

#4 Super Healthy Vegetable Lasagna

Everyone loves lasagna! The combination of pasta, tomato sauce, and melted cheese can bring a smile to any hungry child. Now, you can make your lasagna healthier by substituting meat with vegetables. Your kids will never know the difference when everything good comes together in their mouths. 

You can use your usual ingredients when making a lasagna dish. But, skip the meat part and dice fresh vegetables instead. For a super healthy lasagna, dice carrots, bell peppers, and potatoes. Add a few herbs and spinach to give your kids high contents of vitamins and minerals like folic acid, Vitamins C and K, calcium, magnesium, and iron.

A cup of bell peppers can give your kids a daily dose of fiber that their body needs. It is also rich in antioxidants and Vitamins C and E. Carrots are best known to improve your eye health. A daily dose will also help in digestion and improvement of oral health.

#5 Mouth-watering Stir Fry Honey Chicken

A hint of sweet and savory is always a tickle in every kid’s mouth. They will love the sweet taste of honey while enjoying tasty stir-fry chicken. If your kids cannot get enough of chicken, this is a better option for your dinner meals. 

Stir Fry Honey Chicken is an easy kid’s dinner that only takes a few minutes to prepare and cook. You can marinate your chicken pieces in honey and soy sauce ahead of time for a deeper flavor and faster cooking. Add a pack of frozen vegetables or you can also choose freshly cut vegetables of your choice. 

Most stir-fry chicken recipes have vegetables like carrots, peas, and potatoes. However, you can also add broccoli to add more potassium, Vitamin K, and folate to your kid’s body. Stir in mushrooms for a good dose of selenium, B Vitamins, and fiber. To make it more special, sprinkle cashew nuts on top to give your kids high levels of zinc, iron, and good cholesterol.

Learn how to prepare a Stir Fry Honey Chicken by watching this video.

#6 Baked Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

Ask any kid what his or her favorite foods are, and you will almost always hear Mac and Cheese near the top. They always love the taste of melted cheese mixed in anything including macaroni pasta. While they eat as much Mac and Cheese as they want, it is a great chance for you to add in healthy foods like sweet potatoes. 

Sweet potatoes can blend well in Mac and Cheese because of its soft texture and sweet taste. Boil the sweet potatoes first until tender and cut into small pieces when mixing into the dish. You can also mash a few bits to blend into the cheese mixture. 

Your kids will have a good source of beta-carotene when eating sweet potatoes. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that converts into vitamin A when consumed in the body. Vitamin A is beneficial to the eyes. Aside from beta-carotene, sweet potatoes also have anthocyanin, another kind of antioxidant that is good for the eyes. 

#7 Mexican Night Vegetarian Black Beans Taco

It’s Family Taco night! Kids also love to bite crunchy tacos as much as adults do. But for a regular taco, it may not always contain all the healthy ingredients that you want for your kids. 

Make dinner more impressive and healthier with your own version of vegetarian black beans taco. It is an exciting and healthy kid friendly meal that you can cook even on ordinary nights. 

A vegetarian black bean taco includes the usual taco ingredients except the ground meat. Use refried beans for added texture and savory taste to your taco. Add a can of black beans and diced tomatoes just like a regular Mexican taco. 

Black beans are considered as one of the healthiest beans. It has 28% RDI of Vitamin B1 and 64% RDI of folate. These beans are good alternative to high-carbohydrate foods like rice and bread because it reduces the increase in blood sugar in the body. 

When cooking your vegetarian tacos at home, use whole-wheat tortillas instead of the regular tortillas for a healthier option. Adjust the spices you add to your taco mix depending on what your kids can tolerate. You can also add diced vegetables to your taco and fresh cabbages on top. 

#8 Easy Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti

Your kids will surely smile after seeing a plate of spaghetti in front of them. For a complete full meal, add a piece of chicken Parmesan on the side and slices of potato wedges. You can also slice fresh carrots sticks for added color on the plate. 

When cooking spaghetti, use fresh or crushed tomatoes for the sauce. Add diced carrots to make your dish healthier instead of your regular ground beef. Carrots are soft when boiled with the sauce so kids will love to eat them. 

To cook your chicken Parmesan, choose to bake it instead of deep-frying. You can also select the white meat of the chicken. Chicken also offers healthy benefits to the body. It is an excellent source of amino acids and protein. It also has sodium, potassium, and Vitamins A and D.

Conclusion

Not everyone has the time and effort to prepare meals every night. With our busy schedules, it is a struggle to think of healthy meals to cook. Still, our kids need all the nutrition their bodies can get. Now it is possible to prepare an easy kids dinner when you have simple recipes available anytime. 

Don’t let all of our veggie and seafood ideas scare you completely away from beef either. Red meat like anything else in life can be good in moderation. We have a special exclusive for Kobe top sirloin that you can check out here.

What healthy dinner ideas do you prepare for your kids? Do you have a Go-To recipe for quick dinner preparations? Tell us your ideas in the comments below.

Sign up for our list below, and we will send you some full recipes with these kids friendly meal ideas.