16 Healthy Kid-Friendly Recipes
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 2, 2017
Perhaps the better title for this post would be, โ16 recipes your kids might eat.โ Iโm outside of my realm of expertise hereโIโm childless and a former picky kid myselfโbut I thought Iโd share a few recipes that kids seem to enjoy.
I searched through the comments for words like โkidsโ and โdaughterโ and landed on the following sixteen recipes. About half are dinner recipes and the other half are wholesome sweet treats, like granola bars and oat-based banana pancakes. Some pack well for lunch or snacks, so Iโve made note of those. Here we go!
1) Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas
ย
Commenter Nicoleโs six year old asked if they could have these enchiladas every night! These reheat well, too.
2) Peanut-Sesame Slaw with Soba Noodles
ย
Peanut butter combined with loads of veggies? Yep! This slaw packs great for lunch.
3) Banana Oat Pancakes
ย
Kids of all ages love these banana pancakes. They freeze well, too.
4) Honey-Sweetened Almond Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
ย
Funny story. I mentioned my blog at my vetโs office once. Months later, my vet told me that his daughter adores these granola bars! I wrap them up individually in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer so they stay fresh.
5) Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
ย
These roasted sweet potato fries might change your kidsโ minds about sweet potatoes. They did for me!
6) Spicy Kale and Coconut Stir Fry
ย
This was my friendโs one-year-old daughterโs first taste of kale. She loved it!
7) Maple-Sweetened Banana Muffins
ย
Moms and kids go crazy for these healthy muffins. I also have a pumpkin muffin version! These muffins freeze well.
8) Easy Gluten Free Oat Waffles
ย
These are my favorite basic waffles and they just so happen to be gluten free! Theyโre made with oat flour and freeze well. Way better than Eggoโs!
9) Sweet Potato & Black Bean Veggie Burgers
ย
Husbands and kids alike appreciate these hearty sweet potato burgers. They grill well and freeze well.
10) Creamy (vegan!) Butternut Squash Linguini with Fried Sage
ย
To quote Miriam, โWhat can I say, all 6 kids LOVED this and thatโs a first for meat free night in my house. Thank you!โ
11)ย Honey Almond Granola
ย
Granola is so easy to make! I seal mine in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer so it stays fresh. Itโs a great breakfast or snack.
12) Banana Almond Smoothie
ย
This creamy banana and almond smoothie tastes like a treat!
13) Simple Tortilla Pizzas
ย
When I was young, I made tortilla pizzas or spaghetti when my mom made dinners I didnโt like.
14) Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Avocado-Pepita Dip
ย
Now, Iโm not sure that I would have touched these tacos with a ten-foot pole when I was a kid. Apparently, though, some kids love them!
15) Maple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
ย
Maple-sweetened, oat-based peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies! No need to mention that these cookies are so much healthier than most. They freeze well, too!
16) Cinnamon Maple Caramel Popcorn
ย
Maple-sweetened caramel popcorn with some nut butter mixed in for a little protein. So good!
More resources you might appreciate: 23 make-ahead breakfast recipes, 45 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. Follow us on Pinterest for a steady stream of recipe inspiration!
Some great ideas here. I love the idea of the peanut butter slaw. Genius! Iโm going to try it out with my children. Thank you.
Thank you, Esther! Hope they love it!
Yes! I see several recipes above that are my kidsโ favorites. The gluten free waffles are a daily request by my 3 year old, and the black bean/sweet potato tacos are my 9 year oldโs fav. I have to say that everytime I make a dish from your site, my family asks, โIs this from Cookie and Kate? Oh good! I love her!โ. Youโre a household name. (I even won first place in a friendly neighborhood pot luck competition when I brought your watermelon/mint sorbet. Thanks!) I look forward to trying the few recipes above that donโt look familiar.
Ohhh yay! Thatโs fantastic to hear! Thank you, Lisa. :)
The black bean / sweet potato tacos are awesome. Both carnivores and vegetarians love them! One of my favorite recipes to eat with a group of friends.. Thanks Kate!
Thank you, Robin!
Thanks for these! I will have to try the maple peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.=
Spot on recipes, Iโll have to try some of them! It can be hard to make โhealthyโ and โkid-friendlyโ go together but you did a great job.
Oh yes, you did great, Kate! Iโm still pretty new to the parenting world, but this looks like a list of things that my kiddos would definitely eat and love โ great round-up!
These are a few of my absolute favorite recipes ever!
Kate, I appreciate your work. You have well covered each and every thing in this menu. Veggie, Fruits, peanut butter one of my favorite. All looks delicious now I am hungry.
Thank you, Pooja!
When you say that the pancakes freeze well, do you mean the batter or the completed, grilled pancake? Also, how do you recommend thawing/reheating?
The cooked pancakes freeze well. I wrap a few in a paper towel and reheat in the microwave, flipping the stack halfway. Donโt overdo it or theyโll get tough!
So my kids would definitely love the pasta with butternut squash, everything that is sweet on the list and most of all the tortilla pizzas. I could never get them to like sweet potatoes though and it is not like I didnโt try. They would rather go hungry than eat sweet potatoesโฆ :(
I hated sweet potatoes as a kid! Maybe they will come around. :)
-I love all of your recipes!!!! I have made made several of them and they were all awesome. Thank you soooo much!!
Thank you, Shannon! Thatโs so nice to hear!
Kate, every single one of these recipes looks amazing! Wonderful post! Iโm going to work my way down the list :)
My picky eater granddaughter is coming for a visit. Thank goodness, I found your site. Will let you know what I will make, or she and I will cook together.
Also, donโt ever feel discouraged. Always trust in yourself.
Thank you, Marlene! I hope you have a great visit with your granddaughter.