Is your kid a picky eater? Try these 15 Recipes That Will Make Your Kids Love Vegetables again. Fun finger foods in an all new healthy vegetarian avatar.
Every so often, I like to torture myself: Go back 5 years. 2009. Lil P is 4 years old. I made this delicious vegetable pulav at home. I can still smell the amazing aroma and visualize the red, white, green & yellow colors of the vegetables and rice. I place it on the table and Lil P screams loudly. The plastic fork and plate fly off the table. What just happened? Apparently the Pulav was not yellow ( the way she liked it) and my picky eater was throwing a major tantrum. If I could write out a list of the foods my 4-year-old would eat, it totaled 18 items, not including fun foods such as cake, cookies, and Mc Donald’s. It was either too spicy, or too sweet, or too white!
I can still smell the amazing aroma and visualize the red, white, green & yellow colors of the vegetables and rice. I place it on the table and Lil P screams loudly. The plastic fork and plate fly off the table. What just happened? Apparently the Pulav was not yellow ( the way she liked it) and my picky eater was throwing a major tantrum. If I could write out a list of the foods my 4-year-old would eat, it totaled 18 items, not including fun foods such as cake, cookies, and Mc Donald’s. It was either too spicy, or too sweet, or too white!
I place it on the table and Lil P screams loudly. The plastic fork and plate fly off the table. What just happened? Apparently the Pulav was not yellow ( the way she liked it) and my picky eater was throwing a major tantrum. If I could write out a list of the foods my 4-year-old would eat, it totaled 18 items, not including fun foods such as cake, cookies, and Mc Donald’s. It was either too spicy, or too sweet, or too white!
Apparently the Pulav was not yellow ( the way she liked it) and my picky eater was throwing a major tantrum. If I could write out a list of the foods my 4-year-old would eat, it totaled 18 items, not including fun foods such as cake, cookies, and Mc Donald’s. It was either too spicy, or too sweet, or too white!
Lil P started out as an adventurous eater: Her earliest favorite food was bisibele bhath– a reflection, I assumed, of my parenting and cooking skills. Raising a good eater is so easy! I thought. Clearly, those people who moan about their vegetable-hating tots are doing something wrong.
But over time, Lil p’s willingness to try new things withered, along with her fondness for many of the foods she’d previously enjoyed. Making her eat veggies ( and we are vegetarians!!!) was a nightmare. But I was not going to give up – I’m the artsy craftsy mom you see.
I started adding veggies to her favorite foods and served them in bite-sized portions. I’m focusing on snacks. I do my best to ensure that the majority of her snacks offer real nutrition. Fruit, of course, but also cheese sticks, whole-grain crackers, olives, cashews, and avocado smoothies. I also realized that Lil p eats everything if its made by someone else. The problem was if I made them! 😉 So I started sending food to my friend’s house.
Over time, things definitely improved for us and now my 9-year-old will try most foods. She especially loves food with a riot of colors. So, here are some vegetarian recipes that have worked for us, might work with your child too.
15 Recipes That Will Make Your Kids Love Vegetables
1. Confetti Pasta Salad
Who doesn’t love confetti? All those who don’t have to clean it up, we’re guessing!! But this confetti pasta salad from Peas and Crayons is a winner not just for its health benefits, but for its pure visual appeal!! No kid can resist the riot of colors going on here, and we doubt if any adult can too!
2. Cauliflower Tots
Place some steamed cauliflower in front of your child and chances are you’ll take the same plate back into the kitchen, untouched. But these cauliflower tots from Skinny Taste will disappear in no time – they’re that delicious! You can skip the egg in the recipe and add a little flour or boiled potato if you like.
3. Baked Falafel
This Middle Eastern classic takes on a new look in Hello Bee, where the format is changed to sticks rather than balls or patties. Full of good protein for growing kids, these falafel sticks are super healthy and flavorful. The best part – they’re baked, not fried, so no more grease!
4. Ratatouille Au Gratin
If your child has seen the movie, then he’s likely to be excited about the dish! This classic from France takes a kiddie spin on Tre Stelle, where lots of cheese makes it even more attractive! But it’s not all cheese, there’s also eggplant, bell peppers and mushrooms. Serve it over bread, rice or pasta – whatever your child likes!
5. Veggie Tacos
Tacos are a Mexican delight, and are usually made with ground beef. However, this vegetarian version at Simply Recipes looks very wholesome, with its use of summer vegetables that are bursting with freshness. Adjust the heat for kids, and you can opt for whole wheat if you don’t find corn tortillas.
6. Cocktail Mini Idlis
Idlis are a popular breakfast food in South India, and not something usually associated with cocktails! However, at Raks Kitchen, boring white idlis turn into a cute finger food, perfect for little hands! Plain white idlis are coated with spices, turning into fun colored idlis!
7. Sweet Potato Fries
There is hardly a kid these days who doesn’t enjoy a pack of fries. Even adults like us can’t resist them, in spite of all the trans fats, grease and salt! So Food 4 Tots has a solution that’s free of trans fats, lower in calories with more fiber than regular fries – baked sweet potato fries! Let the kids feast on them!
8. Rainbow Risotto
The Italian classic risotto is a great way to feed toddlers rice, and get them used to big boy food. But this risotto from My Fussy Eater isn’t your regular pale risotto, it is just too colorful to ignore! Chock full of goodness with ingredients like bell peppers and carrots, this risotto can be made with any short grained rice.
9. Eggless Mini Quiche
You’ll be hard pressed to find a quiche recipe that doesn’t use eggs, but this version of the European classic from The Plant Strong Vegan is a winner! This recipe uses non-traditional quiche ingredients like potato, tofu and squash to create adorable looking bite sized mini quiches that kids are sure to love!
10. Vegetable Kebab
Serve a child some vegetables on a plate and he’ll just play with them. But serve them skewered on a stick, and they become so much more interesting!! The best part of this recipe from Damn Delicious is that you can choose any vegetable of your choice, as long as they’re not too ripe or squishy.
11. Potato Gratin
Most kids don’t have a problem with potatoes, but seeing it all the time can lead to boredom. Break the mould with this simple Potato Gratin recipe from Mom Junction. With just a handful of ingredients, you can create a kid friendly dish that also smells great!
12. Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese
This now American classic has become so popular, there are even muffin and soup versions of this dish!! Super Healthy Kids has a much healthier version, with vegetables hidden in the sauce. This is so easy to make, you’ll be tempted to make it for dinner everyday – no that your kids will complain!
13. Sandwich Sushi
Sushi is a popular Japanese dish the preparation of which requires years of training to master. But Chelsea’s Messy Apron has a kid friendly recipe that can be made in minutes!! This is a healthy snack that looks and tastes great, and is the perfect way to get rid of pre-dinner hunger pangs.
14. Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
Steamed dumplings are a popular food in China, and are actually a very healthy way to eat some vegetables! Cook Click and Devour has a lovely recipe for vegetable dumplings for which all you need are regular pantry supplies and minimal effort. Of course, your kids needn’t know that when they’re busy gobbling them up!
15. Potato Pancakes
You often think of pancakes as sweet breakfast foods, to be served with honey, syrup or chocolate sauce. But Polish pancakes are different, and Jamie Oliver has the perfect recipe for this comfort food from Poland! Best part – they can be made ahead, so you’ve got a new lunchbox recipe ready!
So that was a quick vegetarian tour around the world with your kids!! Do try these out at home, we’re sure your kids will look at vegetables in a whole new way!
Great collection of recipes for kids. Really loved it.