Cooking healthy and balanced dishes for children is crucial for their growth and development. What kind of food children eat and drink during their early years can affect their health for many years to come. General eating habits are formed in the first few years of life, so it is important to encourage your children to eat nutritious food. Balancing the nutritional needs of children while making meals appealing can be a challenge, but it’s crucial for their growth and development.
15 Healthy Recipes You Can Cook with Your Children
Looking for activities to keep your children active, engaged, and entertained? Although numerous activities can keep kids busy, cooking is one of the best choices, as it’s both fun and educational.
Cooking may help develop their problem-solving and hand-eye coordination skills, increase confidence, and even improve diet quality by encouraging fruit and veggie intake.
Yet, it’s important to choose age-appropriate recipes and assign kitchen tasks that are very safe for your child to tackle. For example, very young children can help by washing vegetables, stirring ingredients, and cutting out shapes with cookie cutters while older children can take on more complex tasks, such as chopping and peeling.
Here are 15 healthy recipes that you can make with your kids-
1. Overnight oats
For baby, Overnight oats are an oatmeal dish that you can easily prepare ahead and refrigerate overnight — with no cooking required. Not only can pre-making nutritious breakfast options save you time, but choosing dishes that children can make easily themselves may also help your kids get excited about preparing healthy food.
Overnight oats are simple and appropriate for all ages. Plus, they’re easy to individualize, allowing kids to be creative and try out different nutrient-dense toppings like berries, nuts, coconut, and seeds.
Try out these easy, kid-approved recipes with your children. They can participate by measuring, pouring, and chopping ingredients, depending on their age. Let your kids jazz up their oats by choosing toppings of their own.
2. Strawberry and cantaloupe yogurt pops
Most kids love fruit, which is why strawberry and cantaloupe yogurt pops make a perfect snack
Strawberries and cantaloupe are both loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and folate, a B vitamin that’s important for growth and development (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Dipping fruit in protein-packed yogurt ups its nutrient content and boosts feelings of fullness. This strawberry and cantaloupe yogurt pops recipe is appropriate for children of all ages. Kids can cut the fruit, dip it in the yogurt, and slide the fruit onto popsicle sticks, depending on their age.
3. One bowl of banana bread
Many banana bread recipes require multiple steps that can leave your kitchen a mess. This healthy recipe requires just one bowl and is kid-friendly. It’s high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats thanks to its almond flour, eggs, and flax meal. As such, it’s sure to keep your little ones satisfied between meals.
Plus, the dark chocolate chips and banana give this bread a hint of sweetness. Have your children mash the bananas, measure the ingredients, and fold the chocolate chips into the batter. Once it’s out of the oven, they can top their slices with nut butter for a boost of protein.
4. Ants on a log
Ants on a log, which combines crunchy celery, very smooth or chunky nut butter, and sweet, chewy raisins, is a classic snack for many kids.
All you need are those three basic ingredients, though you can also spice things up. Let your kids get involved by spreading their favorite nut butter onto the celery and sprinkling fun toppings, such as chocolate chips, granola, and fresh or dried fruit, onto the “logs.”
If your child has a nut allergy, you can fill the celery with cottage cheese, cream cheese, or even mashed avocado for a more savory twist. This recipe offers many variations of ants on a log sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.
5. Guacamole
Avocados are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. These are excellent sources of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients like potassium, folate, and vitamins C and E (7Trusted Source). Plus, their smooth, creamy texture can be a hit with kids, especially when made into guacamole and paired with tortilla chips or veggie sticks.
Guacamole is a breeze to make and can be modified depending on your child’s tastes. For example, you can add veggies like onions and tomatoes to the mix, as well as fresh herbs like cilantro.
Children can have a blast mashing the avocados with a handheld masher or old-fashioned mortar and pestle.
6. Mini eggplant pizzas
This mini eggplant pizza recipe is ideal for kids and parents alike. It uses eggplant instead of pizza dough for the base, which can help increase your child’s vegetable intake.
Kids of all ages can participate by spreading tomato sauce on the eggplant rounds and topping them with cheese. More adventurous eaters can experiment with different toppings like olives or anchovies.
7. Kid-friendly green smoothies
Smoothies are an excellent way to introduce more fruits, veggies, and other healthy ingredients into your child’s daily diet.
This green smoothie recipe is naturally sweetened with frozen fruit and contains a healthy dose of fat and protein from nutritious additions like Greek yogurt and avocado. Plus, the fresh greens give this smoothie an enticing hue. Your kids can help by washing and chopping the ingredients and adding them to the blender.
8. Rainbow spring rolls
Though many kids dislike vegetables, you can offer veggies to your children in fun, exciting ways that may make them more willing to try new foods.
The translucent rice paper used to prepare spring rolls allows the colorful ingredients inside to shine through, providing a visually appealing meal or snack for kids. Plus, spring rolls are easy to make and highly versatile.
Your kids can help by using a spiralizer to create long, thin strands of veggies, layering ingredients in the rice paper shells, and mixing tasty dipping sauces. Carrots, zucchini, and cucumbers make good choices for spiralizing. If you desire, you can add protein sources like chicken or shrimp to make the rolls more filling.
9. No-bake raisin chocolate chip cookie dough bites
If you’re looking for a sweet treat for your kids that isn’t packed with added sugar and artificial ingredients, try this chocolate chip cookie dough bite recipe. It’s loaded with healthy ingredients like almond butter, coconut milk, and raisins and sweetened with honey and dark chocolate chips.
Moreover, it doesn’t require any baking, uses only one bowl, and takes just 10 minutes to prep. Children can help by stirring ingredients and forming the balls of dough.
10. Apple pie in a jar
This scrumptious recipe uses ingredients like almond flour, eggs, honey, apples, and coconut oil to create a sweet yet nutrient-dense, snack-size treat.
While most desserts rely on refined ingredients, such as white flour and vegetable oil, these mini apple pies are much more wholesome. Kids can pitch in by rolling the dough into individual balls, stirring the ingredients, and assembling the pie jars.
11. Veggie omelets
Kids can learn a lot about cooking by making omelets. Plus, they’re customizable and packed with nutrients that are essential for growth.
For example, eggs are often considered nature’s multivitamin because they boast numerous vitamins and minerals, including choline, iron, and vitamins A, B12, and E, all of which are essential for children’s health. Adding colorful vegetables like peppers and greens further boosts omelets’ nutritional value.
What’s more, kids are likely to enjoy cracking the eggs, whisking the ingredients, and frying their creations on the stove. Older children can even be tasked with making their own omelets from start to finish.
12. Healthy cheesy crackers
Some popular snacks marketed to kids, such as cheesy crackers, are loaded with additives like unhealthy oils, preservatives, and artificial flavors and colors.
Nonetheless, you and your kids can make healthy snack alternatives at home using simple, nutritious ingredients.
This recipe for cheesy crackers uses just four ingredients, including real Cheddar cheese and whole-grain flour. Your kids can cut the dough into fun shapes before you bake them.
13. Colorful salad jars
Making colorful and tasty salad jars with your kids is an excellent way to motivate children to eat more veggies. If your child is a picky eater, making vegetables more visually appealing and giving your kid frequent chances to try them may promote their veggie intake.
Furthermore, research shows that kids prefer sweet veggies over bitter ones, so mixing both sweet and bitter types into one dish may diversify your child’s diet.
Have your little ones help you layer veggies and other healthy ingredients like beans, seeds, chicken, and eggs in Mason jars. Let your child pick which veggies they prefer, but encourage a combination of both bitter and sweet veggies.
Bitter veggies include kale, arugula, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli, while sweet varieties include carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, peas, and corn.
14. Frozen yogurt pops
Many ice cream and yogurt pops are packed with added sugar artificial colorings and sweeteners. Since these ingredients are limited in children’s diets, consider ditching the store-bought ones and have your kids help make nutrient-dense, homemade yogurt pops.
This recipe for frozen yogurt pops uses protein-packed yogurt and is naturally sweetened with frozen fruit and a bit of honey. Kids can help by gathering the ingredients, pouring the fruit and yogurt purée into paper cupcake liners, and slotting the tray into your freezer.
15. Sweet potato nachos
Sweet potatoes are a favorite veggie of many kids because of their pleasant taste and bright color. They’re also highly nutritious, offering ample beta carotene, fiber, and vitamin C.
To make nutrient-dense nachos, replace the regular corn chips with sweet potatoes. Kids can layer on healthy toppings of their choice, such as salsa, cheese, black beans, and peppers.
A healthy balanced diet for children
Children need a healthy balanced diet containing foods from each food group so they get a wide range of nutrients to help them stay healthy.
Children’s appetites vary depending on age, growth spurts, and how much activity they have done so it’s important to provide appropriately sized portions. You can start small and if a child wants more, then offer it to them.
13 Nutritionist-Approved Tips for Feeding Children
A nutritionist (and mom of 7-year-old triplets!) gives tried-and-true tips for getting your kids to eat vegetables, try new foods, and more. Nutrition means the study of food and how it affects the health and growth of the body. Nutrients are substances found in foods that our bodies use to grow, reproduce, and survive. Proteins are important for growth and development. They also help your body repair tissue, carry oxygen, digest foods, and regulate hormones.
1. Schedule Meals and Snacks
Children need to eat every three to four hours: three meals, two snacks, and lots of fluids. If you plan for these, your child’s diet will be much more balanced and they’ll be less cranky. I put a cooler in the car when I’m out with my kids and stock it with carrots, pretzels, yogurt, and water so we don’t have to rely on fast food.
2. Plan Dinner Menus in Advance
If planning a weekly menu is too daunting, start with two or three days at a time. A good dinner doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be balanced: whole-grain bread, rice, or pasta; a fruit or a vegetable; and a protein source like lean meat, cheese, or beans. I often make simple entree soups or chili ahead of time and then freeze it; at dinnertime, I heat it up and add whole-grain bread and a bowl of sliced apples or melon to round out the meal.
3. Make One Meal for the Whole Family
A few years ago, I got into a bad habit. I’d make two suppers—one that I knew the kids would like and one for my husband and me. It was exhausting. Now I prepare one meal for everybody and serve it family-style so the kids can pick and choose what they want. Children often mimic their parents’ behavior, so one of these days, they’ll eat most of the food I serve them.
4. Don’t Comment on Your Kids’ Eating Habits
As hard as this may be, try not to comment on what or how much your kids are eating. Be as neutral as possible. Remember, you’ve done your job as a parent by serving balanced meals, and your kids are responsible for eating them. If you play food enforcer—saying things like “eat your vegetables”—your child will only resist.
5. Introduce New Foods Slowly
Children are new-food-phobic by nature. I tell my kids that their taste buds must sometimes get used to a flavor before they’ll like the taste. If you feel that your child isn’t getting enough nutrients, talk to your pediatrician or dietitian about ways to add nutrients like adding a multivitamin or a nutrition shake to their eating schedule.
6. Make Healthy Food Fun
If your kids won’t eat vegetables, experiment with condiments and dips. Kathleen tried her first vegetable when I served her a thinly cut carrot with some ranch salad dressing. My children also like ketchup, hummus, salsa, and yogurt-based dressing.
7. Make Mornings Count
Most families don’t eat enough fiber on a daily basis, and breakfast is an easy place to sneak it in. Look for high-fiber cereals as a quick fix. Or make batches of whole-grain pancake and waffle batter that last all week.
8. Add a Touch of Sweetness
Julia eats her cooked carrots with a bit of brown sugar, and I mix a little root beer into her prune juice to make prune juice soda. Kathleen and Marty like a sprinkle of sugar on their fruit. I know that they’ll eventually outgrow this need for extra sweetness, but in the meantime, they’re eating fruits and vegetables.
9. Get Your Kids Cooking
If your children become involved in choosing or preparing meals, they’ll be more interested in eating what they’ve created. Take them to the store, and let them choose produce for you. If they’re old enough, allow them to cut up vegetables and mix them into a salad. Although Julia refuses to eat fresh fruit, we make banana or apple muffins together—and she always eats them once they’re done.
10. Think More, Not Less
Remember, you—not your kids—are in charge of the foods that enter the house, so change your focus to adding more nutritious food choices on hand instead of stressing eating less sweets and treats. By having more readily available healthy choices around, you can encourage your children to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products.
11. Allow Treats in Moderation
Having less healthy foods occasionally keeps them from becoming forbidden—and thus even more appealing. We call candy, soda, and cookies “sometimes” foods. I generally buy only healthy cereals such as Cheerios and Raisin Bran, but I let my kids have sugary cereals when they visit their grandparents or when we’re on vacation.
12. Get Creative with Meals
The more creative the meal is, the greater the variety of foods my kids eat. We make smiley-face pancakes and give food silly names. (Broccoli florets are “baby trees” or “dinosaur food.”) Anything mini is always a hit too. I often use cookie cutters to turn toast into hearts and stars, which the children love.
13. Be a Good Role Model
It’s very important for parents to model positive attitudes and habits around food as well, so it can be helpful to examine your own beliefs about food. Trust your body to tell you when you’re hungry and when you’re full, and your kids will learn to do the same. And don’t be afraid to seek professional help for developing a healthy relationship with food; many of us didn’t grow up with healthy food habits and therapy may be able to help you re-establish your own healthy habits.
FAQ:
How to make healthy food for children?
Be sure you serve fruit or vegetables at every meal. Make it easy for kids to choose healthy snacks by keeping fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to eat. Other good snacks include low-fat yogurt, peanut butter, and celery, or whole-grain crackers and cheese.
How do you make a balanced diet for kids?
Healthy eating in childhood reduces your child’s chance of developing health problems as they get older. A healthy, balanced diet includes foods from all 5 food groups: fruit, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy. Foods high in sugar, saturated fat, and salt aren’t necessary for a healthy diet and should be limited.
How do you plan a cooking activity for kids?
Start small and keep it fun. As kids grow, they will develop the skills, attention span, and interest to do bigger cooking jobs, like squeezing the juice out of a lemon, measuring ingredients into cups and spoons, and beating eggs or mashing potatoes. Preschoolers will also enjoy learning with you.
What is the most important meal for children?
Research findings include that Kids who eat breakfast the morning before a standardized test have significantly higher scores in math, spelling, and reading than those who don’t. Breakfast eaters have better brain function, memory, and attention.
Remember, it’s not just about what they eat but also the habits they develop. Instilling a love for healthy food early on sets the foundation for a lifetime of good eating habits.
