10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (2024)

by Lindsay 11 Comments

Want to prepare vegetables for kids that they’ll actually eat? These kid-friendly vegetable recipes are healthy, quick and easy. Serve them as a side dish for dinner or for a healthy snack!

10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (1)

Hi friends!

Let’s talk about vegetables for kids. If you’re a parent, you’ve probably struggled to find vegetable recipes for kids…ie vegetables kids like and vegetables kids will eat! If you’re tired of serving vegetables that get thrown away, I hope this post will spark some ideas for you.

We all know vegetables are important. They offer a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. But when you find a veggie your kid will eat, it’s easy to fall into the habit of serving that and only that…because it’s easier than fighting with them to try something new or dealing with them spitting it out all over the place. But it’s so important to expose young kiddos to a wide variety of foods and flavors. My goal is always to try to serve them twice a day whether it’s at meals or snacks. Does that always happen? No. But I try!

To help myself out (and you!) I rounded up some kid-friendly veggie recipes that I’m looking forward to trying, plus a few of my favs from the blog. Hopefully you see something that sparks some new vegetable ideas for kids!

Vegetable Recipes For Kids

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My kids love french fries. And while he certainly prefers regular french fries or sweet potato fries, the similar shape and the crunchy coating on these green bean fries are sometimes enough to get him to eat a few. When in doubt, add ketchup. Added bonus- they’re fun for kids to help make!

Green Bean Fries via The Lean Green Bean

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Kids like fun food. Kabobs are fun. Added bonus – they’ll love helping you assemble these, which makes it more likely they’ll eat a few veggies along the way!

Rainbow Veggie Kabobs via Two Healthy Kitchens

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Add some extra flavor to the veggies with a marinade. It’ll make them taste less veggie-like, which kids will love! If your kids don’t like steamed veggies, try serving them raw in a salad like this! They may like the crunch!

Marinated Vegetable Salad via Iowa Girl Eats

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These can cook all day in the crockpot and be ready to serve when you get home!

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes via Baked By Rachel

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Finger foods are fun! These balls are easy to make and if you serve them with a tasty dip, the kids just might look past the green color!

Easy Spinach Balls via The Lean Green Bean

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Kids like sweet. Most vegetables are not sweet. Caramelizing veggies adds a sweetness factor that will up their chances of being consumed!

Caramelized Butternut Squash via Yummy Healthy Easy

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When all other veggies fail, try sweet potatoes. Especially this way. They’re hard to resist.

Melting Sweet Potatoes via Dessert For Two

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Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness, which is enhanced with a little extra maple syrup. Pair that with bacon, which everyone loves, and these won’t last long on their plate!

Maple Bacon Roasted Carrots via The Lean Green Bean

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Almost all kids love pizza! Swap the crust for some zucchini rounds, top with sauce, cheese and pepperoni for a home run!

Broiled Zucchini Pizza via Kalyn’s Kitchen

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Do they typically turn their nose up at things like broccoli? These nuggets can be dipped in bbq sauce, ketcup, etc which usually helps!

Veggie Nuggets via Real Mom Nutrition

Did any of these ideas catch your eye? Pin this post to try them soon!

Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes

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Does your kiddo have a favorite veggie recipe? Leave it in the comments!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (15)Chelsey says

    These all look SO fun!!! Love anything that helps kiddos eat their veggies!

    Reply

  2. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (16)Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    I love these ideas!!! I might have to try some of these out on my nephews 😉

    Reply

  3. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (17)Kristen Chidsey says

    I seriously think my kids would love every single one of these!

    Reply

  4. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (18)Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says

    Yum! Pinned this one 🙂 Perfect for making dinner while nannying/babysitting!

    Reply

  5. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (19)Betty @http://bettysbalance.weebly.com says

    I LOVE the zucchini rounds pizza idea! My toddler loves pizza, so I’m definitely going to try this one. I’ve had some success lately in getting her to eat peas by making a little chute with a piece of celery and we take turns rolling peas down the chute into our mouths.

    Reply

  6. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (21)KalynsKitchen says

    Thanks for including my sister Val’s kid-friendly zucchini pizza; I’m not an expert at feeding vegetables to kids but my sister sure is!

    Reply

  7. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (22)Cori says

    I tried the green beans fries and the veggie nuggets; i enjoyed them, but my kids hated them both. I am going to give the spinach balls a try and if that is a fail I give up on fancy vegetables. My kids love basic steamed or raw vegetables.

    Reply

    • 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (23)Lindsay says

      sorry to hear they weren’t a hit. But if they like steamed and raw, that’s awesome! Nothing wrong with eating them that way!

      Reply

  8. 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (24)Carol says

    I get stuck in a rut with our 18 month old with peas and broccoli. Tater tots are a huge hit, but not particularly healthy and I don’t offer them often (Can you believe a kid that won’t do mashed potatoes?!). He loves tomatoes, but we don’t always have them. This post sparked a few new ideas. I’m going to try carrots with some butter and a touch of brown sugar tonight (he refuses them plain) and see what happens. Thanks! And great photography too!

    Reply

    • 10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (25)Lindsay says

      so glad to hear it! hope they’re a hit!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

10 Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes | Vegetables For Kids (2024)

FAQs

How to serve veggies to kids? ›

Toss carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower with a curry or peanut sauce. Serve veggies with dips like ketchup, ranch, guacamole, salsa, Cheese Sauce, or anything else your child likes.

What is a vegetable for kindergarten? ›

Vegetables are the leaves, stems, roots, or other parts of certain plants that people eat. Vegetables usually come from herbaceous plants. Herbaceous plants have stems that are softer than the woody stems of bushes and trees. Many vegetables grow aboveground.

How do you sneak vegetables into kids meals? ›

Here are few ideas for adding vegetables into dishes:

Add in some finely chopped broccoli to an omelet. Add in pumpkin or butternut squash into mac n cheese. Grate zucchini and add it into pancakes. Blend carrots, bell peppers, spinach, or any other veggies on hand into your child's favorite pasta sauce.

How to make a child eat fruits and vegetables? ›

For example, you could put fruit on cereal, add a piece of fruit or small salad to your child's lunch, use vegetables and dip for an after-school snack, or add a vegetable or two you want to try to the family's dinner. Be a role model—eat more fruits and vegetables yourself.

What is vegetables in preschool? ›

A vegetable is a part of a plant that is edible. Vegetables are the leafy, stem, or root part of a plant that we eat. Vegetables include leaves, stalks, flowers, fruit, seeds, roots, and bulbs. All fruits and vegetables come from plants.

What veggies do kids love? ›

Start with recognizable vegetables for kids like carrots, celery and peas. Then, continue to think outside the box with a few new vegetables like jicama and zucchini. Making these vegetables kid-friendly also takes a bit of imagination, so incorporate them into sauces, soups and smoothies.

What makes a good kids menu? ›

The Elements of a Good Kids Menu

Nutritious Options – Incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into the menu. These elements provide essential vitamins, minerals, and energy for growing bodies.

What is a serve of vegetables for kids? ›

What is a serve of vegetables? A standard serve is about 75g (100–350kJ) or: ½ cup cooked green or orange vegetables (for example, broccoli, spinach, carrots or pumpkin) ½ cup cooked dried or canned beans, peas or lentils (preferably with no added salt)

What are the vegetable categories for kids? ›

Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups based on their nutrients: dark green; red and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables.

What is a good vegetable substitute for kids? ›

There are still plenty of vitamins and nutrients you'll find in other fruits. When it comes to fiber, dried apricots are a great source and so are pears, bananas, raisins, and kiwis.

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