Most parents are busy working; running up and down following the tight daily schedules, but the family has to eat. More so, you have to ensure that your kids eat healthy dinner and that they love the meal. Just make the food tasty and appealing, and you are good to go.
Here is a list of top healthy recipes.
Beef and pasta skillet
Vegetables are healthy, and it is a good idea if you add extra to your child’s day. The one-skillet pasta recipe will help you do that.
Ingredients
You will need;
- One tablespoonful extra-virgin olive oil
- About 8 ounces mushrooms, well chopped
- One can of tomato sauce
- A half cup of chopped onion
- A half teaspoon garlic powder
- A half cup of shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- Half teaspoon salt
- A teaspoonful Italian seasoning
- Cup of water
- A tablespoonful Worcestershire sauce
- A can of beef
Preparation
Put oil in a pan and heat it in medium heat. Add onion, beef and the chopped mushroom. Cook for about 8 – 10 minutes as you stir until the meat is no longer red and the most of the mushroom liquid is evaporated.
Add tomato sauce, Italian water seasoning, garlic, Worcestershire, and pasta. Leave it to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 15 minutes as you check in. Stir once or twice until the pasta becomes tender.
Sprinkle some pasta with cheese, cover and let the cheese melt for approximately 3 minutes and it is ready to serve. You can garnish the meal with basil if you wish.
Chicken parmesan meatballs
Make your chicken interesting and pealing by turning it into meatballs with a cheesy element.
Ingredients
- One can of no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- A half tablespoon of dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup red wine
- ½ medium onion, grated
- A pound ground turkey or chicken
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried
- ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
Preparation
Combine the onion, garlic, tomatoes, wine, oregano, basil and salt to make the sauce in a slow cooker
To make the meatballs, combine the ground chicken, Parmesan, basil, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, oregano and salt in a bowl. Put one teaspoon of seasoned meat and put a mozzarella ball in the centre then roll the meat to make a ball. Do this until you have rolled all the meat and cheese. Place the meatballs in the slow cooker.
Cover it and cook for approximately 3 to 6 hours depending on the heat used
Remove from heat, serve your dinner
White bean soup
White beans are healthy, and you can make the meal more interesting by serving them with side salad or slices of whole-white bread for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
- A pound of dried great northern beans
- A tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 ½ cups of chopped onion
- 4 cups of water
- A cup of diced celery
- A cup of chopped carrots
- Two tablespoons of diced fresh garlic
- 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 cups of fresh kales
- A tablespoon of salt
- Three tablespoons of white-wine vinegar
- A can of no-salt-added tomatoes, with garlic, basil and oregano
- Two teaspoonfuls minced rosemary
- Ground pepper
Preparation
Sort the beans and rinse them thoroughly under cold water. Put them in a large bowl and soak them in cold water at room temperature for about 12 to 24 hours. Drain them and rinse
Put oil in a pot and heat at medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots, cook until they soften. Add garlic and cook for about a minute.
Add water, broth, Parmesan and the soaked beans. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to boil. Cook for up to 5 minutes before reducing heat, cover the pot partially and simmer for about 50 minutes until the beans soften.
Add in the kales, rosemary, and tomatoes. Stir and cook until the beans are cooked. Add salt and vinegar and stir. You can also season with pepper.
Your dinner is ready to serve
Corn cakes with summer salsa
Your kids will love this dish, and the best part is that it is easy and fast to cook.
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- A cup of light sour cream
- ¾ cup white whole-wheat flour
- Two teaspoonful baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt
- Two eggs
- ½ cup of diced squash
- 1.2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- One ¼ cups of corn kernels
- Two tablespoonful olive oil
- A medium tomato
- ¼ cup of chopped basil
- ¼ cup diced green onions
- Two tablespoonfuls minced jalapeno
Preparation
Combine cornmeal, flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and baking powder in a bowl.
Put sour cream, a tablespoonful oil and eggs in another smaller bowl, stir them until you have a smooth paste. Put sour cream mixture, jalapeno and corn to the flour mixture and stir until finely combined.
Put a nonstick skillet on heat and heat it under medium-high heat
Divide the corn mixture into portions of about 3 cup each. Shape them like patties and add them to the heated skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
Put squash, vinegar, oil, basil, green onions salt and ¼ pepper in a bowl and toss. Place two corn cakes on each other and top evenly with salsa.
The dish is ready to be served.
Fried pork chops
This is whole-meal breadcrumb coated pork which turns out crispy, something that kids will love. They are healthy and keep the kids full for a long time.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- A teaspoonful ground pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾-inch-thick boneless pork chops
- ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
- One teaspoonful Dijon mustard
- A lightly beaten egg
Preparation
Preheat your oven to about 400°. Put a rack on a baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray if you got one. Place flour in a dish. Put the beaten egg in a smaller bowl and combine it with mustard. Take another plate and put pepper and panko.
Add some salt over the pork before bridging of the pork chop in the flour. Shake the excess flour and coat the pork chops in the egg mixture and then in the panko. Put them on the rack and cover the pork with cooking spray. Bake them until they start turning brown and looking well-cooked for about 18 to 20 minutes. Get them off heat, ready to serve and eat.
Carrot dogs
Be unique and prepare the carrot dogs that taste like hot dogs but happen to be healthier and exciting for kids. They are a great vegan alternative, and you can choose to serve them in a whole-wheat bun and add your best topping.
Ingredients
- Whole-wheat buns and you could even go for toasted if you wish
- Medium carrots (the number depends on the number of carrot dogs you wish to make)
- A teaspoonful of smoked paprika
- A teaspoonful garlic powder
- Ketchup, relish and mustard for serving
- 1/3 cup of cider vinegar
- A cup o low-sodium vegetable broth
- Three tablespoonfuls reduced sodium tamari
Preparation
Trim your carrots in a way that they can fit in the hot dog buns. Put some water in a pot and bring them to boil. Add the carrots and cover the pan until the carrots are cooked for about 15 minutes.
At this time, the vinegar, mustard, whisk broth, soy sauce, paprika and the garlic powder should be in a well-sealed plastic bag. Now add the carrots and seal the plastic bag. Put it in the refrigerator keeping them in a single layer. Marinate the carrots for about 3 hours a day.
Preheat a grill pan over high heat before placing the carrots on it for about 5 minutes turning twice until they get the grill mark.
Place the carrots on the buns and serve them with your desired condiments.
Cauliflower soup
You can start the dinner by serving your kids with a bowl of this powerful soup.
Ingredients
- 4 cups of chopped cauliflower florets
- 2 cups of water
- Two big leeks, well rinsed and finely sliced
- One bay leaf
- A tablespoon of lemon juice
- A teaspoonful salt
- Three tablespoonfuls multi-purpose floor
- 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- Two tablespoonful olive oil
Preparation
Put a large saucepan on medium heat before adding the leeks and cook as you stir for approximately five minutes until they are tender. Add your cauliflower, water salt, pepper, bay leaf and you could also add 2 cups of milk. Leave them to boil over medium heat as you stir.
Reduce heat and let the combination simmer, cover and cook for about 8 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.
Put ½ cup of milk in a small bowl and mix it with flour. Once the cauliflower is tender and cooked, remove the bay leaf and add it to the milk combination. Put the mixture on medium-high heat and stir until it starts thickening for approximately 2 or more minutes. Remove the mixture from heat and add cheese and lemon juice then stir. The soup is ready for serving.
Sweet potato and black bean chilli
Treat your babies with this double bach meal made from sweet potatoes and black beans. It is health and entails a balanced diet. You can even take it for dinner and save some for the next day.
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Two cans of black beans, thoroughly rinsed
- 2 cups water
- A large chopped onion
- A medium-sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into medium pieces
- Minced garlic
- A can of diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon of ground chipotle chile
- Four teaspoons of ground cumin
- Chopped cilantro
- Four teaspoonfuls lime juice
Preparation
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and the diced sweet potatoes and cook. Stir often till the onions start softening. Add chili powder, garlic, salt. Cumin and chipotle and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.
Add water and bring the mixture to simmer under low heat. Reduce heat; cover it for a gentle simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Add tomatoes, beans and lime juice before increasing the heat for some time, then return it to simmer as you often stir for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add cilantro. Stir and serve your meal ready to eat.
Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard
Make an exciting meal by giving the chicken a crunchy feel that kids are going to love with this recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon of mustard
- Two teaspoons honey
- A cup of chopped blackberries
- A pound of chicken tenders
- Three tablespoonful cornmeal
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- A tablespoonful extra-virgin olive oil
Crush the blueberries and put them in a bowl. Add the mustard and honey; mix them until the mixture looks like sauce.
Add salt and pepper to the chicken tenders before putting cornmeal in a medium bowl and toss the chicken inside to coat. Get rid of excess cornmeal.
Put oil in a non-stick pan and heat it over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the chicken. Turn at least twice until it turns brown. Remove them from heat, ready to serve. You can help them with berry mustard.
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Conclusion
These are a few of the numerous healthy recipes for kids. There is something for everyone from the chicken lovers, beef lover, to the vegans; you can still make something tasty and appealing with the right ingredients.
They are all easy to prepare, and you do not have to hassle hard to access the ingredients and equipment. You can also add in coconut water in any of these recipes to add extra nutrients and make the food tasty.