Trying to get vegetables into your children’s diets isn’t always easy. Just one look at the green stuff and they turn their noses up. There’s the misconception that they don’t taste that great.
Unfortunately, many of the misconceptions come from us. We tell ourselves that the healthy stuff doesn’t taste that great. We tell ourselves that it’s all boring. As we tell ourselves these untruths, our kids pick up on the negatives. They end up not liking certain foods just because you don’t.
It’s time to make food fun again. You can use vegetables in innovative ways to get your children interested in the healthy options again. And once you do get them loving the ingredients again, you’ll find that they enjoy the taste and want to eat more.
But it’s getting them started, right? Well, here are 10 vegetable recipes that your children will love. You need to try them right away.
Sweet Potato Stick Snacks
Let’s start with something that will look unhealthy at first but is actually full of nutrients. Sweet potato stick snacks are pretty much sweet potato fries or wedges. The look of them will instantly get your kids interested in trying them.
When you do make them, try to keep the oil use to a minimum. You’ll also want to use olive, coconut, or another healthier oil option. Vegetable oil may be cheaper, but it is full of saturated fats that aren’t good for the arteries. With olive oil, you get something that will support your heart and blood vessel health.
Just chop up a couple of sweet potatoes into long sticks. There’s no need to peel them first. Place in a bag with a tablespoon of oil and give them a shake. Now place them on a baking tray and pop them in the oven at 350F for around 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool so they are at room temperature for younger children.
The sweet potato sticks tend to be a firm favourite because of the sweeter taste to them. There are an instant look and taste of them being bad for your kids, making them want them more!
Sweet potatoes aren’t the only vegetables you can do this with. Courgettes, squash, and parsnips are all vegetables you can use. Try them out and let your kids explore with their tastebuds.
Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce
One of the best ways to get your kids eating more vegetables without batting an eyelid is by mixing them in with pasta. Most children will just demolish the dish as quickly as possible, not even question what the green things are!
You can make your own pasta sauce to make sure this vegetable dish is healthy and filling. Try this one to get you started:
Ingredients
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 4 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup of fresh basil, torn
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Method
- 1. Over medium heat, heat the oil in a sauce pan
- 2. Add the garlic and cook for a minute
- 3. Add the tomatoes and season with the salt
- 4. After 4 minutes remove from the heat and add the pepper and basil
You can stir this sauce directly into your pasta and then top with some grated cheese. It’s not as messy as most tomato sauces, so there’s less need to worry about it making a mess of the clothes!
Courgette Muffins
How about creating a vegetable dish that looks completely unhealthy? Trick your kids into eating something that is really good for them and makes them love specific vegetables. You can do that with courgette muffins.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of flour
- 1tbsp baking powder
- 1tsp salt
- 0.5tsp baking soda
- 1.5tsp cinnamon
- 0.5tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 0.5 cup of milk
- 0.5 cup of olive oil
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 medium courgettes, shredded
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375F
- 2. Line a muffin tin with paper liners
- 3. Mix the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl
- 4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs for a minute. Beat in the milk, oil, and sugar
- 5. Stir in the courgette and blend well
- 6. Add the flour into the batter just a little at a time
- 7. Spoon into the muffin tins
- 8. Sprinkle with some sugar and bake for about 20 minutes
You’ll know if the muffins are done because the tops will be golden and they’ll spring back up when touched. Allow to cool before serving.
These are great for on the go snacks and also can be added to the lunchbox.
Corn Pudding
If you want something colourful and healthy, then you should consider making a corn pudding. This is delicious as a side dish but can also be used as a snack. You can make it a day in advance and just reheat before it comes to serving it.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup of flour
- 2tbsp of butter
- ¼ cup of double cream
- Salt, to taste
- 1 can cream-style corn
- ½ red bell pepper, cored and diced
- ½ green bell pepper, cored and diced
- 3 tbsp of red onion
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350F
- 2. Pray a pie plate with some cooking spray
- 3. Beat the eggs, butter, flour, salt, and cream together in a bowl
- 4. Stir in the peppers, corn, and onion and combine fully
- 5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the middle, is firm
You may need to cover this with foil for cooking, as the top can burn quickly. Keep checking on the top if you don’t cover it.
Crunchy Broccoli Bake
What about another side dish? This could actually be used as a main dish, with some mashed or roast potatoes on the side. You could even opt for the sweet potato sticks on the side if you want to include two of these vegetable dishes together!
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
- 3tbsp of water
- 3tbsp of butter
- 20 crackers, buttered-flavoured
- Salt, to taste
- 1 cup cheddar, grated
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350F
- 2. Place your broccoli in a microwave-friendly dish and add some water. Microwave for 8 minutes until tender. Drain completely.
- 3. Rinse and dry your dish, and then add a tbsp of the butter. Arrange the broccoli in a single layer across the dish.
- 4. Place the crackers in a bag and crush completely.
- 5. Sprinkle your salt over the broccoli and then the cheese.
- 6. In a small pan, met the rest of your butter and added the crumbs. Stir until fully coated and then sprinkle over the broccoli.
- 7. Bake for 20 minutes, until browned.
Mix Some Veggies Into Your Scrambled Eggs
Kids absolutely love scrambled eggs, and they’re so easy to make. Well, it’s time to create a veggie-filled dish with your eggs. You can add all sorts into them. Think of it as a scrambled omelette!
Ingredients
- 1tsp butter
- 1tbsp scallion, thinly sliced
- 2tbsp courgette, thinly sliced
- 1tbsp red pepper, sliced
- 2 eggs
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1tbsp grated cheddar
Method
- 1. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the vegetables, sprinkling with the salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
- 2. Crack the eggs straight into your skillet. Whisk with the vegetables with a fork.
- 3. Sprinkle the cheese over and cook until the eggs are cooked through.
You can make more depending on how much your kids want to eat. This is just enough for one portion.
The scrambled eggs are excellent when you toast some bagels and English muffins with them. You can also make a face on the bagel or muffin with some of your eggs.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic
When you want a snack or something for a side dish, cherry tomatoes are great. There’s a sweetness to them that many other tomatoes just can’t give you. They can be eaten raw, but what about roasting them? There’s something about roasting vegetables that make them more kid-friendly. They just look and taste unhealthy, when they’re actually really good for you.
Roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic are also extremely easy to make. The snack will be ready in no time to meet the afterschool needs.
Ingredients
- 2 tubs of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp salt
- 2tsp black pepper
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375F
- 2. Mix the tomatoes, garlic, oil, and seasoning together in a bowl
- 3. Place on a baking sheet and spread into one layer
- 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft to touch
You can pop these tomatoes on top of a pizza or throw them into pasta. You could even use them with the tomato pasta sauce we’ve included above! If your kids really want, just eat them on their own!
You can also add some olives in with the cherry tomatoes.
Cauliflower With a Blue Cheese Dip
Broccoli, cauliflower and carrots tend to be eaten raw with a dip. Well, your kids may not want the raw. Broccoli and cauliflower can be quite bitter when they’re not cooked. Instead, you can make your cauliflower with a bit of seasoning and create a delicious blue cheese dipping sauce instead.
Ingredients for the dip:
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
- 1tbsp milk
- 2tsp mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Ingredients for the cauliflower:
- 2tbsp butter
- ¼ cup of hot sauce, or to taste
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- 2tbsp oil, preferably olive oil
- 8 cups of cauliflower florets
- Salt for seasoning
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350F
- 2. Make the cheese dip first by whisking the sour cream, cheese, mayo, milk, and some salt and pepper together. Cover and allow to chill for 30 minutes.
- 3. Make the cauliflower while waiting for the sauce to chill by microwaving some butter until melted. Whisk the lemon juice and hot sauce into the butter and put to one side.
- 4. Mix the oil, salt, and ½ a cup of water in a bowl. Add in the cauliflower and coat completely.
- 5. Spread the cauliflower out on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes.
- 6. Remove the cauliflower and drizzle with the hot sauce. Roast again for about 5 minutes.
- 7. Serve with the cheese dipping sauce on one side.
You can put together a selection of raw or cooked vegetables with the cheese dipping sauce if your kids love it. The cheese sauce isn’t popular with everyone, but you can try with feta or mozzarella cheese instead.
Aubergine Base Pizzas
You don’t need to make pizzas unhealthy. With an aubergine base, you have the perfect option for your kids when they get in from school. You can throw all sorts of vegetables together for the pizza toppings.
Here’s an idea to get you started.
Ingredients:
- 1 aubergine
- 1tbsp salt
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 2tsp Italian seasoning, dried
- 10 basil leaves, large and chopped into strips
- 1/3 cup of parmesan, grated
- 1/3 cup of mozzarella, grated
Ingredients for the sauce:
- 2-3tsp oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped very finely
- 1 can dice tomatoes
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning, dried
- ¼ tsp oregano, dried
Method
- 1. Chop the ends of the aubergine off and chop into thick slices to create your base. Place on paper towels and sprinkle with the salt on both sides. The salt will draw the water out of the aubergine and will take about 30 minutes.
- 2. Make the sauce while you wait for the aubergine. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the garlic until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, seasoning and oregano and cook on a simmer. You may need to add some water in this.
- 3. Wipe the aubergine with dry paper towels to remove the salt and place on a roasting sheet. Brush the aubergine slices with oil and then sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. Roast for 25 minutes, avoiding mushy bases!
- 4. Combine the two kinds of cheese and basil leaves together.
- 5. Take the aubergine from the oven and change the setting to a grill.â
- 6. Spread some of your sauce onto each aubergine slice and then sprinkle with the cheese mixture. Pop your aubergine pizzas under the grill for about 5-10 minutes, until the cheese melts.
If your kids love some spice to their pizzas, you can top with some chilli flakes. Many just prefer to eat these without.
Cheesy Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
We rarely give our children any type of squash, but they can be great for meal times. You’ll be surprised at how filling they are, especially when you stuff them up with all sorts of vegetables. It’s time to get cheesy with your stuffing.
Ingredients:
- 1 spaghetti squash, halved and roasted for 45 minutes to soften
- 2tbsp butter browned
- 6tbsp mozzarella cheese grated
Method
- 1. Remove the squash from its skin, leaving an inch around the edges as you’ll use the skin for serving
- 2. Combine the cheese and butter
- 3. Season to tasteâ
- 4. Place it all back in the squash and top with some extra grated cheese
It’s all ready to serve. The longest part is the roasting of the squash to soften it. You can cheat by popping it in the microwave to soften.
Never Have Your Kids Complaining About Vegetables Again
There’s no need for your children not to love their veggies. There are just so many ways to cook and use them that they’re always fun and interesting. With the above recipes, you have a range of meal and snacks to create for your kids. It’s time never to give them a reason to complain about the healthy food on their plate again—and no, they’re not all green!
As you develop these recipes and find out which vegetables your children love the most, you’ll be able to find more recipes to try. They’ll soon come home asking for their healthy snacks and dinners in a way that you never thought possible! Are you ready to give all the vegetable recipes a try?
