Want your kids to eat more healthy dinners? We have a fun solution: get 'em cooking with these healthy cooking recipes for kids! Studies show that children who help with meal prep are more likely to make nutritious food choices. And there's plenty that even the littlest helpers can do to help make quick work of mealtime prep-from washing veggies and measuring ingredients, to assembling the final dish. Always aim to include a healthy protein, vegetables and a whole grain at dinner. And don't forget drinks: water, milk and unsweetened nondairy milk, are all great choices. Here, we've gathered some of our family dinner faves, along with suggestions for how kids can lend a hand putting them together.
1. Tuesday Night Tacos
The recipe: Build-Your-Own Chicken Tacos
Beginner cooks can: Wash and tear lettuce; stir together the chicken and salsa
Experienced helpers can: Cut tortillas with kitchen shears or butter knife; shred chicken
2. No Cook Recipe
The recipe: Black Bean-Quinoa Buddha Bowl
Beginner cooks can: Rinse and drain beans; stir together ingredients
Experienced helpers can: Juice the lime; chop the avocado with a butter knife
3. Easy Kid-Friendly Soup
The recipe: Tortilla Soup
Beginner cooks can: Coat tortilla strips with cooking spray; assemble soup bowls
Experienced helpers can: Shred the cheese; pluck cilantro leaves
4. Kid-Friendly Chicken Dinner Winner
The recipe: Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
Beginner cooks can: Assemble the quesadillas for cooking; stir together the slaw
Experienced helpers can: Shred the chicken; assemble the filling
5. Slow-Cooker Comfort Meal
The recipe: Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna
Beginner cooks can: Help assemble the lasagna
Experienced helpers can: Crack the egg, tear the spinach and stir together the cheese filling
6. Healthier Pizza Night
The recipe: EatingWell's Pepperoni Pizza
Beginner cooks can: Roll out the dough; stir together the sauce
Experienced helpers can: Assemble the pizza
7. Good-for-You Grain Bowl
The recipe: Vegetarian Sushi Grain Bowl
Beginner cooks can: Stir together the sauce; assemble the bowls
Experienced helpers can: Shred the carrot; grate the ginger; dice the avocado
8. Yummy Pasta
The recipe: Turkey Sausage & Arugula Pasta
Beginner cooks can: Stir together the pasta; help assemble the bowls
Experienced helpers can: Halve the tomatoes; shred the cheese
9. Allergy-Friendly Chicken Nuggets
Beginner cooks can: Mash the berries and stir together the dip
Experienced helpers can: Chop the berries; toss the chicken and cornmeal with a spoon or fork
10. Breakfast for Dinner
The recipe: Green Eggs & Ham Frittata
Beginner cooks can: Help measure ingredients
Experienced helpers can: Crack and whisk the eggs; shred the cheese
More Ideas for Cooking with Kids
- The Number of Teens Diagnosed with Prediabetes Has Doubled in the Past 2 Decades—Here's What Every Parent Needs to Know
- Kids Who Don't Eat Meat Are Just as Healthy as Kids Who Do, New Research Says
- Busy Philipps Revealed the 3-Ingredient Dinner That Everyone in Her Family Loves—and It Uses a Pantry Shortcut
- The #1 Way I Get My Family to Eat More Veggies
