Healthy Kids Dinners
Kids may be fussy eaters but this is no excuse for not eating healthy! These healthy kids dinners are loaded with super-foods and all the nutrition they could possibly need. They are easy to make and great for the whole family to enjoy as well.
1. Salmon pesto traybake with baby roast potatoes
Salmon is packed with healthy nutrients such as omega-3 which makes it one of the most perfect healthy kids dinners Accompanied with peppers, courgettes, and baby roast potatoes, this is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2 adults + 2 children
Ingredients:
500g baby new potatoes, cut in half
1 tsp olive oil
2 large courgettes, cut into small chunks
1 red pepper, cut into small chunks
1 spring onion, finely sliced
25g pine nuts
3-4 salmon fillets
juice ½ lemon
1½ - 2 tbsp pesto
Method:
Boil the potatoes until they are nice and soft, this should take about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Throw the potatoes in the oil, and then transfer to a baking tray. Cook for 20 minutes.
Place the potatoes aside and put the pepper, courgette, spring onion, and pine nuts down the middle of the tray with the salmon on either side.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the salmon and the veg (not the potatoes) and season everything with some pepper.
Spread some pesto over each of the fillets and return the tray to the over for a further 12-15 minutes until everything is cooked all the way through.
2. Butternut squash & chickpea tagine
As far as healthy kids dinners go, this tasty vegetarian tagine is a real winner that kids will love as much as grown-ups. It's a great way to serve four of their five-a-day and it's freezable!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2 adults + 2 children
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp mild chilli powder
500g bag frozen butternut squash chunks
2 carrots, cut into small dice
1 courgette, cut into small dice
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
cooked couscous or rice, to serve
Method:
Start by heating the oil in a heavy-based pan. Gradually cook the onions until they start to caramelise (about 10 minutes). Add in the garlic, ginger, and spices, and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring as you see fit.
Toss in the vegetables and canned tomatoes, bringing to a simmer. Place the lid on and cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the chickpeas and heat through. Serve with either couscous or rice.
3. Masala frittata with avocado salsa
This masala frittata is a spicy twist on a simple frittata recipe. Including Masala paste, coriander and plump cherry tomatoes, it goes perfectly with avocado salsa for a light and budget-friendly healthy kids dinner!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 onions, 2½ thinly sliced, ½ finely chopped
1 tbsp Madras curry paste
500g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
small pack coriander, roughly chopped
8 large eggs, beaten
1 avocado, stoned, peeled and cubed
juice 1 lemon
Method:
Begin by heating the rapeseed oil in a medium-sized non-stick ovenproof frying pan. Place the sliced onions in and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the Madras paste and cook for a further minute, then tip in half the tomatoes and half the chilli. Cook until nice and thick and the tomatoes have all burst.
Turn the grill to high and add half the coriander to the eggs and season. Pour over the spicy onion mixture, stirring gently once or twice. Then cook over low heat until almost set (this should take about 8-10 minutes). Transfer to the grill for 3-5 mins until set.
For the salsa: mix the avocado, remaining chilli and tomatoes, chopped onion, remaining coriander, and the lemon juice together. Season and then serve with the frittata. Enjoy!
4. Super-Veg pasta
Healthy kids dinners don’t have to be super complicated and this recipe proves just that! Incorporating 2 of their 5 a day, this pasta recipe is one you’ll find yourself making over and over again.
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 red peppers, quartered and deseeded
2 tbsp olive oil
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ tsp crushed chillies
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp tomato purée
400g can chopped tomatoes
600ml vegetable stock
1 tsp caster sugar
small handful basil leaves shredded
500g bag fresh egg pasta, cooked
Method:
Place the peppers, skin-side up in the grill for 10 minutes or until beginning to char. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside. When cool enough to touch, gently peel off the skin and cut the flesh into strips.
Heat the olive oil in a large-sized saucepan, cooking the onion, fennel, and carrot until soft (8-10 minutes). Tip in the garlic, crushed chillies, fennel seeds, and tomato purée, and stir and cook for a further 2 minutes. Then add the canned tomatoes, sugar, and stock. Leaving the pan uncovered, simmer for a further 15 minutes until the veg is nice and tender.
Remove a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce, then using a stick blender, blend the rest in the saucepan until nearly smooth. Simmer for about 5 minutes to allow it to thicken up, then stir in the reserved sauce, shredded basil and peppers. Serve with the pasta.
5. Spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal
If you want a healthy kids dinner that does it all, then try this one. Tasty, easy to make, and seriously healthy, this dhal is one of the best healthy kids dinners around. Just try it and you’ll see!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1½ tsp ground turmeric
1½ tsp ground cumin
2 sweet potatoes (about 400g/14oz), cut into even chunks
250g red split lentils
600ml vegetable stock
80g bag of spinach
4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal, to serve
½ small pack of Thai basil, leaves torn, to serve
Method:
Start by heating 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a wise-based pan with a tight-fitting lid.
Toss in 1 finely chopped red onion and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
You then need to add 1 crushed clove of garlic, a finely chopped (thumb-sized) piece of ginger, and 1 finely chopped red chilli. Cook for 1 minute and then throw in 1½ tsp ground turmeric and 1½ tsp ground cumin and cook for 1 more minute.
It’s now time to turn the heat to medium and add the 2 sweet potatoes, cut into even chunks. Stir this all together so the potato is fully coated in the spice mixture.
Place 250g of red split lentils, along with 600ml vegetable stock and some seasoning.
Once the liquid has been brought to a boil, reduce the heat and cover, cooking for a further 20 minutes until the lentils are soft and the potato is just maintaining its shape.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as you see fit, then gently stir in the 80g of spinach. Once the spinach has wilted, top with the spring onions and ½ small pack torn basil leaves to serve.
