Summer is coming up and for many kids, that means more time spent outdoors playing and engaging in physical activities. For many other children, however, the end of the school year also means the end of their exposure to activities that stimulate their minds and bodies.
April 30th is the 25th Annual YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y’s national initiative to improve the health and well-being of kids and their families. All over the country, Y locations will offer a day of active play and educational activities and over one million children and their families are expected to participate. Healthy Kids Day celebrates children’s health and teaches healthy habits for kids and their families, encourages active play and physical activity, and helps children reach their full physical and academic potential.
Another important part of keeping kids healthy is making sure they eat nutritious whole foods. With all the fast-food restaurants and packaged, convenience foods and snacks, that can be a challenge for any parent. At One Green Planet, we have tons of kid-friendly recipes that can help. Take a look at these 10 Protein-Rich Meatless Recipes Your Kids Will Love and Nutritious Plant-Based Meals Every Kid will Love. Children are the most important and precious people in the world and we want to do what’s best for them. Here are 25 delicious recipes you can feel good about giving your kids.
1. Healthy Mac n’ Cheese
Put mac and cheese back on the menu! This Healthy Mac n’ Cheese recipe delivers comfort food goodness without all the heaviness. The creamy cheese sauce is made with a base of potatoes and carrots and made cheesy through the awesome power of spices. Now you can feel good about serving your kids their favorite dish.
2. General Tso’s Cauliflower
Usually, General Tso’s dishes involve deep-frying a protein in a sticky sauce. This General Tso’s Cauliflower uses vegetables instead. The cauliflower does an amazing job of taking on the citrusy umami flavor and it’s baked, then stir-fried in a wok instead of being fried in a lot of oil. The cauliflower is served on a big bed of light and fluffy quinoa for a protein-packed meal.
3. Lentil Kale Fritters
These healthy Lentil Kale Fritters are so tasty and light, yet incredibly filling! You can blend the lentils if you prefer a smoother texture but this recipe has whole lentil pieces for a crunch. They are delicious served with a refreshing cilantro mayo dipping sauce. Fritters are a great way to get kids to eat healthy foods.
4. Pink Frosted Doughnuts
Yes, you can feed your kids frosted doughnuts and feel good about it. These Pink Frosted Doughnuts are perfect for welcoming the spring. These treats are soft, sweet, easy to make, and they’re baked instead of fried. Don’t be put off by the idea of beet frosting — the beets actually just provide the bright, pink color and your kids will never know they’re in these yummy doughnuts.
5. Lentil Enchilada Pasta
How do you get kids to eat lentils? Make this Lentil Enchilada Pasta. This dish has all the comfort of a pasta dish with a light and fresh touch from the greens and avocados. Tomatoes, hot spices, and lentils are combined in a sauce that’s “meaty” and savory. This will disappear off your kids’ plates before you can even tell them it has lentils in it.
6. Spinach Ravioli
With these Spinach Ravioli, you won’t have to tell your kids to eat their spinach twice. In addition to spinach, the filling includes softened cashews which lend it a buttery, creamy, and slightly cheesy flavor. Top these with your favorite marinara sauce. These spinach-filled ravioli are warm, delicious, and super fun to make so let the kids help.
7. BBQ Tofu and Garlic Kale Bowl with Ranch Dressing
Your kids will love this BBQ Tofu and Garlic Kale Bowl with Ranch Dressing. Fun oven-baked tofu smothered with barbecue sauce sits on a bed of rice with juicy sautéed mushrooms, braised kale, and crunchy carrots. The whole thingis drizzled with a homemade ranch dressing that no one will be able to resist.
8. Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Brownies
When you want to give your kids an ooey-gooey chocolate treat, make these Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Brownies. These warm, gooey brownies are speckled with coconut flakes and have chunks of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate throughout. Everyone will enjoy them right out of the oven with a cold glass of almond milk to dunk them in.
9. Rainbow Chard Wraps with Millet and Chickpeas
Packed with protein, these Rainbow Chard Wraps are super delicious! They’re stuffed with lots of healthy foods such as chickpeas, carrots, cucumber, cabbage, mint, hummus, hemp seeds, and millet. Colorful and fun to eat, kids will love finding these wraps in their lunch box.
10. Green Dream Popsicles
You can tell your kids these Green Dream Popsicles are green from dragon scales or slime curds or whatever makes them laugh. You’ll know that the green comes from a touch of healthy spirulina. Super creamy and deliciously sweet, the only flavor they’ll taste is vanilla. For the finishing touch, the tips of the popsicles are coated in a dark chocolate shell and crunchy chopped pistachios.
11. Sugar-Free Strawberry Shortcake
This Strawberry Shortcake is sugar-free, grain-free, and oil-free! It’s easy-to-make and delicious with fresh berries, strawberry cashew cream, and healthy almond flour biscuits. Make the biscuits ahead of time and you can put it together in no time at all. This dessert is sure to please kids and adults alike.
12. Chia Oat Banana Pancakes
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and these Chia Oat Banana Pancakes will have your kids started off in a healthy and delicious way. Puréed bananas and maple syrup help sweeten these gluten-free pancakes that are incredibly light and fluffy. Throw in a few chocolate chips to make the kids (and you) even happier.
13. Easy Smoked Tofu Fajitas
These Smoked Tofu Fajitas are very extremely easy to make. Tofu can be simply covered in the marinating sauce and begin baking, guacamole and salsa can be made as the tofu cooks. Once the onions and peppers are chopped and ready, the whole dish comes together in one fell swoop. This colorful dish is crunchy, fresh, and smokey tasting. Plus, if the weather is nice, all the components can be grilled outside!
14. Easy Peanut Noodles
While these Easy Peanut Noodles may look like your typical noodle dish, they’re actually packed with healthy veggies. The recipe calls for just a quarter pound of pasta noodles but serves a healthy portion to two people. That’s because it features tons of red bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, radish, and scallion in a delicious peanut sauce. The reasonable portion of noodles doesn’t weigh you down, and the variety of vegetables helps make it a balanced meal.
15. Herbed Edamame Chickpea Burgers
Edamame, chickpeas, tart lemon juice, and fresh herbs are combined to form these tasty Herbed Edamame Chickpea Burgers. They’re paired with a herby green dressing made from coriander, mint, creamy tahini, garlic, and a squeeze lemon juice. These burgers are even more delicious when served on toasted sourdough buns with plenty of green dressing, lettuce, hummus, avocado, and sauerkraut. Don’t forget the fries!
16. Chocolate Silk Pie
This Chocolate Silk Pie is absolutely divine. Silken tofu gives this dessert a light airy texture and a velvety smoothness. The creamy chocolate has a bit of cayenne pepper and almond milk is topped with a semisweet chocolate ganache and sits atop a crunchy graham cracker crust. Yum!
17. Mexican Pizza
Combine pizza night with taco night by making this Mexican Pizza. It’s a delicious combination of everything you would put in a taco, only on pizza dough. Starting with the tomato salsa pizza base, this pizza tastes like a dream. Charred corn, endless avocado, gooey vegan cheese, and fresh coriander … could it get any better?
18. Baja Tofu Tacos
Taco Tuesday just got better and it’s because of these Baja Tofu Tacos. Tofu is marinated in an umami sauce before being coated with a cornmeal coating and baked until crispy. It’s then wrapped in a soft tortilla with crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado, and a garlicky lime sauce. Top with Sriracha if you like things spicy or keep them mild for the kids.
19. Chocolate Mug Cake
What do you do when your kids all want a chocolate cake out of nowhere? You make this Chocolate Mug Cake! Decadent and chocolatey, it cooks in under five minutes and can be made sugar-free. Keep your pantry stocked with these ingredients because never again will you or your kids have a sudden chocolate craving that goes unsatisfied.
20. Classic Breakfast Sausage Links
Now you can feel good about serving your kids sausage for breakfast. These Classic Breakfast Sausage Links are a delicious, high protein addition to any breakfast table. They have a firm texture and a crispy outside. You can serve them alongside a zesty, Southwestern-style tofu scramble, mash them into a potato hash, or use them as the protein in your favorite breakfast burrito recipe.
21. Lentil Veggie Loaf
If you’re looking for an effortless meal that doesn’t disappoint, then you have to make this Lentil Veggie Loaf. What makes this meaty dish so wonderful is not only its heartiness but also its versatility. You can pack it with whatever vegetables you want and still achieve something delicious. It’s topped with a spicy homemade barbecue sauce for extra flavor. This will satisfy all the meat-and-potatoes lovers in your home.
22. Maple Bacon Doughnuts
Say hello to a breakfast that’s decadent and healthy! These light and fluffy Maple Bacon Doughnuts are covered with a sweet maple glaze and topped with smoky vegan bacon — all the best flavors of breakfast in one amazing treat. Not only are these fluffy doughnuts flavorful and delicious, they’re practically effortless to make!
23. Superfood Almond Butter Cups
There’s no need to buy those packaged peanut butter cups when you can make these Superfood Almond Butter Cups at home. They contain all sorts of nutritious foodstuffs, including, cacao powder, maca powder, and coconut oil. And of course, they’re delicious. Keep these around for when that chocolate craving kicks in or when the kids want a quick midday snack.
24. Crunchy Tempeh Sticks
Kids love food shaped like sticks. These Crunchy Tempeh Sticks are baked and taste like they’re coated in breadcrumbs but without the gluten! The crunchy crust is made from a combination of almonds and hazelnuts, giving it a nutty taste along with its pleasant texture. These tempeh sticks make a great entrée for an everyday meal when paired with vegetables and a side of ketchup for dipping.
25. Jackfruit Fried Chicken
Skip the fast-food take-out and make this Jackfruit Fried Chicken for dinner. The stringy texture of young jackfruit lends itself perfectly for making vegan versions of pulled pork or chicken recipes. Here, jackfruit is marinated in a creamy soy milk marinade, battered in zesty breadcrumbs, and fried to perfection. Enjoy these with your favorite vegan mayonnaise or ranch dip.
It’s up to us what goes into our children’s bodies so we need to make the healthiest choices for them. With recipes as delicious as these, your kids will dig into these amazing dishes that you can feel good about serving them.
Lead image source: Healthy Mac n’ Cheese
