Kid-Friendly Recipes

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Having trouble getting your kids to eat their vegetables?

 

Try these fun, healthy, kid-friendly recipes compiled by the Y of the USA.

Baby Burger

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1/2 onion, chopped finely
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped finely
  • 1 teaspoon season salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Combine all ingredients and press small amounts into a muffin tin, filling no more than half-full. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Pop out onto paper towels. Use dinner rolls for buns. Serve with thinly sliced pears instead of fries.

Rainbow Wrap Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon chives, chopped
  • 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese
  • 1 whole wheat tortilla
  • 1 cup colorful, crunchy veggies (red tomatoes; red, orange, yellow peppers; carrots; avocado; lettuce; purple cabbage), thinly sliced

Fill tortilla with veggies. Cut cheese wedge into small pieces and sprinkle on veggies. Add chives. Wrap tortilla around contents.

Sushi

Cantaloupe Sushi

  • ½ cantaloupe
  • 1 cucumber
  • Flaked coconut

Cut cantaloupe into small chunks. Use vegetable peeler to peel long thin slices of cucumber. Wrap slices around cantaloupe and secure with toothpick. Sprinkle with coconut.

Banana Sushi

  • 1 banana
  • All-natural fruit leather (no added sugar)
  • Flaked coconut

Slice bananas into chunks. Wrap fruit leather around banana and secure with toothpick. Sprinkle with coconut.

Alfalfa Sushi Sandwiches

  • 1 slice whole wheat bread
  • Alfalfa sprouts
  • Shaved carrots
  • Cream cheese

Cut crusts from bread and roll with rolling pin until super thin. Arrange sprouts and carrots on one end of bread. Roll up. Use cream cheese to glue bread together.

Monkey Monster Milk

Author: Super Healthy Kids (www.superhealthykids.com)

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons dry powdered milk

Put all ingredients in high-powered blender and blend until smooth.

Guy’s Kickin Quesadilla

Recipe Courtesy: Guy Fieri

  • 2 whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar, jack or a cheddar-jack mix, divided
  • 1/4 cup cubed, grilled skinless chicken
  • 1/4 cup cubed roasted bell peppers
  • 1/4 cup cooked and strained black beans
  • 1/4 cup chopped broccoli
  • 1/4 cup cooked corn kernels
  • 1/4 cup chopped black olives
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrots
  • Serving suggestions: pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, sour cream

Preheat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Place 1 tortilla on the griddle and when it starts to smoke, flip it over and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle the chicken evenly over the cheese. Top with the red peppers and black beans, spreading evenly to the edges if possible. Continue by adding the broccoli, corn, olives, and carrots. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and top with the remaining tortilla. Cook until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Then, using a spatula, quickly flip the quesadilla and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from the griddle. Cut in half and serve with desired toppings.

Stove Top Mac-n-Cheese

Recipe Courtesy: Alton Brown

  • 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 ounces evaporated milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return pasta to pot and melt in butter. Toss to coat. Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Continue to stir over low heat for 3 minutes or until creamy.