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65+ kid-friendly recipes
Collections
65+ kid-friendly recipes
We've created this great selection of healthy, kid-friendly meals to offer you a one-stop collection of quick and easy recipes your child will love.
Start the day off right with a good-for-you breakfast, followed up by an easy-to-make lunch with smart snack choices sprinkled throughout, and your child will be on the right track to a healthy lifestyle.
Breakfast and brunch
• Apple Danish Roll-Ups - This recipe won in a contest held by the Thames Valley Children's Nutrition Network.
• Apple Muesli - It's a good snack to send in the lunchbox for a quick pickup when children are on their way home.
• Apricot Honey Oatmeal - This porridge isn't just fruity; it has honey in it, and everybody knows bears love honey.
• Big Batch Buttermilk Pancakes - Here are "the best pancakes yet" from the Breakfast for Kids Program at Holy Trinity Church-St. David School.
• Breakfast in a Cookie - The introduction to these glossy, packed-with-goodies cookies reads: "Wakeup feettofloor grabcookie outthedoor. PS - don't forget shoes."
• Cinnamon Munchie Mix - This is another favourite from the Morning Munchers Breakfast Program at Mildmay Carrick Public School.
• Jiggly Jelly Banana Orange Salad - This is an orange and banana variation of Vicki's jellied fruit salad. Vicki goes to Uptergrove Public School, and this recipe came from the Orillia & Area Nutrition Network.
• Snickerdoodle French Toast - Michael Wall from Notre Dame School serves this french toast with butter and maple syrup. The recipe was submitted to the Orillia & Area Nutrition Network.
• Swiss Muesli - Making your own muesli or granola is a great way of adding fibre to your child's diet. It's especially delicious when it's sprinkled over a favourite fruit yogurt.
Lunch
• 20-Minute Chicken Chili - Pack some leftovers separately with a whole wheat flour tortilla for your child to stuff and roll up into a chicken chili burrito.
• Apple and Ham Salad - Use your child's favourite kind of apple for this salad, which also works well between two slices of bread.
• Baked Bunwiches - Whether eaten rewarmed in the microwave at school or enjoyed cold, these sandwiches make a great lunch.
• Baked Penne with Beef Zuchini and Fontina Cheese - Why send canned products when you can send your own homemade beef and pasta?
• Baked Salsa Ham Roll-Ups - Children can get bored with ordinary sandwiches so switch things up a bit with tortillas, either white, whole wheat, spinach or tomato.
• Beef and Bean Burrito Bake - High-fibre beans, meat and vegetables get all rolled up in a tortilla for a quick and nutritious lunch.
• Black Bean Drumsticks - Serve this for dinner with Confetti Pepper Rice, but save two drumsticks for your child's lunch the next day.
• Broccoli Tortellini Soup - Warm soothing soup is a perfect lunchbox idea for chilly fall and winter days, and it takes less than 15 minutes to make.
• Button Mushroom Salad - If your child is a fan of mushrooms, try this salad for a different take on lunch.
• Cheeseburger Pizza - Add some cheeseburger-inspired toppings, such as pickled hot peppers, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce to this pizza.
• Chicken and Black Bean Burritos - Kids need an energizing lunch that will keep them full until they arrive home. These burritos are packed with chicken and high-fibre black beans.
• Chicken and Stars - If you make extra chicken for supper, you or the kids can put this lunch soup together in just a few minutes, even first thing in the morning.
• Chicken Chow Mein - Save some of this dinner for a delicious lunch to pack in a microwaveable container the next day.
• Chicken Falafel with Tahini Sauce - Chicken is delicious either hot or cold, so save some for lunch the next day.
Page 1 of 3 -- Discover more great kid-friendly recipes on page 2
• Chicken Fingers with Peanut Apricot Sauce - Serve with Crunchy Vegetable Sticks.
• Chicken Pitas with Tahini Sauce - These pitas are a great way of using leftover chicken. When sending it for your child's lunch, package the pita, tomatoes, chicken and tahini sauce separately.
• Chili Cheddar Burgers with Salsa - Keep a patty for lunch the next day. Your child can warm it up in the microwave to pop into a hamburger bun at school.
• Creamy Herbed Noodles - Kids love creamy noodles, so this recipe couldn't be better. It only takes minutes to prepare in the morning to put into a heatproof container.
• Creamy Penne and Peas - Here's a pasta to which you can add cubed smoked ham or chicken, or canned tuna or salmon.
• Crunchy Carnival Coleslaw - Pack this playful salad in a sectioned container along with baby carrots, fruit chunks, crackers, cheese and cooked eggs.
• Deli Chickpea Salad - Pack this hearty, tasty salad in a plastic container to eat by itself or use it as a filling for a whole wheat pita pocket that you've packed separately.
• Eat-the-Bowl Rainbow Chili - When sending this for lunch, wrap the bread bowl separately. Warm the chili in the morning before packing in a vacuum bottle.
• Grilled Chicken Potato Salad - Cook extra chicken and in the morning, cut it diagonally or chop and toss with the salad. Pita bread or crackers fill the lunch box deliciously.
• Macaroni and Four Cheeses - Creamy and cheesy...what child doesn't love this classic? Make this recipe for dinner, replacing the Gruyere and gorgonzola with shredded old Cheddar cheese.
• Mexican Black Bean and Tuna Salad in Pita Pockets - When packing this sandwich, put the tuna mixture in an airtight container and cut the pita in half.
• Oatmeal Energy Bars - These are perfect to pack in your child's lunchbox or sports bag. Chewy and nutty, these bars will satisfy any sweet cravings.
• Parmesan Chicken Strips with Tomato Dipping Sauce - Children will love helping you make these chicken strips, so make double to have enough to warm in the school's microwave the next day.
• Peas and Parmesan Noodles - Most children love noodles and here we add just frozen peas and Parmesan cheese.
• Perfectly Plump Pinwheel Roll-Ups - Aaron Pearce from the Orillia & Area Nutrition Network serves these roll-ups anticipating how guests will figure out how to make them.
• Pizza Lover's Quesadillas - This is from Christopher from Uptergrove Public School and the Orillia & Area Nutrition Network.
• Pizza Soup - Shredded mozzarella cheese for the top and a buttered whole grain roll are welcome and filling additions.
• Pork Souvlaki - As well as a great family dinner, this is ideal for lunch. Make extra pork and for dinner, serve it with rice and Greek salad.
• Pork, Corn and Black Bean Casserole - This family-pleasing dinner works equally well in your child's insulated lunchbox the next day.
• Quick Cheese Biscuits - Wrap up two of these tasty biscuits to go with a vacuum bottle of hot soup. Or use them instead of bread for sandwiches.
• Quick Homemade Tomato Soup - This takes only about 10 minutes to prepare and is a delicious way to enjoy tomatoes.
• Quick Sausage Risotto - Serve with Romaine Pecan Salad.
• Quick Tomato Baked Beans - Beans are a terrific idea for kids' lunches. Beans are low in fat and sodium and have fibre, protein, calcium, iron and folate.
Page 2 of 3 -- Discover more lunch, snacks and desserts for picky eaters on page 3
More lunch treats that are child-friendly:
• Roasted Carrot Dip - A dip is a fun way of adding variety to the week of lunches. Add a few rice chips or potato chips and your child will think it's a party.
• Saucy One-Pot Pasta and Beef Supper - Packed with beef, vegetables and pasta, this makes a hearty, nutritious dinner with enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
• Sloppy Salsa Joes - This plain old favourite gets spiced up with south-of-the border flavour. Pack a kaiser bun or tortilla along with a spoon too.
• Spicy Orange Baked Chicken Drumsticks and Vegetable and Rice Pilaf - This will probably become a family favourite, since it also works well cold in the lunch box.
• Steak and Cheese Quesadillas - Quesadillas, warm or cold, make great lunches or snacks. You can cook these in the skillet as directed or bake them until crisp and golden.
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie - Smoothies are the ultimate hearty no-cook wonder drink and kids love them. Use frozen fruit because it will keep the smoothie ice cold.
• Stuffed Ham and Cheese Potatoes - In this recipe, potatoes cook quickly in the microwave and packaged shredded cheese and frozen corn are ready to use.
• Ten-Minute Taco Salad - Who doesn't love tacos? Package the tortilla chips in a plastic bag and the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and cucumber in separate small containers.
• Tuna and Bean Salad - Send along a whole wheat pita pocket and a spoon so your child can scoop this tasty salad into the pita.
• Tuna Wrap - Tortillas are intriguing wraps instead of the ordinary sandwhich. Look for different flavours, such as spinach or tomato salsa for an added twist.
• Tuna, White Bean and Pasta Salad with Basil - Your child will have fun building this salad and it won't become soggy while it waits in the fridge at school for lunchtime.
• Turkey Burritos - Turkey and vegetables all rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla make this perfect for recharging your child's batteries at lunch.
• Vegetable and Rice Pilaf - Kids love rice, so why not make this as a side dish for dinner and save some for your child's lunch the next day?
• Vegetable Chow Mein Noodle Bake - Kids love noodles so double the recipe to have enough for lunches the next day. Add an apple and granola bar and lunch is ready!
• Zingy Drumsticks - Send 2 or 3 cold drumsticks in a plastic container along with your child's favourite cut-up vegetables, some crackers or a granola bar.
Snacks and desserts:
• Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies - Randy McLaren from Harriet Todd Public School submitted these lacy oat snaps that you can serve as a treat.• Granola Bars - This recipe is a favourite of the Mildmay Carrick Public School Morning Munchers Breakfast Program.
• Hiker's Happy Trail Mix - This is a great snack to throw in the lunchbox. It is also good sprinkled over yogurt in the morning or for the afternoon hunger pangs.
• Microwave Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce - A delicious recipe both kids and adults can make together!
• Semolina Dessert - Aiesha Aggarwal, a student at Couchiching Heights Public School, refers to this dessert as "delicious, divine and delectable."
• Sunflower Seed Granola Bars - Granola bars make a great snack at any time. You can wrap and freeze them separately for up to one month to pop into lunches in the morning.
• Super Apple Cake - The cake is delicious with vanilla frozen yogurt, and is still good the next day or even two days later.
• Yogurt Pops - "This is the perfect treat for hot summer days!" says recipe creator Heather Alaverdy. Pineapple juice concentrate and raspberry yogurt is a good flavour combo too.
• Cheeseburger Pizza - Add some cheeseburger-inspired toppings, such as pickled hot peppers, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce to this pizza.
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