Broccoli looks too much like trees and bell peppers are too bitter and smell weird.
That was me as a kid. I had to pick all the bell peppers off a pizza slice before I could eat it and couldn’t understand why chewing on raw chunks of broccoli was considered pleasant. But I’ve obviously changed a lot since then! My recipes are mainly made of 70-80% vegetables and I now enjoy a veggie plate as a snack. But I must confess to one thing: I still don’t like bell peppers. The kid in me still goes YUCK every time I take a bite or smell them raw on a salad. But because they are so packed with vitamins and nutrients, I make the effort to add them to my meals. Cooked, never raw!
I also feel the same way about sweet potatoes. Too sweet for someone who prefers savory in her meals. But since they are also extremely healthy, I hide them in my food to trick the little girl inside me who would rather feed them to Fluffy the dog. And it works like a charm! Which is why I wanted to share with you moms and dads, a few veggie loaded recipes I think your kids will love. Here are 7 veggie packed recipes your kids will love.
7 Veggie-Packed Recipes Your Kids Will Love
1. Baked and Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Not only kid friendly but also fun for your kids to make. Plus, they are called boats. What’s not to love! Similar to pizza in flavor, these scooped zucchini boats come topped and filled with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, olives, bacon and melted parmesan cheese. GET THE RECIPE
2. Pork Rolls With Teriyaki Sauce
Vegetables wrapped with pork cutlets and cooked in a sweet and smoky teriyaki sauce. You. Can’t. Go. Wrong. As Annmarie wrote in a comment she left: “HOLY MOLY! My family loved these and said, “This is a definite Do Again, Mom!” GET THE RECIPE
3. Easy Chicken And Broccoli Stir Fry
If only I had been served broccoli that way as a kid, I would have fallen in love with the vegetable! Tender broccoli bites that have absorbed all the savory and saltiness of the dish and tossed with with moist chicken pieces. LOVE! GET THE RECIPE
4. Spaghetti Squash Yakisoba Style
Yakisoba is an extremely popular dish among kids in Japan. It’s a very simple stir fry made with noodles and lots of vegetables tossed in a sweet soy based sauce. My recipe is just like that except I have swapped noodles for spaghetti squash. This is one of the most popular recipes on the blog and one my neighbor’s kid also adores! GET THE RECIPE
5. Mushroom Barley Burgers
YUMMMMM. Yes I had to write that because that’s how good these patties are! My husband and I think they actually taste better than meat burgers because they have so much more depth of flavor. Plus, you don’t have to tell your kids they are eating meatless, nutrient packed patties – they won’t be able to tell the difference 😉 GET THE RECIPE
6. Spring Swiss Chard Pie
You couldn’t fit more vegetables into this pie even if you tried and yet, it tastes like there’s meat in it! Think of this pie as the veggie version of a classic meat pie. Serve it with ketchup to entice the kids with a little kick of sweetness. They’ll love it! GET THE RECIPE
7. Moo Goo Gai Pan
I had to add one more Asian stir fry to the mix because – let’s face it – kids love a trip to the Chinese buffet! And for good reasons; the food smells amazing, is dressed in rich colorful sauces, is sweet, sour, savory… I could go on forever. Basically, stir fries hit most of our senses in the best possible way! This is a quick and easy moo goo gai pan filled with veggies and chicken that are coated in a rich, golden brown sauce. GET THE RECIPE
