Kid-Friendly Recipes

3 Quick and Yummy Options

Getting kids to eat healthy can be a daily challenge. Those of us at Sacramento Parent fight the same battle around our kitchen tables. But we’ve discovered that when kids play a role in creating what goes on their plates, it's a little easier to get them to eat well, with less fuss.

These recipes allow kids to choose from a variety of healthy ingredients to create their own meals. They also offer plenty of "jobs" for young chefs, from mixing and mashing to prepping veggies and shredding cheese. Bon appetit!

1. Breakfast Tacos
Whether it's Sunday brunch or breakfast for dinner, this fast and easy option is also tasty and nutritious. Enlist the kids to help you measure ingredients and shred cheese. Little ones can even help slice avocados with a butter knife or other kid-safe utensil.

6 tortillas

8 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

¼ cup frozen, chopped spinach

6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup salsa

1 avocado, sliced

Scramble eggs with the milk and frozen spinach tossed in. Heat tortillas as directed on the package. Arrange small bowls on the table for each ingredient, so your child can choose which ingredients to put into her tortilla and fold into a delicious breakfast taco.

Bonus Challenge!

Attention, Sac Parent Health Challenge participants...

From 5/23 to 5/29, you can score 5 bonus points just for whipping up one of these three recipes with the kids. (Or choose a different healthy option from WholeFoods.com.) You only have to do it once to earn the points; just be sure to sit down together to enjoy, and don't forget to compliment the chefs!

2. Citrus Salad with Balsamic and Feta
Kids can play salad chef right alongside Mom and Dad for this one, courtesy of Whole Foods Market:

5 tangerines, such as Honey, Murcott or Satsuma

1 ounce Feta cheese crumbles

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

4 cups mixed salad greens

1 cup roughly chopped celery leaves

3 cups sliced celery

Squeeze juice from one tangerine into a large bowl. Add feta cheese and vinegar and mix with a fork, mashing the cheese to make a dressing. Peel remaining tangerines and separate into segments. Transfer to a bowl with dressing. Add salad greens, celery and celery leaves, and toss well. (Serves 4)

3. Penne with Chicken & Veggies
Ready in 30 minutes, this amazingly easy (yet completely delicious) dish is personalized in a cinch. Love chicken? Add some more! Let your child decide which veggies to add: asparagus, broccoli, peas or zucchini all taste great. Yum!

16 ounces (more or less) of penne

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut into cubes)

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 bunch of asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces)

1 clove of garlic (chopped)

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Garlic powder

Salt & pepper

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain. Set aside. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet (medium-high heat). Stir in chicken, season with salt, pepper and garlic power to taste. Cook until chicken is browned (about 5 minutes). Pour broth into skillet. Stir in veggie and garlic. Cover and steam until it is just tender (5-10 minutes). Return chicken to skillet and warm through. Stir chicken mixture into pasta and mix well. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

For more fresh and healthy recipes that are fast and kid-friendly, too, browse WholeFoods.com. And if you'd like to share one of your own favorite recipes, particularly if it has meaning in your family or is just a hit with your kids, please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and tell us why you love that dish.