Kid Friendly Meal Prep

Kid friendly meal prep is a fantastic way to have fun with your kids while teaching them about nutrition and making lunch. Preparing food with your kids ingrains healthy habits and teaches how to cook much better than health classes at school. Picking the right ingredients and recipes is important. Also be sure to make it easy enough for the kids while still fun and a little challenging.

Get Your Kids Involved

Meal prepping for your kids can be a lot more and educational if you actually involve them in the process. This creates a stronger bond with food and the kids are more likely to appreciate what they eat. Depending on their age, chopping may not be an option but washing fruits and veggies, portioning, and assembling are great ways to involve kids of any age.

Add fun twists to the recipes like theming. Connect the meal back to their favorite tv show or book or incorporate the season. Not only does it keep the food new and interesting but you may find it expanding your recipe choices as well. Add a bit of music while you cook and provide a sensory experience.

Kid Friendly Meal Prep Ingredients

Kid friendly ingredients make it far more likely that your little ones will enjoy the food meaning they’ll actually eat it. You may not be able to get them to eat every vegetable but try to make most of the meal something they like or are accustomed to. Also remember to include a dessert. As much as you want it to be healthy, a dessert prepared the right way can keep kids from eating extremely unhealthy desserts. Plus kids can run off sugar pretty quickly.

Proteins:

Chicken: Grilled, baked, or shredded chicken works great in wraps, salads, quesadillas, or served with a dipping sauce.
Turkey: Lean ground turkey can be used for meatballs, tacos, or burgers.
Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, or egg muffins provide a protein-rich option.
Beans and Legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, or lentils can be added to wraps, salads, or served with rice.
Cheese: String cheese, cheese cubes, or shredded cheese work as a snack or a topping for many dishes.

Vegetables:

Carrot sticks: Sweet and crunchy, they’re easy to eat and pair well with hummus or ranch dip
Cucumber slices: Fresh and hydrating, cucumbers are a good finger food for kids.
Bell peppers: Colorful and mild, great for dipping or adding to wraps and stir-fries.
Broccoli or Cauliflower: Steamed or roasted, they’re delicious with a little cheese or seasoning.
Cherry tomatoes: Bite-sized and easy to add to salads or eat on their own.

Fruits:

Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are sweet and full of vitamins.
Apple slices: Serve with peanut butter or on their own as a crunchy, healthy snack.
Grapes: Easy to prep and perfect for snacking.
Bananas: Great for breakfast, smoothies, or as a quick snack.
Oranges or clementines: Easy to peel and packed with Vitamin C.

Whole Grains:

Brown rice or quinoa: Use as a base for bowls, stir-fries, or salads.
Whole-wheat pasta: Pair with a simple tomato sauce, or turn it into a cold pasta salad.
Whole-grain bread or tortillas: Use for sandwiches, wraps, or quesadillas.
Oats: Great for breakfast in the form of oatmeal or overnight oats.
Whole-grain crackers: Perfect for snack plates or lunchbox bento boxes.

Healthy Fats:

Avocado: Can be mashed on toast, added to wraps, or served in slices.
Nuts and seeds: If your kids are old enough (and allergy-free), almonds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds are great for snacks.
Nut butters: Peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter can be used in sandwiches, as a dip, or in smoothies.

Balanced Kid Friendly Meal Prep

The central theme behind any healthy routine is balancing everything. The growth and development of children is directly related to the nutrition they receive. Change up your usual ingredients from time to time. Don’t just serve the same fruits or proteins. Variety is key. Use the list of kid friendly ingredients and choose one from each category to go on the plate. Your child’s own particular dietary needs may differ though and you should consider their unique needs but this is a good place to start.

Make it Visually Stunning

Everyone eats with their eyes first but that’s especially the case for children. When introducing new foods, kids will decide if they love it or hate it before even tasting it. Style counts and it can be more fun than throwing a handful of chopped veggies haphazardly into a bowl. Make a rainbow out of the plate. Display different colors using the different food groups. Cut foods into recognizable shapes. Even as an adult you can have fun with it. Take your time with the meal prep rather than rushing through it and it’ll make a difference.

Batch Prep Kid Friendly Meals

Take your time with the process but you can still leverage meal prepping short cuts. Batch cooking is going to be your friend, especially if you’re cooking for multiple kids. Five days a week can add up fast. Choose recipes that can be bulk made, anything baked is a good place to start. Another option is creating an assembly line with your kids and knocking out multi-step recipes as a team. Perfect for sandwiches and quesadillas. Don’t over prepare though. Kids’ tastes can change quickly and they probably won’t want to eat the same thing five days in a row.

Options
Mini Frittatas
Chicken or Turkey Meatballs
Pasta Salad
Quesadillas
& More

Lunchbox Style

Lunchbox style meals have been the popular style in America for decades for a reason. They work really well and are fun and easy to eat. This refers to small portions of each type of food to create a balanced meal. It’s easily eaten with your hands and provides nutrition and variety. This is a great option for kid friendly meal prep both for eating and for preparing since it’s mostly assembling.

Meal Prep Tips

1. Keep Portions Small: Even individual bites should be small. This makes it fun and easy for them plus you can avoid food waste. Use separate containers or a good meal prep container with sections.  

2. Cookie Cutters: this is a quick and easy way to make fun shapes in bread or fruit. Just be aware you’ll end up with a lot of scraps that don’t make the cut. You can use these for your own snacks or meals.

3. Use Dips and Sauces: Sauces like hummus provide a great experience for the kids and provide them with an activity while they eat. Just make sure you have good leak proof containers.

Kid Friendly Meal Prep Recipes