Healthy lunch for picky eaters is not about eating salad for lunch every day. In fact, I think we can all agree that this is not an ideal option. This article will show you some easy, healthy lunch solutions that are healthy but of course, delicious.
Healthy Recipes For Picky Eaters
If you’re on a hunt for healthy recipes for picky eaters – look no more! I’ve rounded up 15 of the best easy and simple meal ideas for fussy eaters including hidden veggies, ground beef, vegetarian meals, chicken, breakfast and even some snacks!
It’s not just toddlers, kids and babies that are picky eaters – adults are guilty of being fussy eaters too! If you’ve ever struggled to help to feed your family nutritious food that they will actually eat, you are not alone!
In fact, I began this blog to share the healthy recipes for picky eaters that were actually working for my family. There is nothing more frustrating than setting a grocery budget, planning family dinner ideas, shopping and making meals just to have no one eat them!
That’s why you’ll find kid-friendly and healthy comfort food recipes right here! And be sure to check out these 15 healthy recipes for picky eaters that I’ve collected from our archives and friends across the web! Here is to journeying from kid food to slightly more adventurous eating!
HIDDEN VEGGIE PASTA SAUCE
This slow cooker hidden vegetable pasta sauce has the vegetables all blended up in to it, so you won’t even know there are there. 5 different vegetables, easy to adapt, vegan, and freezes well too.
Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
It can be difficult for most of us to get enough vegetables in to our diet, but it’s even harder if you don’t like vegetables at all. This hidden veggie recipes is one of the easiest healthy recipes for picky eaters because it hides the veggies so well!
CHICKEN TAQUITOS
Air fryer homemade taquitos made healthy with shredded chicken and tasty ranch Greek yogurt dip!
Air Fryer Homemade Taquitos
These air fryer taquitos are a kid-friendly, healthy recipe that is great for picky eaters (and includes hidden veggies!) Make straight from the freezer to the table in less than 25 minutes
CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
A cozy and comforting bowl that fussy eaters will have no problem gobbling up
Chicken Spaghetti
Pasta is a great choice when getting fussy eaters to try new things! This recipe is simple and easy to make and even throw in a few veggies if you want!
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
These healthy chocolate zucchini muffins are made with simple ingredients, have no refined sugar and are dairy free. Super moist, fudgy and delicious with chocolate flavor, they will be a hit in your home!
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
An easy and seasonal breakfast, lunch snack, or even dessert that boasts hidden veggies and is homemade in just 40 minutes
HEALTHY BEEF TACOS
This healthy taco recipe is made with lean ground beef tossed with homemade taco seasoning and shredded fresh vegetables. They are an easy-to-make healthier version of homemade taco meat that the whole family will love.
Healthy Beef Tacos
Serve these healthy tacos for taco Tuesday or any night with your favorite taco toppings; they are not only quick but also full of flavor.
HEALTHY HAMBURGER HELPER
Healthy instant pot hamburger helper is an easy weeknight meal your family will love!
Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
Made with ground turkey, cheese, noodles and spices, this homemade cheeseburger macaroni tastes even better than the box classic and will be a weeknight dinner winner!
AIR FRYER BURGER SLIDERS
This is one of the easiest healthy recipes for picky eaters to add their own toppings and even maybe a veggie or two! Use a ground beef patty or cooked grilled chicken for a different option
Air Fryer Burger Sliders
Sliders are such a great appetizer for a game day party or a quick lunch or dinner option for your family. Below, we’ll outline how to cook sliders in the air fryer quickly and easily! They’re such a delicious meal!
HEALTHY TURKEY BURGER RECIPE
The BEST juicy healthy turkey burger recipe you’ve ever had! Quick to prep and ready to grill in less than 10 minutes!
Healthy Turkey Burger Recipe
The most delicious moist spinach and feta turkey burger recipe made with no egg!
ONE POT TACO SPAGHETTI
Creamy, cheesy taco spaghetti is a great way to introduce picky eaters to taco flavors!
If your fussy eaters like tacos then this recipe is a great way to introduce them to taco flavors using a generally loved meal – pasta!
Healthy meals even the pickiest eaters will love
These nutritious meals will even have crustless sandwich fans hungry for more.
It is possible for even the pickiest eaters to diversify their favorite foods — they just need to be introduced to nutritious ingredients in fun, familiar ways.
Transform sugary pancakes into a protein-packed meal (breakfast for dinner, anyone?). Whip up a batch of egg muffins with a rainbow of veggies and upgrade the classics like mac and cheese andchicken fingers with healthier ingredient swaps or cooking methods. Whatever vegetable aversion you’re up against (it’s broccoli, isn’t it?), these recipes for picky eaters were designed to help.
Berry-Banana Smoothie
This sweet smoothie features a green vegetable — kale! — that most won’t be able to taste or notice. Each satisfying sip contains good-for-you ingredients that provide a nice dose of fiber, calcium and nutrition. But it goes down easy, like a fruity treat!
Easy Egg Bite Muffins
If there’s time, making a double batch of these is ideal. Serve some for breakfast and freeze the rest for busy mornings, afternoons or even dinner. They’re packed with veggies and protein to enjoy home or on the go and great for picky kids who can’t resist a muffin.
Joy Bauer’s Apple Protein Pancakes
Who doesn’t love pancakes? This healthful version is a great way to make breakfast shine any time of day. They have hearty oats, egg whites and chia seeds so they’re rich in fiber.
Healthy Breakfast ‘Pizza’
This morning spin on a classic afternoon dish will get your day started on the right foot. With each tasty bite, you’ll score fiber and protein and lots of cheesy goodness. And thanks to the tomato sauce, you’ll also get a nice dose of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can help enhance skin and heart health.
Lunch and dinner
Broccomole Dip
Quesadillas and guacamole are typically a win for kids, so why not slip in some more healthy vegetables into the guac? Joy Bauer’s rendition is made with … wait for it … broccoli. Make a batch with your kiddos — then grab your favorite dippers and dive in.
Crispy Quinoa Chicken Nuggets
Quinoa is incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet and it’s a great way to get more fiber. This recipe uses the ancient grain instead of bread crumbs and, when mixed with a bit of Parmesan and seasonings, creates the perfect crunch.
Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili
For the person that swears against vegetarian meals being filling enough, whip up a batch of chipotle chili in your Instant Pot or crockpot. The chunky, naturally sweet butternut squash paired with hearty beans and smoky spices will have even meat eaters feeling satiated.
Rainbow Hummus Veggie Pinwheels
One of the best ways to get young kids to eat naturally nutritious foods is to emphasize the rainbow a variety of veggies creates. The colors in the pinwheels are so incredibly vibrant, making for such a fun snack. Since different antioxidants create the different colors in fruits and vegetables, these wraps pack in all the important vitamins and minerals.
Mac and Cheese Muffins
Swap white flour pasta for nutrient-rich legume pasta (made from chickpeas, lentils or black beans) because they contain about double the protein and triple the fiber compared to most standard noodles. Then, kick things up a few notches by baking mac in a muffin tin to create portion-sized delights that are crunchy on the outside and ooey-gooey cheesy on the inside. Good-for-you mac and cheese that your kids can devour with their hands — what’s not to love?
Ricotta Gnocchi with Chunky Marinara Sauce
If your kids can handle modeling clay, they can make ricotta gnocchi! You may prefer to make the initial dough to assure the amounts are correct, and instead of knives, you can let the younger kids pinch out pieces by hand or give them small cookie cutters to make fun shapes.
Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders
Chicken fingers are a family-favorite but restaurant versions are usually full of saturated fat and sodium. Registered dietician Frances Largeman-Roth created an oven-baked recipe that has all the flavor kids love without the excess breading. Feel free to experiment with the seasonings, like adding a little more spice for kids who can handle the heat.
Mason Jar Chicken and Ramen Soup
Anyone who is quick to slurp up a bowl of instant ramen noodles will love this homemade version that’s not laden with sodium. Whip up the cozy soup or make it ahead in a cute Mason jar. It’s an easy and enjoyable dinner idea for picky eaters.
Healthy Recipes for Picky Eaters You’ll Actually Want to Eat
Don’t worry, these aren’t scary healthy.
Picky eaters—we either know one or we are one. While most of us (myself included) would much rather have a mean slice of pizza or a gorgeous dish of pasta, we all need to eat healthy– including picky eaters. But oftentimes picky eaters avoid vegetables like the plague or only eat healthier foods when they’re covered in cheese. If there’s someone like that in your life, I bet they’ll like these 20 healthy recipes for picky eaters.
1. Sweet Potato Fries
Regular fries really aren’t good for us, despite how often we try to convince ourselves otherwise (sorry, potatoes stop being good for you as soon as you deep fry them). Swap out regular fries for these sweet potato fries; even the pickiest eater in your life will enjoy them.
2. Avocado Chicken Salad
Avocados pair well with everything because they’re fairly neutral in flavor. This avocado chicken salad tastes like the classic, minus all the unhealthy fats you normally get from the mayo. If you or your friend are a really picky eater, feel free to put a slice of cheese on top of your chicken salad sandwich to mask the avocado taste a little more.
3. Zucchini Nachos
Before you come at me, yes I know that nachos are technically unhealthy. However, these zucchini nachos use homemade zucchini chips instead of deep fried tortilla chips, and yogurt instead of sour cream. Feel free to customize these nachos with your favorite healthy toppings.
4. Chicken Burrito Wrap
Just because burritos are high in calories and sodium at Chipotle doesn’t mean they have to be high in anything when you make them yourself. These homemade chicken burritos are easy to make yourself and are fairly cheap, too.
5. Healthier Mac ‘n Cheese
Mac ‘n cheese might seem like it’s for little kids, but not anymore. It can be for you and your picky eater friends with the help of this healthier mac ‘n cheese recipe. Before you start to panic, yes, there is real cheese in this recipe.
6. Chocolate Shake
While chocolate usually isn’t considered a health food, cocoa powder definitely is. This chocolate shake tastes like dessert thanks to the cocoa powder and almond milk blended into it.
7. Zucchini Chips
We all love potato chips – let’s get that out of the way now. However, said potato chips aren’t as healthy as we’d like to think that they are. That’s where zucchini chips come in. If you can get over the fact that they’re green and not yellow, you’ll be just fine.
8. Baked Tortilla Chips
These baked tortilla chips are perfect for dipping in your choice of guac, hummus, or salsa. You can make a bag’s worth of chips in under 20 minutes for cheap, making this an ideal healthy recipe for picky eaters.