39 Healthy Dinners For Kids

Due to the intense heat circulation that happens in the air fryer, the outside of these chops crisps slightly while the inside stays nice and juicy. 20 minutes later — most of it hands-off time — and it's basically instant dinner.

Get the Air Fryer Pork Chops recipe.

With only 5 ingredients these black bean tostadas are the easiest and fastest meal to throw together. You can always add on additional toppings like corn salsa, avocado ranch, or endless crunchy veggies like radishes or pickled red onions, but here we keep things simple.

Get the 5-Ingredient Black Bean Tostadas recipe.

In our attempt to copy the P.F. Chang's fan favorite, we flavored ground chicken with hoisin sauce (a fermented bean paste that gives the chicken the quintessential Chinese-American flavor), soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, and sesame oil. Skip the Sriracha if your kids don't like spice.

Get the Copycat Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe.

Crispy chicken tenders without the deep fryer? YES! These air fryer chicken strips only need 10 minutes to get golden and crispy. The honey mustard dipping sauce can be stirred together during that time to make this a fast, kid-friendly meal.

Get the Air Fryer Chicken Tenders recipe.

If you're trying to cut carbs, you know there are a lot of no-nos in classic mac & cheese. This version takes out all the trouble ingredients (ahem, PASTA) without sacrificing flavor. The pork rind topping is totally optional, but we think it adds a pleasant crunch.

Get the Keto Mac & Cheese recipe.

Although these shortcut falafel aren’t as crispy as the classic fried variety, they develop a nice golden crust and contain all the key spices. A zippy roasted pepper salad is the perfect foil, and creamy tahini sauce (aka tarator sauce) ties it all together.

Get the Roasted Vegetable Baked Falafel Sandwiches recipe.

Tilapia has a very mild fish taste and is a great way to get your non-fish eaters to love it. We cooked ours in plenty of butter, lemon, and garlic to make it bright and fresh.

Get the Garlicky Lemon Baked Tilapia recipe.

Creamy vegan queso dip and meaty lentils make a satisfying filling while a quick trip in a hot skillet adds crunch to every bite. To make them a little faster, make the lentils up to 4 days ahead, the queso the day before, and prep your lettuce and tomatoes the morning of. When it's time to eat, grab an extra set of little hands to make assembly a snap.

Get the Vegan Crunchwraps recipe.

This creamy pasta is kind of the grown-up version of mac & cheese, but even easier and better. The broccoli is in no way hidden, but it's still a great way to sneak in an extra serving of greens, and even the pickiest of eaters will eat their vegetables if they are coated in cheese.

Get the One-Pot Broccoli Cheese Pasta recipe.

Because these are made of slightly healthier sweet potatoes, you can go a little wilder with the sauce and toppings. Serve your gnocchi either boiled or seared, in a caramelized sauce of bacon fat, butter, maple syrup (skip the bourbon for kids) or in a simple cacio e pepe finish like in this potato gnocchi recipe.

Get the Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe.

Kids love burgers, no doubt about it, but us adults know that perhaps a burger isn't the best everyday choice. Enter the turkey burger. This easy recipe hits all of the key flavor points and satisfies even the most discerning of kids. Serve with oven-baked fries for a real fast-food-style treat.

Get the Turkey Burger recipe.

OK, fine. There's not actually any ziti in this recipe. But your kids honestly won't even notice. The roasted cauliflower does a solid job of replacing the pasta.

Get the Cauliflower Baked Ziti recipe.

Tofu gets a bad rap for being flavorless, boring, and at times undesirably rubbery—but the hate is SO undeserved. We tried a number of different methods to get the most crispy and flavorful tofu possible here—try them all to see which is your favorite.

Get the Baked Tofu recipe.

Healthier ground turkey recipes have a bad rep for being bland and boring. But this meatloaf is LOADED with flavor. How? Worcestershire garlic, rosemary, and thyme. The herbs are our favorite part. We love rosemary and thyme but you can fee free to add any you and your family prefer.

Get the Turkey Meatloaf recipe.

This fried chicken has all the flavor of the original, without the mess of frying! Your family will freak over the Dijon, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, and honey sauce too.

Get the Oven-Fried Chicken recipe.

Kids LOVE zucchini noodles. These are one of our favorite iterations, topped with all our favorite burrito toppings. Your kids will slurp these down in no time.

Get the Burrito Zoodles recipe.

This is possibly our favorite use of cauliflower as a culinary master of disguise. Top this with your kid's favorite pizza toppings!

Get the Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe.

These chickpea based meatballs pack tons of flavor, come together quickly, and even provide a good amount of protein and fiber. Once baked, these balls have a near-perfect texture—your kids won't know they're not meat!

Get the Vegan Meatballs recipe.

Our chili takes only 40 minutes to make, and can be jazzed up with as many toppings as you like. Kids love being able to pick and choose what THEY like, so set up a DIY toppings bar for this chili. Bonus? It tastes even better next day!

Get the Homemade Beef Chili recipe.

Enjoy the perfect combination of cheesy and beefy goodness with these unreal tacos. We promise you'll be so obsessed with this zesty, flavorful filling, you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Use whatever ground beef you like best. We usually go with 80% lean 20% fat.

Get the Cheesy Ground Beef Tacos recipe.

Sure, classic lasagna is delicious. Sometimes, though, when we crave something a tad less carb-heavy, this zucchini version comes to our rescue. If your zucchini looks wet when it comes out of the oven, dab it with a paper towel, top with cheese, and then broil it.

Get the Zucchini Lattice Lasagna recipe.

We can thank the cuisine of Tex-Mex for the classic fajita. Originally, the term referred to a grilled strip of meat served in a tortilla. These days you can find steak, crock-pot, shrimp, or even vegetarian fajitas. Minimal prep and minimal cook time means these can be on your dining room table FAST.

Get the Chicken Fajitas recipe.

Instead of rolling all of the enchiladas this casserole untraditionally speeds up the process by layering everything together in the pan. Skip the store-bought and make your own homemade enchilada sauce. You can adjust the heat down according to your family's preference and the flavor is 10x better.

Get the Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe.

Everything your kids love about grilled cheese, with added veggies and no bread! Try our zucchini grilled cheese next.

Get the Cauliflower Grilled Cheese recipe.

Spaghetti squash turns our favorite pasta dish, pasta primavera, into an easy gluten-free, low-carb meal. The perfect dinner to keep things fresh. Don't have a spaghetti squash? Try our Primavera Stuffed Chicken!

Get the Chicken Primavera Spaghetti Squash Boats recipe.

You don't really need a recipe to make this insanely popular Mexican dish. Top a tortilla with cheese (and whatever else you've got), then fold it in half and cook until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melty. But if you're looking for some guidance, especially in cooking up some quick and easy chicken to stuff inside, this recipe won't let you down.

Get the Chicken Quesadillas recipe.

This taco salad beats any other thanks to Doritos! Cheesy chips make lettuce 1,000 times more appealing. Your kids won't even notice all the greens they're eating.

Get the Dorito Taco Salad recipe.

When in doubt, ROAST THE VEGETABLES. It magnifies the flavor of anything—broccoli! mushrooms! cherry tomatoes!—tenfold, and will make even the pickiest eater love this pasta. A liberal topping of Parmesan doesn't hurt either.

Get the Angel Hair Pasta Primavera recipe.

The classic combo of Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, and basil lends itself to a recipe that’s easy to whip up for breakfast for dinner.

Get the Keto Breakfast Casserole recipe.

Great ramen comes in many shapes, sizes, and flavors but is most commonly known as the rich, creamy, porky version. This completely vegan version uses layers of umami-packed flavor to mimic the depth complexity of traditional ramen, and edamame for a protein boost.

Get the Vegan Ramen with Roasted Red Miso Veggies recipe.