Healthy Recipes Mealtimes Dinner Healthy Family & Kids Dinner Recipes A Month of Healthy Meals for Kids By Penelope Wall Penelope Wall Penelope Wall oversees the digital editorial vision of EatingWell—drawing on both her passion for food, wellness and storytelling and over 20 years experience in digital content strategy and editorial. Penelope has a bachelor's degree in English and studio art and a minor in French from Middlebury College. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 31, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close These healthy meals for kids will satisfy the whole family. From kid-friendly favorites like mac & cheese, pizza and chicken fingers, your kids will love these dinners—and you'll love the veggies they're getting in each bite. Recipes like Healthy Oven-Fried Pork Chops and Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili are flavorful and fun. If you're curious about the recommended daily serving of vegetables for kids or adults, the USDA's MyPlate Plan offers a helpful chart based on age and gender. The suggested amounts might surprise you, as they can vary. 01 of 31 Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet View Recipe Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Add extra vegetables to your day with this easy one-skillet pasta recipe. Finely chop mushrooms to resemble the texture of ground beef and stir them into a classic meat sauce for a healthy twist on a dinnertime favorite. 02 of 31 Healthy Oven-Fried Pork Chops View Recipe These whole-wheat panko breadcrumb-coated pork chops get just as crispy as fried chops, but they're baked. Serve with steamed broccoli and baked sweet potato for a satisfying healthy weeknight dinner. 03 of 31 Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole View Recipe Casseroles make perfect meal-prep dinners, and this enchilada version is no exception. The whole casserole can be built and left to hang out in the refrigerator for up to three days—just bake it off on a busy night and you have a healthy, easy dinner on the table in no time. The quick homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe is great when you don't have any of the canned sauce on hand; just season crushed tomatoes with spices and salt for an instant enchilada sauce. 04 of 31 BBQ Carrot Dogs View Recipe Shock everyone with this recipe for veggie dogs that actually taste like hot dogs. They're an amazing (and healthy!) vegan alternative to traditional meat hot dogs. Serve in whole-wheat hot dog buns and top with all your favorite toppings, such as sauerkraut, relish, ketchup and mustard, for the ultimate barbecue meal. 05 of 31 Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce View Recipe Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce. 06 of 31 Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes View Recipe Potatoes are one of the great comfort foods, especially when stuffed with a satisfying mixture of lean ground beef and broccoli florets plus reduced-fat sour cream and Cheddar cheese. Add a tossed salad and you have a healthy and hearty meal that will leave you feeling good. 07 of 31 Chhole (Chickpea Curry) View Recipe This healthy Indian recipe is a flavorful chickpea curry that you can make in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, this dish is a comforting and delicious dinner. 08 of 31 Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas View Recipe Photography: Carson Downing, Food: Holly Dreesman, Props: Gabe Greco One sheet pan is all you'll need to whip up this chicken fajita recipe. They're quick and easy to make and cleanup is even faster! 09 of 31 Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili View Recipe Photographer/Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist/Kay Clarke, Food Stylist/Emily Nabors Hall Make a double batch of this quick vegetarian chili, full of black beans and sweet potatoes, and eat it for lunch the next day or freeze the extras for another night. 10 of 31 Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers View Recipe Rachel Marek Mounding a classic Philly cheesesteak mixture in a colorful bell pepper and melting cheese on top is an easy way to skip the bread and cut the carbs. 11 of 31 Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl View Recipe This flavorful burrito bowl features grilled chicken coated in a spicy chipotle glaze. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier dinner. 12 of 31 Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan View Recipe Photographer: Jen Causey This one-pan pasta that combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal is garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta" and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love. 13 of 31 Oven-Fried Fish & Chips View Recipe Fish and chips are traditionally sold wrapped in paper to soak up excess grease. To cut the calories in half and reduce the fat, we coat the delicate fish in a crispy cornflake crust and then bake it along with sliced potatoes. Serve with coleslaw and malt vinegar or lemon wedges. 14 of 31 American Goulash View Recipe Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco American goulash, also known as old-fashioned goulash, is the perfect economical family meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so this satisfying dish can cook in just one pot. 15 of 31 Homemade Chicken Tenders with Everything Bagel Seasoning over Salad View Recipe Using everything bagel spice is a quick way to season and add extra crunch to breadcrumbs for chicken tenders. If you can't find any premixed, it's easy to make your own to have on hand for quick and easy recipes like this chicken tender-topped salad that's ready in just 25 minutes. 16 of 31 Three-Bean & Barley Soup View Recipe Serve this zesty bean and barley soup garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired. 17 of 31 Chicken Taco Bowls View Recipe This chicken taco bowl recipe uses the underside of a muffin tin as a mold to bake cute little homemade "tortilla bowls." The "tortilla bowls" are filled with a zesty chicken filling and topped like nachos. If you have 2 large muffin tins, you can make all 8 "bowls" at once. Bake them in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, rotating top to bottom about halfway through baking. 18 of 31 Easy Vegetarian Chili View Recipe Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit—sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices. 19 of 31 Falafel View Recipe Tuck these tasty chickpea patties into whole-wheat pitas and top with tahini sauce. Be sure to soak the chickpeas overnight for the creamiest mixture. The quick-soak method won't work for these pan-fried falafel patties. 20 of 31 Baked Mac & Cheese View Recipe Mac & cheese can be a true comfort on a gloomy day, and our healthy update takes advantage of extra-sharp Cheddar balanced with creamy low-fat cottage cheese and tucks a layer of spinach into the middle, which may help picky eaters down their vegetables. Whole-wheat pasta adds robust flavor and extra fiber. 21 of 31 Black Bean Quesadillas View Recipe In a hurry? These satisfying quesadillas take just 15 minutes to make. We like them with black beans, but pinto beans work well too. If you like a little heat, be sure to use pepper Jack cheese in the filling. Serve with: A little sour cream and a mixed green salad. 22 of 31 Chicken Tetrazzini View Recipe This retro dish will please kids and adults alike. 23 of 31 Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup) View Recipe Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this Italian Wedding Soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling. 24 of 31 Baked Popcorn Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce View Recipe This healthy popcorn shrimp recipe uses tiny shrimp to make crunchy bites perfect for popping in your mouth. We also swap out mayo-based tartar sauce for a healthier Greek yogurt dip flavored with Thai chili sauce. 25 of 31 Barbecue Chicken Pizza View Recipe We gave classic barbecue chicken pizza a healthy twist with hidden shredded zucchini in the sauce. It's a great way to sneak extra veggies into both you and your children's diet! 26 of 31 Build-Your-Own Chicken Tacos View Recipe This kid-friendly recipe keeps every element of tacos separate so your child can decide to eat them separately or have fun building their own mini tacos with their favorite toppings. Plus, it's perfect for packing into a bento box for a healthy lunch for school. 27 of 31 Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken View Recipe Grilled teriyaki chicken with pineapple can be made with just a few pantry staples. Although it's delicious when made with canned pineapple, fresh pineapple and its juice can easily be used in its place. Serve with brown rice and snow peas. 28 of 31 Creamy Skillet Ranch Chicken & Broccoli View Recipe Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst, Prop Stylist / Holly Raibikis This crowd-pleasing dinner feeds four and can be on the table in just 30 minutes. To top it off, the creamy ranch sauce, chicken and broccoli all come together in one skillet, making cleanup just as easy as cooking. 29 of 31 Classic Hamburger View Recipe Slow-cooked onions add moisture and flavor to these lean beef burgers. A quick blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar makes a perfect tangy, sweet and creamy "special sauce" for this burger. We love the dill relish here, but use sweet relish if you prefer it. Serve with sweet potato fries. 30 of 31 Turkey Chili Calzones View Recipe Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ali Ramee / Christine Keely Here we combine two favorite family dinners—chili and pizza—into calzones packed full of lean turkey, bell peppers and sharp Cheddar. Dish them up with a side salad to complete the meal. 31 of 31 Pepperoni Pizza Rolls View Recipe These cheesy baked pizza rolls with marinara dipping sauce would be fun for a casual party for kids or adults—or just for dinner! Classic pizza fillings are tucked into egg roll wrappers, which are baked—no frying required!—until nice and crispy on the outside. Feel free to mix up the fillings; for example, you could drop the pepperoni to make these vegetarian or nix the mushrooms if you're not a fan. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit