15 Flavorful and Healthy Family Meals That are Perfect for Picky Eaters
I think you’ll agree with me when I say that finding one meal that everyone in the family likes is a challenge!
But as busy parents we also don’t want to have to make separate meals for the kids either. The good news is there are some amazing healthy family meals out there that are:
Healthy
Cost-effective
Easy top prepare
Great tasting
Sure to please kids and parents alike
There are a lot of food and recipe sites out there, but we’ve whittled down the thousands of recipes to these top 15.
These healthy family meals are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters and will make a great addition to your dinner table. More importantly, these winning recipes meet the challenge of today’s busy families.
Let’s review the best healthy family meals for your picky eaters!
(1). Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers
This recipe, courtesy of Melissa d’Arabian of The Food Network is delicious, healthy and surprisingly easy to prepare. It’s no wonder it has over 100 reviews and rates 5 stars!
Melissa is the host of Ten Dollar Dinners and The Picky Eater’s Project. She’s also a mother of four and recent first-time cookbook author.
This amazing recipe features:
Store-bought puff pastry saves a lot of time
Only 20 minutes prep time
Kids will love the “hot pocket-style” but the flavor of a traditional chicken pot pie
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/chicken-pot-pie-turnovers-recipe-1924003)
(2). Mini Meat Loaf
This healthy family meal, courtesy of Susie Cover’s book The Supper Club: Kid-Friendly Meals the Whole Family Will Love and published on Parenting.com is a healthy option in that it can be prepared with either ground beef or turkey.
Kids will love that these fun-sized mini meatloaves are easy to dip in ketchup. They are also perfect for packing for a school lunch or picnic.
Susie has over 15 years as a professional chef, cookbook author, and founder of a series of prepared food companies.
This future family staple:
Tastes great warm or at room temp
Can be formed to any size – no wasted food!
Can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.parenting.com/article/mini-meat-loaf-recipe)
(3). Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta
This delicious and healthy mac ‘n cheese alternative comes to us from Hillary Smith over at Bon Appétit.
Hillary is the associate marketing director at Bon Appétit, but clearly knows her way around the kitchen too. Here, Hillary does the unthinkable and gets picky eaters come back for seconds on cauliflower!
This new family favorite:
Is easy to make
Features delicious parmesan and pine nuts
Roasts the cauliflower to get it tender with a deeper flavor
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/inside-our-kitchen/article/roasted-cauliflower-pasta-breadcrumbs-pine-nuts)
(4). Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This 5 star recipe is from Rachael Ray, courtesy of The Food Network’s 30 Minute Meals.
This amazingly flavorful dish:
Can be made in 25 minutes
Is so delicious kids won’t even question eating lettuce
Is packed with veggies
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/barbecued-chinese-chicken-lettuce-wraps-recipe-1915308)
(5). Eggplant Parmigiana in a Pasta Sauce
This amazing recipe re-do comes from Ole & Shaina Olmanson and Babble is a much healthier, but just as tasty a version of traditional eggplant parmesan.
This fantastic dinner option:
Cuts the fried eggplant and lengthy prep stages
Calls for ground beef but could easily be made vegetarian
Tastes even better the next day!
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.babble.com/best-recipes/eggplant-parmigiana-in-a-pasta-sauce/)
(6). Po-tacos!
This creative reinvention of the classic taco comes from Weelicious founder Catherine and her friend Joanna. The idea is to use a baked potato split down the middle as the “shell” for your taco.
Of course a baked potato is healthier than a fried taco shell or fat-laden tortilla. But she also gets incredibly creative with the topping options, going far beyond a typical taco.
This new classic:
Has endless filling possibilities from pesto veggies to pulled pork
Could easily be made with sweet potatoes instead
Only take a whopping 10 minutes prep time!
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://weelicious.com/2014/03/23/potato-tacos-recipe/)
(7). Crispy Chicken, Ham, and Swiss Roll-Ups
This tasty addition to our healthy family meals comes from Jiselle Basile over at Cooking Light. Jiselle has taken the classic ham and cheese sandwich and reinvented it as a roll-up.
This “meaty, cheesy, moist and crunchy” treat gets healthy by going in the oven instead of into a frying pan.
This amazing recipe:
Is only 351 calories per serving
Uses all white meat chicken and ham
Is low in sugar and saturated fat
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/crispy-chicken-ham-swiss-roll-ups)
(8). Easy 30 Minute Orange Chicken with Rice
This amazing redo of everyone’s favorite Chinese takeout comes from Kristen over at A Mind “Full” Mom.
Kristen has crafted a recipe that is not too spicy or sweet. That makes the kids happy. But it’s has enough complex flavors to have the adults coming back for seconds.
Healthy family meals never tasted so good!
This fantastic recipe:
Is ready in under 30 minutes!
Uses fresh orange juice
Skips the fryer and the unnecessary calories
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://amindfullmom.com/orange-chicken/)
(9). Noodle Pudding
This creative recipe, courtesy of Barbara Wener and Country Living is a great way to get kids to eat cottage cheese and cut the fat from traditional baked pasta dishes.
Country Living features the best food and drink recipes that are delicious and easy to prepare. The recipe was handed down to Barbara from her mother and remains a family favorite.
This tasty treat:
Has under 400 calories per serving
Will have kids gobbling it up like mac n’ cheese
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/recipes/a3560/noodle-pudding-recipe-clv0211/)
(10). One Pan Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Spinach Cream Sauce
The key to truly healthy family meals is getting picky eaters to eat their vegetables.
This fantastic recipe, courtesy of Christina Cherrier, editor at Eatwell101, does just that.
Christina has crafty a yummy cream sauce that packs a flavor punch of garlic, tomato, spinach, and cheese. Even the pickiest of eaters will be back for more.
This amazing dish:
Lightens the fat with half and half instead of cream
Gets kids to eat their spinach
Saves on clean up by using just 1 pan
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.eatwell101.com/chicken-potatoes-with-garlic-parmesan-cream-sauce)
(11). Super Easy Skinny Veggie Crockpot Lasagna
This no-hassle lasagna recipe, comes to us from Lindsay over at Pinch of Yum.
Lindsay and her husband Bjork run both Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro and are here to save us a boatload of time, cutting calories in the process.
This amazing dish:
Is all done in the crockpot
Is loaded with veggies
Calls for uncooked lasagna noodles
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://pinchofyum.com/super-easy-skinny-veggie-crockpot-lasagna)
(12). Crispy Baked Parmesan Chicken Strips
All kids love chicken strips. Thankfully this classic recipe redo skips the fryer and still delivers a delicious healthy family meal.
Amy Roskelley, of Super Healthy Kids, walks us through the simple steps to get extra crispy chicken without the deep fryer. Amy is mom of 3 and has a background in health and nutrition and in shows!
This amazing dish:
Skips the salt, fast & preservatives of fast food chicken nuggets
Are amazingly crispy
Packs 36 grams of protein per serving
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.superhealthykids.com/crispy-baked-parmesan-chicken-strips-recipe/)
(13). Sausage, Brocolli & Rice One Skillet Meal
This delicious weeknight staple comes to us from Kasey Schwartz over at All Things Mamma.
With a hungry husband who helps parent their 3 kids, Kasey knows a thing or two about healthy family meals. Her recipes are designed for busy parents looking for quick, easy and healthy meals during the school week.
This tasty mealtime option:
Is ready in under 30 minutes
Is a great way to get kids to eat their broccoli
Can be made with turkey or chicken sausage to cut the fat
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.allthingsmamma.com/smoked-sausage-rice-one-skillet-dinner/)
(14). Baked Chicken Chimichangas
This simple, yet tasty Mexican-themed dinner staple comes from Christy Denney over at The Girl Who Ate Everything.
Christy makes healthy family meals for her husband and their 5 kids. And with 5 kids, you can bet Christy knows how to please even the pickiest of eaters.
This awesome dinnertime staple:
Are oven baked instead of fried
Can be prepared in under 15 minutes
Goes great with guac and low-fat sour cream
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/baked-chicken-chimichangas)
(15). Baked Gnocchi with Sausage, Kale, and Pesto
This delicious baked pasta dish comes from Maria & Josh over at Two Peas and Their Pod.
Maria & Josh love cooking, entertaining and creating healthy family meals that are simple, fresh, and kid-friendly. We think you’ll agree!
This delicious dish:
Is a great way to sneak kale into kid’s diets
Can be prepared in under 15 minutes
Cut even more fat with lower fat sausage and cheeses
~ Check out the recipe here!(https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/baked-gnocchi-with-sausage-kale-and-pesto/)
Did you find some new favorite healthy family meals here?
In this post, we looked at the challenge all parents face in creating healthy family meals that everyone in the family will actually eat.
Finding ways to overcome picky eating habits with our kids can be a challenge.
To help, we researched and found 15 amazing recipes that even the pickiest eaters will love and want more of. So if you’re getting resistance at the dinner table and aren’t sure where to turn, the recipes above will quickly get you what you need.
All the winning recipes linked above were hand-selected.
They are the answer to your dinner-time problems and will help all parents by removing a little bit of that stress at the end of a long day.
Make sure and bookmark your favorites as you’ll assuredly be back for more.
Featured photo credit: Annie Spratt via unsplash.com(https://unsplash.com/photos/oT7_v-I0hHg)