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.
Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet
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.
Healthy Oven-Fried Pork Chops
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.
Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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.
BBQ Carrot Dogs
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.
Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce
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.
Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes
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.
Chhole (Chickpea Curry)
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.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
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!
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
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.
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
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.
Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
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.
Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan
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.
Oven-Fried Fish & Chips
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.
American Goulash
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.
Homemade Chicken Tenders with Everything Bagel Seasoning over Salad
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.
Three-Bean & Barley Soup
Serve this zesty bean and barley soup garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired.
Chicken Taco Bowls
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.
Easy Vegetarian Chili
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.
Baked Mac & Cheese
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.
Black Bean Quesadillas
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.
Chicken Tetrazzini
This retro dish will please kids and adults alike.
Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup)
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.
Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken
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.
Creamy Skillet Ranch Chicken & Broccoli
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.
Classic Hamburger
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.
Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
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.
