21 Healthy Recipes for Kids (especially for Fussy Eaters)

Hello moms, looking for healthy recipes for kids?

Are you out of classroom snack ideas for kids?

Need toddler meal ideas that are perfect for home and school?

Then these 21 healthy recipes for kids will help you!

Fast food vs healthy dishes:

 Eating habits of kids change as they grow. The toddler period is one of the toughest age to handle as they start asking foods seen in commercials or some colorful food items from food courts or foods what others eat. The war between fast food against healthy dishes is often won by the former.

When my son started playschool four months back, I started exploring my kitchen more. I tried out many recipes to suit his taste buds. As usual, many recipes were utter flop and few become hits.

After going through all my food recipes, don’t judge me as an organic mom 🙂

I do bribe my three year old son with chocolates, chips and ice creams, but I make sure that I feed him a lot of homemade food, veggies and fruits. I am trying my best to raise him as a healthy eater.

But it is a tough thing to do. I am sure many of you moms agree with me.

Today, I would like to help out moms who are trying to get their kids to eat healthy.

21 Easy and healthy recipes for kids:

Here are the mega hit food recipes loved by my little man, Rithvik. The good news is that, most of the foods listed here are easy to cook and can go into your kid’s school snack box. Not just that, they make healthy party snacks for kids too!

[fancy_box id=5]BONUS: [content_upgrade id=15596]GET the downloadable PDF[/content_upgrade] of all these 21 healthy recipes for your kids. Prepare at home for healthy meals or pack in his lunch box for school – either way health and taste guaranteed![/fancy_box]

#1. AVOCADO ROTI  

What?? Avooocaaadooo rotiii??

Yes, mommies, you heard it right.

To be frank, this is one of the fruits that I tasted for the first time, once I moved abroad post-marriage. Though avocado tastes bland, it has abundant health benefits. So somehow I wanted to include this in Rithvik’s diet. I had heard of mashes, but he was too old for that. I tried smoothies but he doesn’t like it much.

Recently, I tried this recipe and it turned out to be super yummy dish. This is a perfect healthy food for your family.

• Must read: 10 things every mom should know about avocado for babies.

What you require

• Ripe avocado – 1
• Wheat flour – 1 and 1/4 cup
• Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
• Curd – 1 tablespoon
• Chilli powder or any other masala powder of your choice – 1/4 teaspoon
• Oil to knead – 1 teaspoon
• Ghee – to cook rotis
• Salt – to taste
• Water – for kneading

Method

• Peel the outer skin of ripe avocado and take the pulp. You can do this without peeling the skin too. For that start by cutting the avocado in half and scoop out the pulp using spoon or ice cream scoop.
• Smash the pulp nicely using a fork.
• Add the lemon juice and red chilli powder to the avocado pulp and mix it well.
• In another bowl take wheat flour, curd, oil and add the smashed avocado to it.
• Take enough water to knead and dissolve required salt to it.
• Start kneading to a smooth dough.
• After kneading, drizzle few drops of oil and coat the dough.
• Let it sit covered for 15 min.
• Make lemon sized balls out of the dough, dust it and flatten using rolling pin.
• Heat up a tawa and cook the rotis.
• Serve warm with your kid’s favorite curry or curd.

#2. BROCCOLI PATTIES

Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables there is, which is very rich in dietary fibre, iron, omega 3 fatty acids and so many other nutrients.

But unfortunately, this is not a favorite of my son.

Few days back, I saw a video on how to prepare broccoli patties. I gave it a try with slight modification. Here it goes.

What you require

• Broccoli – 1 small size
• Potato – 1 or 2
• Egg – 1
• Bread crumbs – to coat the patties
• Grated ginger – ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
• Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Roasted cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
• Lemon juice – from 1 lemon
• Chopped coriander leaves – few
• Salt – to taste
• Oil or ghee – to toast the patties

Method

• Wash the potatoes, cut into half and pressure cook for 3 or 4 whistles. Once pressure released, peel and mash the potatoes.
• Steam broccoli florets with a little turmeric powder and salt until tender.
• After that grind the steamed broccoli, ginger and coriander leaves in mixer
• In a bowl take the ground broccoli, mashed potato, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, salt, lemon juice and mix well to combine.
• Divide the dough into equal portions and press between both hands, flatten to form round shape. You can also use cookie cutter to cut in different shapes.
• If you want a firm dough, keep the dough balls covered in fridge for half an hour
• Beat one egg
• Dip each balls into egg mixture first then roll them in bread crumbs
• Heat a pan or tawa add 1 tbsp oil/ghee, place 3 or 4 pieces’ and cook on medium flame until it becomes light brown, turn to other side and cook until done.
• Serve warm with any chutney of your choice or tomato ketchup.
• You can also use these patties as a filler in sandwiches.

Also read:

• Broccoli cheese soup
• Vegetable clear soup with broccoli and carrots

#3. BEETROOT RAVA SANDWICH

This is one of the delicious food items I tasted recently and for this I have to really thank our dear Chitra as she passed me this recipe. As usual I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit my kiddo’s taste buds.

What you require

• Bread (brown/white) – 5 or 6
• Rava/semolina -1/4 cup
• Curd -1/2 cup
• Beetroot – 1 small
• Green chilli – 1
• Big onion -1
• Ginger-1/4 inch
• Garlic – a pod
• Salt – to taste
• Oil/ghee – for toasting

Method

• Peel the skin of beetroot, cut into four or five pieces and cook for 3 whistles.
• In the meantime, take 1/2 cup curd and 1/4 cup rava, mix well by adding required salt.
• Chop a big onion, a garlic,1/4-inch ginger and a green chilli.
• Once beetroot is cooked, put cooked beetroot, onion, green chilli, ginger, garlic and salt in a mixer and grind it by adding little water.
• Mix this with the rava curd mixture.
• Take bread slices, apply on one side of the bread.
• Put the bread on a non-stick tawa after applying some oil or ghee on the tawa.
• While it’s cooking, apply the mixture on the other side and flip it over.
• Cook both the sides well.

PS: Don’t throw away the water you cook beetroot. You can use it to knead chapathi dough or to mix henna for the hair. You can also store it in the fridge by adding a little coconut oil which serves as a good lip balm.

#4. STRAWBERRY-PEANUT BUTTER CHEESE ROLLS

My son loves to eat strawberries but sometimes he just won’t eat it! Kids!

If you want to incorporate strawberry in your kid’s diet, either make smoothies with strawberry and banana or you can go for this recipe.

What you require

• Strawberry – 2 or 3
• Peanut butter – 1 tablespoon
• Honey – 1 tablespoon
• Bread (white/brown) – 2

Method

• Chop two or three fresh strawberries.
• Grind this chopped strawberry with a tbsp of peanut butter and a tbsp of honey in a mixer.
• Take a bread slice, cut the crusts off.
• Flatten it by rolling it using a rolling pin.
• Spread cheese to this, then spread the strawberry paste and roll it

#5. BANANA FRY

This is a yummy snack from god’s own country and a healthy and easy recipe.

Banana fry is usually done by cutting banana into long thin strips. But my kid doesn’t like if I give him anything bigger in size. So I started preparing small round shaped banana fries.

What you require

• Kerala banana (ethakkai) – 1
• Wheat flour – half cup
• Rice flour – 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Oil – for deep frying

Method

• Peel the skin and cut the banana into small round pieces.
• Prepare the batter using wheat flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, salt and sugar (the batter should not be too thick or too watery).
• Dip the bananas in the batter and deep fry it.

You can also read the 13 kerala banana recipes for babies and kids.

#6. BLUEBERRY CAKE

These tiny fruits are loaded with vitamin C, anti-oxidants, manganese and dietary fibre.

Blueberry can’t be eaten as such by most but if added to muffins, cakes or pancakes then no other flavors can beat these tiny ones.

I have already written the recipe blueberry pancakes using whole wheat flour.

Though I become expert in making spongy blueberry cakes, I haven’t stopped my weekly visit to cake gallery to have their signature fresh hot blueberry muffins 😉

What you require

• Maida – 1 and 1/2 cups (I have used maida here but you can substitute with wheat flour)
• Blueberry – 10 to 15
• Brown/white sugar – 1/2 to 3/4 cup
• Homemade curd – 1 cup
• Coconut oil/any cooking oil – 1/2 cup
• Baking soda – 1/2 teaspoon
• Baking powder – 1 and 1/4 teaspoon
• Vanilla essence – 1 and 1/4 teaspoon

Method

• First beat sugar and curd nicely till sugar gets dissolved completely.
• Add baking powder and baking soda to the curd sugar mixture and let it sit for few minutes.
• In the meantime, grind the washed blueberries in the mixer.
• Now add the blueberry paste, vanilla essence and cooking oil to the above mixture and mix it well.
• Add maida slowly and mix well with the mixture.
• Preheat oven to 180-degree C for 10 minutes.
• Grease a butter paper and put it on the baking tin
• Pour the batter slowly into the tin and bake at 180-degree C for 25- 30 minutes.
• Once done, allow the cake to cool down and remove the butter paper.

#7. EGG AVIYAL

 This is yet another healthy, tasty and yet easy peasy dish from kerala. This goes well with rice.

My little one started hating eggs once he reached the toddler stage. He runs at the sight of eggs anywhere. The only way I can incorporate egg to his diet is by mashing cooked egg yolk with white rice and rasam.

Again this dish was passed to me by one of my dearest and next-door friend/neighbour whom I call lovingly as Ani.

What you require

• Egg – 2
• Potato – 1
• Drumstick (optional) – 1
• Garlic – 1 pod
• Cumin seed – ¼ teaspoon
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Grated coconut – half cup

Method

• Cook the eggs.
• Peel the skin of the potato, cut it into long strips and cook in little water. If adding drumstick, cut and put along with potato.
• In the meantime, grind the garlic pod, cumin seed, chilli powder, turmeric powder and grated coconut.
• Add the ground mixture to the cooking potato. Add required salt and water if needed.
• Peel the hard-boiled egg, cut into half and drop it in the curry.
• Boil the gravy for 5 more minutes on medium flame.

#8. IDLI FRY 

Idli which is known as the healthiest Indian breakfast, but our family hates it.  But when I tried this recipe, all of us liked it.

As I was searching for more foods to pack into Rithvik’s mid-morning snack box, this idli fry was suggested by my brother-in-law’s wife.

What you require

• Idli – 2
• Idli/dosa podi or chili powder – ½ teaspoon
• Salt – a pinch
• Ghee or oil – to shallow fry

Method

• Cook idli as you do normally
• Once idli is cooled (you can do with leftover idlis), cut idlis into small pieces (square shape or rectangular)
• Marinate the pieces using idli/dosa podi and a pinch salt
• Shallow fry using ghee or oil

Must read:

• Ragi idli recipe without rice for babies, toddlers and kids
• 5 chutney recipes for toddlers and kids

#9. UZHUNNU BONDA/VADA

Who doesn’t like uzhunnu vada?

This is one of my kid’s favorite recipes. I haven’t yet mastered the trick of making uzhunnu vada (with hole in middle). I always end up making it without holes, so the name uzhunnu bonda 😉

I prefer to grind the urad dal in the grinder rather than the mixie to get that right vada batter texture.

What you require

• Whole urad dal (without skin) – 1/2 cup
• Raw rice -1/2 tablespoon
• Fried gram (optional) – little
• Green chili -1
• Small onion – 4
• Salt – as required
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• Soak urad dal with 1/2 tablespoon rice and a little fried gram (optional) for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, drain the water completely and grind it in the grinder by sprinkling little water along with a green chilli. The batter should be smooth and non-sticky. If needed sprinkle a little water in between.
• Your batter is ready.
• Chop the small onions.
• Mix the onion and salt to the batter.
• Add oil in a deep bottomed kadai and heat it.
• Wet your fingers, take a lemon sized amount of batter and put it into the hot oil very slowly and carefully.
• Fry until it turns golden brown.

#10. MINI HEART/STAR/MOON SHAPED POORI

With this mini heart shaped poori, you can definitely win your child’s heart and tummy.

If you want colorful and more nutritious poori like green (add mashed spinach) or red (add mashed beetroot) check my palak puri recipe.

What you require

• Wheat flour – 1 cup
• Curd/milk – 1 or 2 tablespoon
• Salted water – to knead
• Oil – 1 tablespoon for kneading
• Oil – to deep fry

Method

• Take wheat flour, curd and a teaspoon oil in a bowl.
• Take enough water to knead.
• Dissolve sufficient salt to it and knead the dough.
• Keep it closed for 15 minutes.
• Divide the dough into lemon sized balls and roll using rolling pins.
• Cut the dough into different shapes like heart, star or cut out shapes of your choice using cookie cutter.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed kadai and fry the pooris.

[fancy_box id=5]BONUS: [content_upgrade id=15596]GET the downloadable PDF[/content_upgrade] of all these 21 healthy recipes for your kids. Prepare at home for healthy meals or pack in his lunch box for school – either way health and taste guaranteed![/fancy_box]

#11. STEAMED OATS BANANA MUFFINS 

This is a great instant recipe. For these muffins, you don’t need an oven to bake. All you need are a few silicone baking cups.

This is something very healthy that your kid will love.

What you require

• Oats (I used organic oat bran) – 3 tablespoon
• Banana (I used Philippine banana) – 1
• Peanut butter – 1 tablespoon
• Honey – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – a pinch
• Cocoa powder (optional) – ½ teaspoon
• Baking soda (optional) – a pinch
• Sugar (I didn’t add) – 1 teaspoon

Method

• Mash a banana nicely with a spoon or fork.
• To this add peanut butter, honey, a pinch salt and sugar if using.
• To this add oats, cocoa powder and baking soda.
• Mix everything well.
• Scoop them in silicone cups.
• Steam it for 7 to 10 minutes.

#12. PEANUT OATS LADDOO 

This is another healthy and quick bite you can prepare for your little one.

What you require

• Oats (I used organic oat bran) – ¼ cup
• Peanuts- ¼ cup
• Powdered palm jaggery –1/4 to 1/2 cup (according to your kid’s taste)
• Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Ghee – to make laddoo balls

Method

• Dry roast oats on medium flame until golden brown and let it cool.
• Dry roast peanuts on medium flame until golden brown, let it cool and remove its outer skin.
• Powder the oats and peanuts together in a mixer.
• Cool it for a while.
• Then add the jaggery along with this and grind it again.
• Take a small portion from the mixture and roll into small balls by applying ghee on your palm.
• Store in an air tight container.

#13. GREEN GRAM STIR FRY (CHERUPAYAR THORAN)

Green gram is rich in protein and has high fibre content. This is one of the pulses that you should include in your kid’s diet.

Again this recipe is from my sweet friend Ani.

What you require

• Green gram – ½ cup
• Water – 2 cups to cook
• Grated coconut – ¼ cup
• Garlic – 1 pod
• Cumin seed – ¼ teaspoon
• Chilli powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Small onion – 2
• Mustard seeds – a few
• Curry leaves – a few

Method

• Dry roast the green gram for a minute and cook it with 2 cups of water and required salt in a pressure cooker for 6 whistles.
• Take grated coconut, garlic, small onion, cumin seed, turmeric powder, chilli powder and give this a quick run in a mixer.
• Add this to the cooked green gram, close it and cook it for 2 or 3 min on low flame.
• You can season with mustard seeds and curry leaves too.

#14. OATS CHOCOLATE COOKIES 

What you require

• Oats (I used organic oats) – ½ cup
• Wheat flour – 1/2 cup
• Cocoa powder – 2 tablespoon
• Sugar (brown/white) -1/2 cup
• Ghee or melted butter – 1/3 cup
• Baking powder -1/4 teaspoon
• Egg – 1
• Milk -1 tablespoon
• Vanilla essence – ¼ teaspoon
• Salt – a pinch

Method

• Preheat the oven at 180-degree C for 10 min.
• In a bowl, cream the butter/ghee with sugar, then beat with egg, milk and vanilla essence.
• In another bowl, mix oats, wheat flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.
• Mix the wet and dry ingredients well.
• Refrigerate the dough for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Divide the dough into small balls.
• Grease your palm with oil and flatten the balls.
• Spread a butter sheet on the baking tray and place them on it.
• Bake them in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Allow it to cool.

#15. RAJMA MASALA 

The ingredients used to prepare rajma masala seems long. But believe me it’s one of the quickest dishes you can prepare. This will go well both with rice or chapati.

What you require

• Rajma – ½ cup
• Big onion – 2
• Tomato -1
• Garlic – 1 clove
• Ginger – ¼ inch
• Red chilli – 1
• Fennel seeds – ¼ teaspoon
• Toor dal – 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Bay leaf – 1
• Cardamom – 1
• Cinnamon stick – a small piece
• Cloves – 2
• Dry methi leaves – a few
• Milk – 2 tablespoon
• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Method

• Soak rajma in water for half an hour. After that cook for 5 to 6 whistles in a pressure cooker with enough water and salt.
• In the meantime, in a pan add a tsp oil, roast chopped tomato, onion, garlic, ginger with red chilli, toor daal, fennel seed, turmeric powder and salt.
• Cool it and grind in a mixer to paste.
• In the same pan add a tbsp of ghee, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves on medium flame.
• Add the tomato onion paste to this and sauté for few seconds.
• Add cooked rajma along with water to this. Add extra water if you want. Check for salt.
• Put some methi leaves, close it and cook for 5 to 10 min.
• Add milk to this and switch off the flame.

#16. BUCKWHEAT FLOUR CHOCOLATE CAKE

Buckwheat is not a cereal grain, it’s a seed which is gluten free, rich in fibre content, protein, copper and magnesium.

Usually buckwheat flour is used to prepare pancakes and muffins.

I tried out chocolate cake with this flour using rabbit shaped silicone mould.

I don’t like adding eggs to my cakes or muffins. I always substitute it with my homemade curd.

What you require

• Buckwheat flour – ½ cup (if no buckwheat flour use ¾ cup wheat flour/maida)
• Wheat flour – ¼ cup
• Sugar – 1/4 cup
• Homemade curd – 1/2 cup
• Cocoa powder – ¼ cup
• Oil – 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon
• Baking soda – 1/4 teaspoon
• Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Vanilla essence (or anything of your choice) – 1 and 1/4 teaspoon

Method

• First beat sugar and curd nicely until the sugar melts completely.
• Add baking powder and baking soda to the sugar mixture and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Add vanilla essence and cooking oil to the above mixture.
• Mix buckwheat flour, wheat flour and cocoa powder in another bowl.
• Add this dry mixture slowly to the wet mixture and mix well.
• Preheat oven to 180-degree C for 10 minutes.
• Pour it in a rabbit shaped silicone baking mould or baking tray (or any shape of your choice).
• Bake in preheated oven at 180-degree C for 25- 30 minutes.
• Once done, allow the cake to cool down.

#17. AVIYAL CURRY

I love aviyal. I prepare it twice every week. Nowadays Rithvik doesn’t eat aviyal and spits out most of the veggies saying “seed”. But he loves to eat raw carrots and cucumber.

I decided to somehow include avial in his diet. Thus this “aviyal curry” recipe originated. Have to say, with this aviyal curry he eats rice with a happy face.

What you require

• Aviyal – as required
• Buttermilk – as required
• Salt – to taste

Method

• Prepare aviyal in your own style.
• Once it has cooled, take the required amount of aviyal in a mixer and grind it.
• Transfer the paste to a bowl. Add enough buttermilk (depending how watery your kid prefers) and salt.
• Mix it nicely.
• Serve with rice.

#18. WHEAT FLOUR BANANA UNNIAPPAM (PANIYAARAM) 

Unniyappam is something I usually pack in his snack box as its healthy, delicious, easy to eat and easy to cook 🙂

What you require

• Wheat flour – ½ cup
• Banana – 1 small
• Jaggery (sugar) – according to your taste
• Salt – a pinch
• Crushed elachi or elachi powder – 1 (1/4 tsp)
• Water – as required to mix
• Ghee – to fry

Method

• Take half cup of wheat flour.
• To this add a mashed banana, little salt, jaggery (sugar) and elachi. Mix it well.
• Add the required amount of water and make it a semi-thick batter.
• Let it sit covered for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Put a non-stick unniyappam tawa on medium flame and add ghee in the holes.
• Once ghee is heated, pour the batter in the holes.
• Cook it on both the sides.

#19. WHEAT FLOUR APPLE DATES DOSA

This is one of the family favorites. It smells so good while cooking and its yummy too.

What you require

• Wheat flour – ½ cup
• Apple – 1
• Grated coconut – ¼ cup
• Date syrup (or sugar) – 4 to 5 tablespoon
• Water – as required
• Salt – a pinch
• Ghee – to make dosas

Method

• Chop the apples and grind it in a mixie along with grated coconut and date syrup.
• Take half cup of flour, a pinch of salt and mix the apple paste with it.
• Let it sit covered for 10 minutes.
• Make dosas on a non-stick tawa using ghee.

#20. MOONG-GREEN GRAM METHI DAL CURRY

The only way to add leafy vegetables in a kid’s diet are by mixing them with some curries. The best way is to cook with dal.

What you require

• Moong dal – ¼ cup
• Green gram – 2 tbsp
• Chopped fenugreek leaves (or any green leafy veggie) – a handful
• Green chilli -1
• Asafoetida powder – a pinch
• Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Water – as required
• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

For seasoning:

• Ghee – 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seed – ¼ teaspoon
• Small onion – 3
• Red chilli – 1
• Curry leaves – a few

Method

• Dry roast moong daal and green gram dal together.
• Once it has cooled down, add turmeric powder, salt, one green chilli, asafoetida powder, a tsp oil and a handful of washed chopped fenugreek leaves with sufficient water.
• Cook in a pressure cooker for 5 to 6 whistles.
• Once the pressure is released, check for salt and water (if you want give the cooked dal a quick run in mixer, you can do that)
• Season with ghee, mustard seeds, chopped small onion, red chilli and curry leaves.

Also read:

• Brown rice moong dal porridge mix recipe for kids
• 20 healthy on the go snacking options for toddlers and kids

#21. ZUCCHINI CHUTNEY

This summer squash is an easy to cook dish. The easy way to cook summer squash is to peel them, chop them and saute them with ghee, salt and paper for 3 or 4 minutes.

But if your kid doesn’t like this veggie, make chutney with this and serve them with idli, dosa or even plain white rice.

What you require

• Zucchini – 2
• Small onion – 3
• Red chilli – 1 or 2
• Urad dal – 1 teaspoon
• Fenugreek seed – 2 or 3
• Tamarind – a little
• Oil – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste

For seasoning

• Ghee – 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seed – ¼ teaspoon
• Curry leaves – a few
• Red chilli – 1

Method

• Peel the skin of zucchini and chop into pieces.
• In a pan add a teaspoon of oil and saute zucchini with little salt until soft.
• Allow it to cool.
• In the same pan, roast urad dal, fenugreek and red chilli.
• Grind the sautéed zucchini, roasted ingredients along with small onion and tamarind.
• Check for salt.
• Season with the ingredients listed under seasoning.

Healthy eating is very important for kids as it helps them to grow up to be healthy adults. It is upto us, parents, to ensure that we always give a healthy diet for kids.

Dear mommies do try these 21 healthy recipes for kids and let me know how it turned for you.

You can also BUY our ebook on ’53 lunch box recipes for your kids’ from our online store.

Do comment below about your special recipe that is a super hit with your kiddo. That will be very helpful to all the moms out here.