17 Healthy Dinner Ideas for Kids (That They’ll Actually Eat)

Cans of soup are full of sodium, so whip up your own chicken noodle at home. Just grab the slow cooker, your favorite free-range poultry and plenty of veggies.

Pack tortillas full of mushrooms and avocado for a healthy twist on the Tex-Mex favorite. Plus, this magic green sauce is full of healthy herbs and spices.

Katie Workman’s secret to getting the kids to eat their veggies? Add them to this tasty turkey meatloaf, and they’ll be asking for seconds and thirds.

If your kiddo has a sweet tooth, give this creamy winter soup a shot. Root veggies and potatoes add balance to the tanginess of the apple.

The easiest way to get Sally and Michael to try broccoli? Cover it with cheese. (Oldest trick in the book.)

Let the kids get creative by topping their own pita pizzas with healthy ingredients like hummus, cherry tomatoes and spinach.

Make these ahead and freeze them for easy homemade dinners on busy school nights. (Thanks for saving our week, Maria Lichty.)

Instead of mac and cheese, serve up this wholesome pasta made with goat cheese, spinach (gotta get those vitamins) and artichokes. Dinner just got way healthier.

Not tonight, takeout. Heidi Larsen puts a healthy spin on traditional sweet and sour pork that every member of the family will love.

Your kids love to dip grilled cheese into tomato soup (and let’s face it, so do you). Instead of opening a can, whip up your own with diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers and a touch of cayenne pepper.

One easy way to make a kid’s meal extra nutritious? Swap zoodles for spaghetti and parsnips for bacon. It’s a Meatless Monday meal even the pickiest eaters will want to try.

News flash: Gena Hamshaw’s veggie burgers—filled with black beans and sweet potatoes—can be made ahead and frozen for six weeks.

Ali Maffucci’s 30-minute complete meal—chicken, rice, avocado, corn and black beans—is a healthy addition to your weekly menu. Just add your favorite barbecue sauce and you’re in business.

Arrivederci, jarred marinara. Create your own healthy tomato sauce with produce from the farmers market, spices from the pantry and a bunch of fresh oregano.

We know some kids won’t eat foods that touch, which is why this sheet-pan salmon dinner will come in handy. Easily separate the greens, starch and protein on the plate.

Swap the red meat for lentil-and-mushroom burgers with classic toppings like tomato, lettuce and grilled onions.

Kids will be kids, and sometimes they just want chicken fingers. (OK, fine, so do you.) Bake the battered tenders instead of frying for an easy, more nutritious version.