Hey mums with fussy eaters! As promised, here are 4 EASY delicious and nutritious recipes that will get your toddler or kid to eat their vegetables WITHOUT a fight…
Pizza Bites
Wrapping up pizza toppings inside the dough is such a fun take on pizza — and it’s a much more convenient way to pack up pizza for lunch. These little bites are super versatile and store so well.
We like to fill them with broccoli, carrots, and pepperoni, but you could use any pizza topping your kids like to customise them for your family.
Ingredients
- 453.59 g pizza dough (homemade or purchased; 16 ounces)
- 112 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 91 g finely chopped broccoli florets, shredded carrots, or chopped pepperoni
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp pizza seasoning (or Italian seasoning)
- 122.5 g pizza sauce (slightly warmed)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and grease a 9-inch pie plate (or 9×9-inch square baking pan) with nonstick spray.
- Divide the dough into 16 pieces.
- Flatten each dough piece into a round circle. Add about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and broccoli, carrot, OR pepperoni. (Do one option per bite.)
- Fold the dough around the filling, making a little ball. Place, seam sides down, into the prepared baking dish. Repeat to make the rest of the bites. They should fit tightly into the dish.
- Brush the tops of the bites with olive oil. Sprinkle on the Parmesan and pizza seasoning (or Italian seasoning). Let rest for 10 minutes. Poke the top of each bite with a fork. (This allows steam to escape and helps prevent the cheese from running out.)
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, and serve warm with slightly warmed pizza sauce, if desired.
Broccoli Tots
Making broccoli tots at home is as easy as blending up ingredients and baking the tots.
These are great warm and kids like them dipped in tomato sauce, mayonnaise or sour cream. And we do too!
Ingredients
- 91 g broccoli florets (roughly chopped)
- 236.59 g fully cooked short grain brown rice
- 56 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
- 2 eggs
- 27 g Italian-flavoured or regular breadcrumbs
- 0.25 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 0.25 teaspoon Italian seasoning or cumin (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil and pour over the broccoli in a heat-safe bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Drain well.
- Add the broccoli, rice, cheese, Parmesan, eggs, and breadcrumbs to the bowl of a food processor. Add salt and either Italian seasoning or cumin to add a little additional flavour if desired.
- Grind very well to make a uniform batter. (If your batter doesn’t seem to be holding together well, add another tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs.)
- Portion into 1-tablespoon size ovals and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly golden brown. (Or cook in an Air Fryer at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes on a greased tray.) Let cool slightly and serve.
Easy Veggie Muffins
Serve up veggies in a kid-friendly form with these SO good Veggie Muffins. They have broccoli, carrots, protein and little kid-approved flavour!
Ingredients
- 128 g grated carrot
- 91 g finely chopped broccoli (top parts of the florets only, no stems)
- 113 g shredded cheddar cheese
- 366 g milk
- 56.75 g melted butter (or neutral oil like canola)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 159 g cornmeal
- 120 g whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir together gently to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out cleanly. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool at least slightly.
- Serve warm or store.
Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Most kids love pasta so here is a way to make it with flavourful sauce that has veggies in the mix. Plus, it’s flavourful, yet not overpowering, to please the kids and the parents at the table!
Ingredients
- 182 g broccoli florets (raw)
- 60 g parsley leaves (lightly packed; or basil—this is optional but recommended)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest (grated on a microplane)
- 108 g olive oil
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 67.5 g roasted unsalted sunflower seeds (or toasted almonds or walnuts)
Method
- Add the broccoli and parsley (if using) to the food processor and grind.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor.
- Blend well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times until the mixture is a thick paste, or for 60-90 seconds. It should be uniform and without large chunks of any one ingredient. If you still see whole seeds, keep going and add up to an additional ¼ cup olive oil.
- Season to taste with salt if needed.
- Toss with 1 pound of pasta prepared according to the package directions. Start with ½ cup and add more as needed to coat the pasta.
- Store leftover pesto in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. Break off a piece of the frozen pesto and stir into hot pasta and it will thaw and coat the pasta.
ENJOY!
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