Quick And Healthy Kid-friendly Recipes For Little Picky Eaters

As the school-work-house grind has begun once again (for the best obviously), the need for quick food ideas becomes indispensable. 

The task becomes like moving a mountain if the little one is a picky eater. While you'd do anything to make them eat and keep their tummies full, it is also crucial to ensure that the quick recipes are healthy and nutritious.

Indian Recipes are vibrant, full of colour and nutrient-dense, but the mothers  need time to prepare . To help super-moms out there, we have sorted some easy to prepare and store recipes that are a mix of Indian and non-Indian recipes.

Check these tasty yet healthy kid-friendly quick meal recipe ideas.

Roti Pizza 

Leftover Roti, Homemade Pizza Sauce, Cheeze Topping makes a simple and quick evening snack for kids, to which they cannot say no. The homemade sauce can be prepared, stored and used when needed. Here is the recipe. 

For the base - Whenever you have leftovers, roast the Roti on both sides on a Skillet (TAWA) till it becomes Crisp as Khakhra, and store it in an airtight container to use later.

For the Pizza Sauce - Saute finely chopped onion and garlic in a tablespoon of oil until they become opaque. Add tomato puree and let it boil till it becomes mushy thick. Add capsicum (equal to the quantity of onion added in the beginning), red chilli, oregano, sugar, salt and black pepper to taste. The sauce is ready. Store it in a freezer for upto a month.

Give them pizza for any meal (they will love you for this) without the hassle and worrying about readymade sauces loaded with harmful preservatives.

Pav Bhaji

If your kids love pav bhaji, do not fret over it. This delicious dish is full of vegetables and made from homemade ingredients and Indian Masala. Give it as a sabji with roti or wheat pav or bread. 

Pink N Blu Tip: Use tomatoes equal to the combined quantity of other vegetables for gravy. Add beetroot too in the gravy, to give a unique and tasty tangy flavour and colour to the bhaji!

Instant South Indian Recipes 

South Indian recipes are super healthy due to the fermentation process used by leaving freshly prepared batter overnight. The batter can also be prepared with Sooji (semolina) and curd which works as prebiotic as well as probiotic. You can make Uttapam, Chilla, Idli, Dosa or Appam and serve along with coconut chutney. Great taste, tummies full, health maintained, what else does a mother dream of!

Pink N Blu Tip: Use Ghee or mix ghee and oil in equal proportion while cooking South Indian Recipes, it will enhance the taste! 

Oats and Potato Chilla 

Chilla are the best alternative to fill in the gap for nutrition with a quick meal recipe. The only preparation is to soak oats overnight, and the rest of the ingredients already in your pantry will help you to prepare it easily at any meal, even as evening snacks or for lunchboxes! 

Pink N Blu Tip: Add oregano, Mexican seasoning, or garlic bread seasoning to change the taste every time you prepare this.

Honey French Toast Sticks 

Children love bread, and sometimes it can be given as a substitute if they are fussing over Roti! For kids, it is best to use wheat or brown bread or any multigrain not made using refined flour. Cut cuboid stripes from the bread (preferably an eatable stale one as the fresh ones will crumble. Check the recipe here to find out!

Chicken or Veg Nuggets 

Chop tiny veggies or Chicken to make cheesy nuggets. The easy-peasy dish that's crunchy on the outside and soft melting cheese inside will give you the happiness of seeing the plates licked-clean. Occasionally, deep fry food does not harm if the cooking oil is of superior quality with essential qualities.  

Honey Roasted Carrots 

Minimal preps and a healthy way to get salad style food into your little one's tummies. This recipe requires no preparation, and all ingredients are available in your pantry. Baby carrots, cinnamon, honey, vanilla essence and done! Easy to make, store and serve for those picky eaters who love some sugar rush.

One-Pot Mac and Cheese

"I don't like Mac and Cheese", said no one ever. Why blame the kids? Even adults can't control themselves when they see this globally loved dish! The short version consists of cooking the pasta directly in milk instead of water (saving the time to boil and drain). The starch in the pasta will thicken the milk. Add the yummiest and healthy cheese, pepper, salt to taste, and your Mac n Cheese is ready in a swish! 

Cheesy Cauliflower Patties 

The tantrums to avoid cauliflower are real! Here's a quick recipe - Grate, mix and bake to get the tummy full. Grate Cauliflower and other veggies, mix with grated potatoes, fortify with Indian spices (followed by usual - dip in the slurry of cornflour and maida step) to make a healthy and filling quick meal bite. Juggle between Deep fry, shallow fry or air fry and let the spices make it a tasty snack with different textures each time. 

Spaghetti in Mixed Vegetable Sauce 

This recipe is a fail-proof way to get veggies sneakily into your child's food! Interchange Pasta or spaghetti as per the choice of the kids. Make sneaky pasta sauce beforehand and store them in the freezer. Just mix the Al-Dante pasta with the pasta sauce, grate some cheese, and your kids will surely ask for more!

PinkNBlu Tip: Use Ghee or mix ghee and oil in equal proportion while cooking South Indian Recipes, it will enhance the taste! 

Every child goes through a picky-eater phase. Do not let their eating habits go for a toss during these episodes. Be patient, and continue with variations in the menu, but never give in to continuous unhealthy food demands as these can lead to obesity and other health issues in future.

We hope you like these ideas. Do drop your ideas in the comments and help others while we make a big compassionate parent community!

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