Picky eating is a normal part of development, according to Dr. Leann Birch, Professor and Head of the Human Development and Family Studies Department at Penn State University. Dr. Birch explains, “Most children who are perceived as picky eaters probably have adequate diets. What parents often perceive as picky eating simply reflects their children’s normal response to new foods.” Learning and accepting that pickiness is a healthy phase could help you minimize stress when whipping up kid friendly recipes. So what recipes should we make that our little ones will devour without hesitation?

What makes a kid friendly recipe?

Kid friendly recipes need to have three things:

1. The recipes can’t be that spicy: Avoid spicy ingredients like cayenne pepper, chili powder, red pepper, and jalapenos. Angel hair pasta with mushrooms or sweet maple pork chop are just two of many mild kid friendly recipes to choose from.
2. The fewer ingredients the better: Meals should be prepared with six ingredients or less to avoid overcomplicating the dish or confusing children’s palates. The perfect ingredients for children’s meals are those commonly found in your pantry, like salt, onions, canola oil, sugar, and pepper. Try preparing a simple chicken dish, like Creamy Chicken Dijon served with a side of crispy carrot fries. Just keep it nice and simple and your child will love the meal you put on the table.
3. Quick prep: Kid friendly recipes are typically prepared in around 10-20 minutes. Again, there’s no need to overcomplicate things with intricate, hard-to-prepare recipes. Dishes like zucchini cakes or turkey paninis with sun-dried tomatoes take under 20 minutes to prepare (and they’re delicious too!).

Easy kid friendly recipes meal planning will benefit the cook in the household in preparing an easy, organized, healthy, and delicious dinner. Having recipes handy will save time, energy, and food, while allowing mom or dad to plan ahead. Trust us, kid friendly recipes for dinner will make dinnertime much less hectic. Spend a little time making a meal plan with kid friendly recipes in mind. We’re sure you’ll be glad that you did!