Vegetables for Lunch Recipes
I always feel like I’m struggling to add easy veggies to kids lunches that the kids actually want to eat—so not too boring or plain and actually easy enough for them to chew. To help if you find yourself in the same situation (and myself!), I wanted to share my favorite raw and cooked options for easy vegetable side dishes. TIP: I’m trying to include options that all toddlers can eat, but you may have to adjust some of these based on the specific chewing ability of your unique child.
Raw Vegetables for Lunch
Raw veggies are often too hard for little kids to chew, but there are some that are great—especially if you know how to cut them so they are easy for the little ones to chew. Use the image above for reference and start on the left with one year olds and work your way from shredded to thin sticks and diced pieces to thicker pieces as they become more proficient in chewing.
Bell pepper, cut into strips Carrots, shredded, thinly sliced, or cut into rounds Cherry tomatoes, halved for kids under 4 Celery, very thinly sliced (for kids over 3) Cucumber, sliced, diced, or cut into sticks Lettuce, shredded or chopped Snap peas Tomatoes, cut into wedges or diced Zucchini noodles
TIP: Offer a dip such as ranch, salsa, guacamole, hummus, or any other dip your kids enjoy to make these raw vegetables more appealing to your kids.
Easy Cooked Vegetable Sides
To make cooking any of these faster, you can always start with a precut bag from the store. All of these can be made right before a meal or ahead of time and reheated. Roasted veggies tend to lose their crispy edges after storage, but they will still have nice flavor. Some kids aren’t too fussy about temperature, especially one year olds, so all of these can be packed in a lunch and eaten cold or at room temp—you’ll need to experiment a little and see what your kids like.
Carrots, sauteed Carrots, roasted Carrot Puree Cauliflower, boiled Corn, frozen and warmed Beets, precooked from the produce aisle (in a vacuum pack from Melissa’s or Trader Joes) or canned Broccoli, frozen and warmed Broccoli, sauteed Broccoli, roasted Butternut squash, mashed Butternut squash, roasted Green beans, sauteed Peas, frozen and warmed Pea Puree Spinach Puree Sweet potato, roasted Sweet Potato Puree Roasted Zucchini Veggie Medley, frozen and warmed
TIP: Steam and serve microwavable frozen veggies are an easy option so see what your store has—you might be surprised at the fun veggies available now days!
Easy Vegetable Recipes to Make Ahead for Lunch
Packing easy recipes with veggies right in the mix is an excellent way to help the kids eat plenty of the nutrients they need. Here are some kid-friendly recipes you can make ahead and warm up for lunch.
Baked Zucchini Fritters Broccoli Tots Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Cauliflower Tots Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Cheesy Cauliflower Rice Cheesy Kale Bites Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls Chicken Sweet Potato Meatballs Chicken Meatballs with Carrots Egg Muffins with Cheese and Veggies Egg Muffins with Zucchini Egg Muffins with Spinach Pizza Muffins (with Veggies) Spinach Pesto Pasta Sweet Potato Chicken Nuggets Sweet Potato Muffins Zucchini Fritters Veggie Pancakes
Best Toddler Lunch Ideas
If you’re looking for more info on lunch ideas, whether to serve at home or pack for school these posts may help.
10 Easy No-Cook Lunch Ideas 15 Bento Box Lunches 20 Cold Lunch Ideas (that Work at Room Temperature Too) 12 Best Easy Sandwiches for Kids 50 Easy School Lunch Ideas for Kindergarten
If you have another quick and easy veggie side you like to serve to the kids, I’ve love to know about it so please comment below to share!
