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'Kids Meals' and favourite Kids recipes

Writer's picture: Laura WarrenLaura Warren

After asking the question "How can I serve you better?" and receiving some excellent suggestions from you lovely people, I've made a bit of a list of a few focus points for this year. Kids health being one of them!

Being a mum to a 4 and 6 year old I know its not always easy getting kids to choose the healthy option.

Its particularly hard when they become more aware of what other kids get in there school lunchboxes and when your at a child's party almost every weekend.

Heading out the other night for dinner (which is something we rarely do). The waiter brought a placemat and crayons for the kids, along with a kids menu. Here’s what was on it:

  • Grilled cheese

  • Burger (patty, bread, cheese) and fries

  • Chicken fingers (deep fried) and fries

  • Spaghetti and meatballs

  • Icecream

  • Coke Spiders and the like were the drink choices

Keep in mind, this was a nice restaurant.

I just had to ask myself 'Why do we insist on feeding our kids junk'? and "Why do we even have the concept of “kids food” at all"?

If we look at all traditional cultures, kids eat what adults eat. There are no 'kids' breakfast cereals (or cereals at all), Happy Meals, juice boxes, or kids menus.

If you’re a parent in the modern world, it needs to be acknowledged that you’re fighting an uphill battle if you want your children to eat well.

As soon as you step outside your home, you encounter a culture that seems to think that kids have an inalienable right to eat sugar, 'treats', and processed foods—and not just on special occasions now, but every day of the week.

But the big thing to remember here is - Kids don’t come into the world with this expectation. We create it for them!!

Once they get a taste of sugar, refined flour, and other processed food, can we blame them for liking it? Those foods trigger all of the reward mechanisms in our brains, and kids—even more so than adults—have a hard time resisting those biologically hardwired impulses. Not only this, but these foods change the variety of bacteria in our gut which actually can be the reason children crave processed food and won't eat their vegetables.

I think the big thing to recognize though is it doesn’t have to be this way!

Firstly, remove the idea of “kids food” from your vocabulary, and from your home.

When you sit down to eat meals as a family, there is only one option—for both the adults and the kids.

I realize this may not be an easy transition if your children are used to something different, but it’s worth the effort. Be patient but firm - so many parents I've worked with literally thought their child would starve themself in this initial process, but I'm very happy to report after a few tears, maybe a tantrum or two when the child realized this was serious they ended up getting on and eating the food. NO child will starve themself!

I've compiled a list of delicious kids favourites that all the family will enjoy - give them ago and know that nutritious food that we need for happiness and wellness will also be enjoyed as well!

Here's a selection of fabulous recipes from incredible bloggers and recipe creators who have kindly shared their awesome creations and makeovers to make meal time with kids a nutrient dense, drama free hopefully relaxing event.

Hard to go wrong with crunchy fish fingers


Want Fries with that...


Popcorn Chicken - a serious crowd pleaser


Spag Bol...a family favourite for sure


Pizza + Kids = Win


A Platter Party


Hope you enjoy these recipes and I'd love to know if they were a hit with the kids too! Feel free to leave any ideas you have in the comments below #sharingiscaring


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