Kid Friendly 20 Minute Meals {Healthy Family Recipes } (2024)

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Need a 20 minute meal that’s kid friendly? Here are 12, 20 minute meals that are Kid Friendly, and you can have READY IN 20 MINUTES OR LESS for busy weeknights or when dinner time simply sneaks up on you! Um. Like tonight. And maybe tomorrow tonight.

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Grab the FREE 18 Meal Ideas CHEAT SHEET Here!

I’m not gonna lie. 20 minute meals are more of a regular event at our home than not. I am a big fan of fast, delicious meals that are quick to pull together in under half an hour or less. Less is always better.

I know dinner time can be hard.

Coming back from work or after school activities often leave you with little time to prep and cook healthy dinners from scratch. Stopping at the local take out seems like the easier option. Thing is, it’s not good for your health, waistline or budget.

With a few easy, quick, kid friendly meal planning tips and fast meal ideas, you can get your family eating healthier and save money – in less time that it would take to get through drive through. Just a give it a go for one week.

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Healthy Family Dinners

But don’t worry – just because it’s a quick dinner, it doesn’t mean you miss out on flavour. Here are 12 of our families favourite 20 minute Dinner Recipes that will please even the fussiest palate. What’s special about these recipes? They’re full of kid-friendly flavor, no one likes a bland dinner but kids can sometime be…picky, shall we say, about the flavors they’ll eat.
These are perfect, and please the whole crowd. And that’s a good thing in my book!

Download myFREE Dinner Time Cheat Sheet below, it’s really handy and will give you a head start!

Grab the FREE 18 Meal Ideas CHEAT SHEET Here!

12 Super Fast Healthy Dinner Recipes

Here are 12 of our families favourite 20 minute Dinner Recipes that will please even the fussiest palate.

Chicken Pesto Fettuccine

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This super fast mid week Chicken Pesto Fettuccine is a winner with kids. The creamy Pesto sauce and tender chicken means clean pates all round! Pesto fettuccine recipe here!

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This beautifully colorful Thai inspired dish takes just 15 minutes to out on the table. Get the kids to help with chopping and make it even quicker! Thai Noodle recipe here!

Grab the FREE 18 Meal Ideas CHEAT SHEET Here!

Quick Soba Noodles

Try these 20 Minute, Hmmm MMMM delicious weeknight soba noodles. Tender strips of chicken, sautéed broccoli and a sweet and tangy noodle sauce. Soba Noodle recipe here!

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Crab Pasta {Especially For Kids}

This mild crab pasta dish is the perfect way to get some seafood in their diets. Its fresh, lemony and cheesy. Yum! Crab pasta recipe here.

Chicken Donburi Bowl

This Clean Eating Chicken Donburi Bowl recipe is insane!! It’s simple, versatile and can be prepped ahead for an easy lunch or light dinner.

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Chicken Donburi Bowl

Healthy Chinese Fried Rice

I could eat this healthy Chinese fried rice all over again. And I will. There is a small lunch box of leftovers still in the fridge. Just enough for me and whoever catches me heating it up :)

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Chinese Fried Rice

This easy mid-week (or quick weekend lunch) Ham and Mushroom pasta uses cream cheese as a sauce and is a great way to use up any ham you have in the fridge. It’s a simple recipe, and especially good for littler kids who prefer their food slightly plainer than bigger kids (and us) might like. Feel free to leave the garlic out if you’ve got garlic haters in your house, or add extra to give it a bigger kick!

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Ham and mushroom pasta

Clean Eating Lasagne

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So what’s the difference between Clean Eating lasagna and your regular homemade lasagna? Shhh don’t tell anyone, but the answer is … nothing. The whole point to Clean Eating is making food using whole food ingredients. It’s not complicated and it’s something everyone can do.
Lasagne recipe

Chicken Piccata

This is a real Summery recipe, Clean eating Chicken Piccata: It’s quick, easy, fresh and lemony. You can have this ready in 10 minutes or so, making it one of the fastest healthy chicken dinners I make. We have this fairly often. I use chicken thighs for this, they’re really juicy and full of flavor as well as being a bit cheaper than breast meat.

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Chicken Piccata recipe

Cauliflower Broccoli Casserole

This Healthy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole is delicious, cheesy comfort food, super healthy and packed full of the good stuff. It’s a regular here, requested often and always eaten. I make this with mywhite bean cheese saucefor an extra protein hit and while it’s technically a ‘side’ dish, this is so good you’d be forgiven for eating it all alone and straight from the dish!

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Cauliflower broccoli cheese casserole

Grilled Fish Tacos

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Grilled fish Tacos

Fussy Eaters Fajitas

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Recipe Link

Quick family dinners

So, there you have it!

12 new and a little exciting easy recipes for dinner to add to your weeknight meal plan.

The best thing is that you can whip these little beauties up super fast using ingredients you’ve actually heard of! The next time you’re wondering what to fix for dinner (which I think is the reason you are here) – all you have to do it pick one of these!

To see the other posts in this 10 of the Best Meal Prepping Series series, check out the following:

  • 10 Recipes You Can Make with a Pound of Ground Beef
  • 10 Recipes you can make with a Jar of Pasta Sauce
  • 10 Healthy Sheet Pan Dinners
Kid Friendly 20 Minute Meals {Healthy Family Recipes } (15)
Kid Friendly 20 Minute Meals {Healthy Family Recipes } (2024)

FAQs

What to cook my toddler for dinner? ›

A Week of Toddler-Friendly Dinners the Whole Family Will Love
  1. Monday: One-Pot Creamy Broccoli Pasta.
  2. Tuesday: Life-Changing Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs.
  3. Wednesday: Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls.
  4. Thursday: Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Butternut Squash.
  5. Friday: Open-Faced Pizza Burgers.

How do you feed a family of 4 on 20 a week? ›

Here are her top eight pieces of advice that will help feed a family of four for £20 a week...
  1. Do batch cooking. ...
  2. Buy in bulk. ...
  3. Bulk out meat dishes. ...
  4. Learn to make basic sauces. ...
  5. Avoid buying the expensive jars of dried herbs. ...
  6. Learn how to store your food. ...
  7. Shop around. ...
  8. Bake your own treats.

What foods should kids eat everyday? ›

Consider these nutrient-dense foods:
  • Protein. Choose seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
  • Fruits. Encourage your child to eat a variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits. ...
  • Vegetables. ...
  • Grains. ...
  • Dairy.

What are 5 healthy eating habits for kids? ›

Healthy Eating
  • Have regular family meals.
  • Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
  • Be a role model by eating healthy yourself.
  • Avoid battles over food.
  • Involve kids in the process.

What is an ideal meal for a child? ›

Children need a balanced diet with food from all 3 food groups—vegetables and fruit, whole grain products, and protein foods. Children need 3 meals a day and 1 to 3 snacks (morning, afternoon and possibly before bed). Healthy snacks are just as important as the food you serve at meals.

What makes a good kids menu? ›

The Elements of a Good Kids Menu

Nutritious Options – Incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into the menu. These elements provide essential vitamins, minerals, and energy for growing bodies.

What foods keep toddlers full? ›

Healthy snacks for toddlers
  • fresh and dried fruits.
  • crackers with cheese or hummus.
  • yoghurt (this can be frozen in hot weather in place of ice cream)
  • raisin bread, fruit loaf or toasted muffins.
  • plain biscuits, scones or buns.

How do you feed a family of 5 for $10? ›

Cheap Family Meals Under $10
  1. Spanish Rice Soup. ...
  2. Ramen Noodle Stir Fry with Vegetables. ...
  3. Crescent Roll Sausage Egg Casserole. ...
  4. Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli. ...
  5. Creamy Tomato Bacon Pasta. ...
  6. Easy Cheese Manicotti. ...
  7. White Bean and Spinach Soup. ...
  8. Black Bean Enchilada Casserole.
Apr 2, 2023

How can I feed my family on a very small budget? ›

An easy way to make meals more affordable is to rely on legumes and grains over meat, says Katrina. “We've love meat-free Monday in our house and some of our favourites are Quinoa and Zucchini Fritters, Ricotta Gnocchi with Eggplant Sauce and bowl of Roast Vegetables.

What does the average family of 4 spend on food? ›

In 2020, the average US household food expenditure. amounted to $609.7 per month. In 2023 the average household spends between. $1,047 to $1,576 on a groceries per month.

What is healthy eating for a child? ›

Aim for your child to get most of their calories from foods like fruit and vegetables, and starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta and rice (preferably wholegrain versions). They should also have some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein foods, and some dairy or dairy alternatives.

What is the most important meal for children? ›

Breakfast Brain Power

Eating breakfast: helps kids get more fiber, calcium, and other important nutrients. can help kids do better in school. improves memory and attention, which kids need to learn.

What are some healthy lunches for kids? ›

Kids' healthy lunch recipes
  • Lemon & yogurt chicken flatbreads. A star rating of 4.5 out of 5. ...
  • Butter bean curry wraps. A star rating of 5 out of 5. ...
  • Pitta pockets. A star rating of 4.4 out of 5. ...
  • Homemade fish finger sarnie. ...
  • Pesto egg muffin bites. ...
  • Rice cake cress faces. ...
  • Tomato soup with pasta. ...
  • Chicken taco salad.

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