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Kid Friendly Recipes

Vegan Cheese Sauce

This classic Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe is extremely simple to make and can be refrigerated for up to one week. Meet your new favorite food.

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Vegan Cheese Sauce
Serves: 1 cup
 
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cup Yukon potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • ⅓ cup carrots, diced
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp cumin
Instructions
  1. Put the potatoes and carrots in a pot and cover with water.
  2. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat.
  3. Simmer for 12 minutes. Drain.
  4. Put the potatoes and carrots in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix until it is smooth.

 

December 4, 2019 By
0

Kid-Friendly Peanut Butter Noodles

Kid-friendly Peanut butter noodles

Though this basic recipe for Peanut Butter Noodles is designed for kids who prefer milder flavors, adults can enjoy this as well! Spice up their portion with hot sauce—such as Sriracha—or dried hot red pepper flakes and a sprinkling of scallion. These kid-friendly Peanut Butter Noodles are good at room temperature as well as served warm. Photos by Lori Maffei.
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October 7, 2019 By
2

Healthy Vegan Rice Krispie Treats

Healthy Vegan Rice Krispie Treats

These Healthy Vegan Rice Krispie Treats are so simple to make, and they taste so good. You will want to make this recipe again and again. They’re like Rice Krispie treats, but healthier! In addition, you get 16 bars for a fraction of the price of a box at the grocery store. These Rice Krispie squares are light and crispy at the same time—perfect for your child’s lunch box or your post-workout snack.

 

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Healthy Vegan Rice Krispie Treats
Serves: 16
 
Ingredients
  • â…“ cup almond butter
  • â…“ cup pure maple syrup
  • 3 cups Rice Krispie cereal
Instructions
  1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with wax parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Combine almond butter and maple syrup in a bowl and microwave for around 45 seconds or until the almond butter is melted. Mix well.
  3. Add cereal to almond butter mixture. Stir until well combined.
  4. Pour cereal mixture into the baking pan. Use a spoon to press down the mixture.
  5. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours.
  6. Remove and slice into 16 square treats.

 

 

April 24, 2019 By
0

Flavored Popcorn Recipes and Ideas

Caramel popcorn

Here are flavoring ideas for embellishing freshly made popcorn. These recipes make enough to flavor a 10-cup batch (from about 1/2 cup kernels). If you air-pop or use fat-free microwave popcorn, you might like to drizzle 2 tablespoons or so of melted Earth Balance or coconut oil into the popcorn just before adding the seasonings. My favorite way to pop corn is in an Old Fashioned Popcorn Popper like the one made by Jacob Bromwell. Very low-tech, but it seems to bring out the best flavor from the popcorn. I like to start with 2 tablespoons or so safflower or organic virgin coconut oil per 1/2 cup of kernels. Continue Reading…

October 29, 2018 By
13

Healthy Road Trip Snacks and Meals

Dried fruit varieties

A reader of this site wrote that she and her husband will be traveling quite far by car for their family vacation, and that they are tired of, as she put it, “soggy salads… and tasteless veggie subs…plus we don’t like supporting fast food.” What are weary (and hungry) car travelers to do? Here are some ideas and strategies for healthy road trip snacks and meals.

I’m with this reader. When my family took a long road trip by car last summer, we packed a cooler filled with fresh fruits and beverages, and one containing healthy snacks. We can’t stand fast food and refuse to eat the horrible stuff at rest stops. We went through lovely areas that had good vegetarian restaurants, and made sure to enjoy good meals when we had the opportunity. We restocked our coolers at natural foods stores and food co-ops on the road. Continue Reading…

September 17, 2018 By
2

Bento Box School Lunch Kits: Fun and Earth-Friendly

Laptop Lunches school bento box

Bento box school lunch kits are a fun route to healthy meals your kids will actually eat! If these contemporary bento boxes were available when my kids were growing up, they would have made the process of packing lunches much more enjoyable. As it was, I stood in the kitchen at 6:30 a.m. every school day for 14 years, packing adequate yet boring lunches for my kids. They grew up vegetarian until ages 10 and 12, then went vegan, and never wanted to buy lunch at school.

The ingenious bento box lunch kits that are so easy to come by these days inspires your child to enjoy his or her homemade lunches, and helps you, as the parent, enjoy making them! Older kids and teens will eventually be make and pack their own lunches in these colorful kits. And lest you think, “oh, no, unhealthy plastic!” these containers are safe in every way, including being BPA-free. Continue Reading…

August 8, 2018 By
4

Healthy School Lunch Recipes and Tips

Lunch box pasta salad

Summer always seems to disappear quickly, and back-to-school days find parents scrambling to get the kids ready. One thing you can check off your to-do list is finding  healthy school lunch recipes. If your child is vegan or vegetarian, that adds to the challenge. Don’t despair! With our handy list of recipes and ideas, creating easy, tasty school lunches will be a breeze.

And, if you like the idea of having your school lunch info in one neat package, you might enjoy VegKitchen’s affordable, 47-page pdf e-book. This little e-book’s recipes and ideas (more than 50 in total) will make the task of making school lunch for kids who are vegetarian or vegan a bit easier and even more fun. The recipes here will also be useful for those following dairy-free diets due to allergy or intolerance. For more information, go to Healthy School Lunches: Recipes and Ideas. Continue Reading…

July 30, 2018 By
85

Mashed Potato Volcanoes with Hot Lava

When my kids were young, they never wanted mashed potatoes until we read The Trouble With Grownups, a Berenstain Bears book. In one scene, the cubs are bored with the same old dinner. Mama and Papa scold the cubs for building volcanoes with their mashed potatoes. Immediately charmed, my kids wanted mashed potatoes so they could rebel against the grumpy fictional bear parents. We even concocted a “hot lava” sauce for the mashed potato volcanoes.

I see nothing wrong with making food more amusing, especially if doing so inspires kids to eat it. Mashed potato volcanoes with hot lava became a fixture on their repertoire, and it accomplished the feat of getting mine to eat two — or three —vegetables in one dish. Continue Reading…

September 4, 2017 By
0

Fun and Healthy Food for Kids

Fruit and Yogurt Ambrosia

Children are notoriously picky eaters, so when it comes to preparing healthy food for kids that they’ll actually eat, sometimes you’ve got to add some fun to the equation. When mine were young, I found that getting them to participate in the preparation was a good way to encouraged them, because they were more likely to eat what they helped make. I found cooking activities were particularly successful when they and their friends were between the ages of 5 and 8, when hand-eye coordination is excellent and the willingness to do adult-supervised activity is still a plus. Continue Reading…

September 2, 2017 By
1

How to Make Waste-Free Nutritious School Lunches

Lunch box pasta salad

If you’re like us, you start the school year with enthusiastic plans to send your kids to school with lunches that are nutritious, affordable, and easy to make. You promise that you’ll plan ahead. You’ll put more effort into it. You’ll cut out the junk. But somehow mid-year finds us settled once again into our old lunch-making routine, frustrated and in search of fresh ideas. But don’t despair — here are some great tips on how to make fresh, waste-free nutritious school lunches fresh lunches. Try some of these ideas:
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August 31, 2017 By
4

Easy Tofu Recipes for Kids That the Whole Family Will Love

Baked tofu nuggets

Getting tofu to taste great is simple when you have just the right recipes and tips. Here are easy tofu recipes for kids that the whole family will love. And if you’re ready for tofu to become a staple in your repertoire, explore our category Tofu Recipes: Easy and Versatile for lots more ideas.

Parents always welcome new options for healthy eating, and tofu is a superb food to add to the repertoire of growing children. It’s high in easily digestible protein, low in fat, and is a good source of calcium, iron, and B vitamins. Continue Reading…

August 30, 2017 By
37

3 Child-Friendly Noodle Dishes

Green Noodles (with broccoli and green pea sauce)

When my kids were really young, my idea of meal planning during those truly frantic days was to rush into the kitchen at six o-clock, thinking: “Quick! Cook the noodles!” Child-friendly pasta dishes are a great choice when you want dinner in a hurry and need to please adults and children.

Most varieties cook quickly enough to accommodate ravenous hunger, yet allow enough cooking time to prepare a simple sauce and a salad. It’s hard not to love pasta, and wonder of wonders, even kids will eat it  — even if you have to leave the sauce you like off their portion and just add a little vegan buttery spread. Continue Reading…

August 30, 2017 By
8

Healthy Finger Foods for Babies: Ideas and Tips

Chopped banana

There is nothing cuter than watching your little one chase food around the highchair tray with her fingers, and seeing the sense of accomplishment in her face when a tiny little piece of food actually makes it her mouth. Here are ideas tips on healthy finger foods for babies, so that the entire process is much more than just cute — or messy!

When your baby is between eight and nine months old, you can begin to introduce finger foods to encourage your baby to begin self-feeding. It is very important that the texture of finger foods be very soft, so that your baby can “gum” the foods. To get food soft enough for gumming, many of them will need to be cooked. Continue Reading…

August 16, 2017 By
2

Vegetarian & Vegan Nutrition for Teens

Quinoa and Red Lentil Vegan Burger Recipes

More and more teenagers are choosing to go vegetarian or vegan. Both groups give up all meat, poultry, and fish; vegans also give up eggs and dairy. Whether vegetarian or vegan, nutrition for teens should be well planned. That said, it shouldn’t be complicated or daunting. Teens are often faced with pressures — pressures from parents concerned about their health, and pressures from within to continue on the path they have chosen. Continue Reading…

July 14, 2017 By
14

Vegan Kids: Practical Tips for Parents

Pineapple and Veggie Pita Pizza

The number of vegan kids has increased exponentially in recent years. Well-planned vegan diets are safe and offer health advantages, even for growing children. Talk to your practitioner and read up on the subject. Here are some practical tips for parents for dealing with everyday situations. Make sure to see the companion to this article by PCRM, The Vegetarian and Vegan Diet for Kids, as well as 10 Tips for Raising Vegan Children. Photo above: Pineapple Veggie Pita Bread Pizza by Vicki Brett-Gach.

School Lunches / Snacks

It would truly be a challenge to find a classroom where every student eats the same foods. Lactose intolerance, food allergies, ethnic preferences, and religious or dietary restrictions all influence food choices. The classroom can provide an opportunity to introduce students and teachers to healthy foods. Fresh fruit, veggies cut into fun shapes served with bean dip, muffins, and crackers spread with nut butter and fruit, are all healthy, delicious snacks. See lots more in VegKitchen’s Healthy School Lunch article. Continue Reading…

June 14, 2017 By
0

Maintaining a Vegan Diet During Pregnancy

Healthy Plant-Based Pantry Foods

Maintaining a vegan diet during pregnancy always seem to cause concern, but it can be done! Here are some tips and valuable information.

During pregnancy, your need for all nutrients increases. For example, you will need more calcium, more protein, and more folic acid. But calorie needs increase only modestly during pregnancy. In fact, you will need to pack all of that extra nutrition into just 300 extra calories a day. For that reason, all pregnant women need to choose their meals wisely. It is important to eat foods that are rich in nutrients, but not high in fat or sugar, or excessive in calories. Continue Reading…

May 24, 2017 By
3

Vegan Sandwiches and Wraps: Easy Ideas

vegan hummus, cucumber, and avocado wraps

Here are lots of tasty options to explore for portable vegan sandwiches and wraps — easy ideas for vegans and vegetarians that are great for school lunches and for adults who are tired of pricey restaurant lunches and need some fresh brown bag vegan sandwiches and wraps options. You might also like 10 Easy Vegan Wraps to Make in 10 Minutes or Less. Shown above, Hummus, Cucumber, and Avocado Wrap; photo by Lori Maffei.  Continue Reading…

May 8, 2017 By
15

10 Tips for Raising Vegan Children

Hummus with raw vegetables

Raising vegan children in an omni world will test your patience with the next person who casually wonders aloud if your kids will get enough protein and calcium. Fear not though, it’s not as hard as it seems. In fact, with today’s increasing allergies, and people becoming more aware of what exactly they’re eating, it’s starting to become a piece of (vegan) cake. Janet Kearney is the founder of Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting and has given us some tips on raising vegan kids!

At Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting, I meet parents daily who are frustrated, feeling like they’re swimming against the tide. What’s key is support and information.

Join us at facebook.com/groups/veganpregnancyandparenting to get in on the discussion and on Instagram.com/veganpregnancyandparenting for some tasty kids meals and everyday strategies. Continue Reading…

May 5, 2017 By
3

6 Superfoods to Promote a Healthy Pregnancy

Fresh broccoli on a plate

You’re expecting a baby — congratulations! Now’s a good time to take a good look at your eating habits. It’s more important than ever to give your baby the best start possible. because you’re eating for more than just yourself, and that’s a big responsibility.

It’s a good idea to eat five or six small meals throughout your day. That will help keep your energy levels at a constant, instead of the roller coaster of energy and fatigue that larger meals can trigger. It also helps to remember that, although you’re eating for more than just yourself, you’re not really eating for two. Continue Reading…

January 3, 2017 By
0
Vegan Recipes by VegKitchen logo
Vegan recipes by VegKitchen