Let’s face it - getting kids to eat healthy food can be a challenge. Most children simply refuse to eat the very foods their little bodies need to thrive. Broccoli? No way! Brussels sprouts? Never! Green beans? No thank you!

Feeding unwilling children in the evenings can ruin your appetite and place a dampener on a family dinner. This is why you need a few kid friendly recipes that your child is sure to enjoy no matter how picky they might be. In this article we bring you six “kid-tested” meals that will make mealtimes a dream in your home.

Six Kid-Tested Recipes to Make Mealtimes Easier

At Knorr we set out to round up meals that kids will eat and actually enjoy. Here are the top six recipes for healthy, kid-friendly dishes that even the most difficult eaters will battle to resist.

1. Creamy, Baked Macaroni and Cheese
2. Vegan Mushroom and Lentil Bolognaise with Baby Marrow Noodles
3. Easy Butternut Soup
4. Scrumptious Chicken Pot Pie
5. Fancy Avocado Ritz Lettuce Cups
6. Veggie-packed Lamb Stew

1. Creamy, Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Good old macaroni and cheese? You bet! Mac and cheese have been a firm favourite amongst little ones for decades. But in this Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe you are able to sneak in veggies like leeks, spinach, artichokes, bell peppers and broccoli without the youngsters ever noticing. This goes a long way to contributing to their recommended 5-a-day fruits and veg intake. The secret lies in the grated cheddar cheese that smothers the macaroni in a creamy coating. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

2. Vegan Mushroom and Lentil Bolognaise with Baby Marrow Noodles

Ideal for meat-free Mondays and packed with nutritious ingredients, this is a kid-tested meal with zero guilt. Rich in iron from the delicious baby marrow noodles this tomatoey sauce is served on, you simply cannot go wrong with the delectable flavour this easy recipe serves up.

Try Vegan Mushroom and Lentil Bolognaise when you want a satisfying, warm dish rich in protein, without any meat. Legumes contribute another healthy layer to the meal in the form of lentils and button mushrooms give the dish a nutty flavour.

3. Easy Butternut Soup

Preparing dinner rarely gets as easy as this delicious, yet super simple, recipe for Butternut Soup. Easy to acquire ingredients like an onion, a Knorr vegetable stock pot and fat-free yogurt make this recipe a joy to prepare for the little people in your life. Butternut has a naturally sweet flavour and in combination with garlic it creates a smooth, savoury soup. This is a kid-tested meal that gets the thumbs-up on texture, taste and colour. Serve it with crusty, wholewheat bread and salty, farmhouse butter and watch your kids gobble it up.

4. Scrumptious Chicken Pot Pie

Few dishes are as irresistible as a pie. Chicken pie, specifically, has a way of creeping into our hearts and filling our bellies. The great thing about this Chicken Pot Pie recipe is that you can sneak in vegetables like sugar snap peas, broccoli, baby corn and baby spinach without compromising the mouth-watering flavour of the meat or the crunchy crust of the pie. This is a meal kids will not only eat, but will be back for seconds, guaranteed.

5. Fancy Avocado Ritz Lettuce Cups

Try this recipe: Fancy Avocado Ritz Lettuce Cups. Avo is a superfood that most children enjoy. Add gem lettuce and cucumber to this and drizzle over Knorr Creamy 1000 Islands Salad Dressing and you have a healthy, tangy, crunchy feast on the table. Ideal as a summer side dish or a healthy snack, these fancy cups will surprise kids with their unique look and taste.

6. Veggie-Packed Lamb Stew

Remember your mom always begging you to eat your peas and carrots? This delicious Lamb Stew is filled with carrots and peas and coated in a meaty sauce that even the fussiest eater will enjoy. To serve, try this stew on brown rice. Brown rice is low GI which means it keeps you fuller for longer and provides your kids with the energy they need to make it through their jam-packed days.

There you have it - six kid-tested meals that will delight fussy eaters from far and wide. Not only are these meals yummy and filling - they are also healthy. Start making these dishes for your toughest food critics and hear them ask for more!