It can be tough to get kids to eat healthily. Really, really tough. Especially if you’ve got a fussy little eater. But it doesn’t have to be impossible. If you’ve got the right tricks up your sleeve, it can be surprisingly easy.
We’ve scoured the internet to collect a bunch of tricks for you to try out on your little one. These 40 creative recipes for kids are pretty straightforward, but the effects are amazing. They look so good that most children will be tempted to give them a go. You’ll be able to sneak plenty of fruit and vegetables into their diets, without having to deal with tantrums at dinnertime.
1. Veggie People by SheKnows
Make people or animals out of any veggies you want your child to try. Which body party will they eat first?
2. Paleo Snickerdoodles by Ultimate Paleo Guide
Snickerdoodles made with all natural ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about your children’s blood sugar levels skyrocketing. If you need help deciding what ingredients to use – you can grab this nifty paleo app too! Win!
3. Rubik’s Cube Fruit Salad by Food Beast
These Rubik’s cubes are easy ways to use a range of brightly colored fruits and vegetables in a creative way. You can use any foods that you can cut into cubes, so see what you can come up with!
4. Hulk Pancakes by Paleoso
Persuade your little ones to eat their greens by turning their foods into foods suitable for the Hulk! Paleo diet friendly too!
5. White Chocolate Strawberry Ghosts by Cook like a Champion
These super cute ghosts are made of strawberries, so you should have no problems getting your children to eat them. Delicious and good to look at.
6. Paleo Sausage Egg “McMuffin” by Nom Nom Paleo
McDonald’s is not at all healthy, but your children don’t have to go without. These ‘McMuffins’ are made from natural ingredients and they look even better than the real thing.
7. Fruit Flowers by Crnobelo.com
Fruit can be made to look really cute if you just use cookie cutters to display them nicely. Use whatever shapes you have and make good use of the different colors fruits come in too.
8. American Flag Pie by The Winthrop Chronicles
This is a good one for Independence Day. If you don’t have jam, see what other colored food you could use.
9. Cauliflower Sheep by Eat Groovy Healthy Recipes
Cauliflower isn’t all that popular with kids, but turn it into little sheep and it might stand a chance! You could go all out with the farm theme by putting the sheep on some greens too.
10. Angry Bird Party Ideas by Creative Food
Kids can get pretty enthusiastic about their favorite characters, movies, and TV shows, so use that to your advantage. Angry Bird characters are fairly easy to make out of food and there are plenty of ideas here.
11. Fruit Art by Crnobelo.com
Berries and fruit, because they’re so colorful, are great for making art with. Use shapes such as squares, and arrange the fruit to make your own designs.
12. Happy Frankenstein Lunch by Creative Food
Turn your kids’ lunchboxes into scenes from their favorite movies and TV programs, by creating the characters out of healthy grub.
13. Fresh Raspberry Lemonade by Ultimate Paleo Guide
If your kids have ever had their own lemonade stand, or they’re interested in starting one, take it to the next level by helping them to make pink lemonade. This lemonade is also 100% natural too.
14. Elf Sandwich by Creative Food
Make Christmas treats healthy by shaping them into elves, Santa, presents, and reindeer.
15. Crazy Clown Eggs by Nom Nom Paleo
You can get your children involved in making these eggs. See who can come up with the silliest face!
16. Stuffed Jack-o’-Lanterns by Healthful Pursuit
Bell peppers are so bright and colorful that they can really help to make foods look more appetizing. Fill them with whatever you’re cooking and your child will eat the pepper without a second thought.
17. Frozen Banana Penguin Snack by GOODIY
Turn bananas into super cute fruit pops by dipping them in chocolate and adding features. These would be great snacks for parties.
18. Ladybug Crackers by Sprout Online
Create little ladybug creatures out of tomatoes to get your children to eat them. These are super cute little crackers that are also great for parties.
19. A Robot for Lunch by Eats Amazing
Cut sandwiches into cool shapes and characters to get your child to eat whatever you put inside them. They’ll want to show them off to their friends, so you’ll have no trouble getting them to take them to school!
20. Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Snacks by Fried Dandelions
Use your children’s favorite book characters, such as the Hungry Caterpillar, and have them eat them bit by bit!
21. Veggie Garden by Fresh from Florida Kids
It’s fairly easy to make scenes and gardens out of fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables. Make a garden scene or a beach scene or whatever else you can think of.
22. Watermelon Stars by The Kitchn
Fruits like watermelons are great for cutting up into cute shapes with cookie cutters. These shapes can make for great party snacks and they can be matched to most party themes.
23. Yummy Mummies (A.K.A. Halloweenies) by Nom Nom Paleo
These Halloween mummies are pretty creepy! They make good snacks for Halloween parties and they’re make of natural ingredients too.
24. Caprese Salad, Magic Mushroom Presentation by A Cup of Sugar … A Pinch of Salt
Toadstools are super cute ways to use eggs, mozzarella, and tomatoes. These are handy little snacks and, again they’re great for parties.
25. Spooky Soup by Eats Amazing
It’s really easy to make soups appealing to children; simply add some accessories into them! Soups are great because you can pack loads of vegetables into them without your children knowing.
26. Fruit & Nut Butterflies by Crnobelo.com
Nuts contain lots of healthy fats, and berries contain loads of vitamins and antioxidants, so dressing them up as butterflies is a great way to get your child eating healthy food.
27. Spooky Spider Snack by Eats Amazing
These spiders are made of fruit and they look great! Make a load up for a spooky themed party or put a few in your kids’ lunchbox and make all of their friends jealous!
28. Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce by Ultimate Paleo Guide
Chicken nuggets are usually full of all sorts of things that you don’t want your kids to be eating, but these are 100% paleo, which means they contain only natural ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about your children eating them.
29. Fruit Turtles by Meet The Dubiens
These turtles are ridiculously cute and easy to make. They’re a great way to get your kids to eat fruit and they won’t take you long to put together at all.
30. Frog Lunch by Eats Amazing
You can pack loads of nutritious foods into your child’s lunchbox if you shape it into fun pictures. This one contains loads of fruits as well as some sandwiches.
31. Flower Power Eggs by Apron Strings
These flowers are really effective and they’re fun ways to sneak some more protein into your child’s breakfast. Yum!
32. Owl In A Tree by Meet The Dubiens
This owl is so pretty and, again, this is a meal that you could put together very easily. Feel free to switch out the ingredients for whatever you have in your kitchen too.
33. Turtle Lunch by Eats Amazing
If you’re having a hard time trying to get your children to eat wholemeal bread, turn it into a character or animal such as a turtle or tortoise, and they won’t even pay any attention to the color!
34. 1 Apple = 2 Fish by Cute Food For Kids
This way of preparing apples is really effective! There are plenty of ways to cut up apples to make them more exciting and it doesn’t even have to take very long. A little bit of effort can go a long way.
35. Apple Umbrella by Cute Food For Kids
Again, apples and sandwiches cut into shapes can create a really cute-looking meal that your child won’t be able to resist.
36. Chunky Monkey “Ice Cream” Bon Bons by Nom Nom Paleo
These sweets really are a treat because they contain healthy paleo ingredients but they’re delicious little nibbles.
37. Olaf Lunchbox by Lunchbox Awesome
If your child is a fan of Frozen, they’ll love this Olaf-themed lunch.
38. Very Hungry Caterpillars by Little Food Junction
How cute are these little bugs? They’re also extremely easy to put together. You could even get your little ones involved and turn it into a fun activity.
39. Fruit Butterfly by Fienke’s Kookclub
If you really want to go for it, make a collage or huge picture out of colorful foods such as fruits and vegetables.
40. Bee Themed Lunch by Eats Amazing
This bee-themed lunchbox is very easy to put together. Simply use cookie cutters to get the carrots and other fruits and vegetables into the right shapes and then layer everything else to get the stripes.
Featured photo credit: Paleoso via paleoso.com
