Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or just looking for a little meatless Monday inspiration. This collection of kid-friendly meatless recipes will help make meal planning easy. Be sure to check out all of our other meatless meals for kids recipes too...we've got quite a few awesome kid-friendly vegetarian recipes.
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Like many of you, we have been overwhelmed by the information about eating less meat. Recently, the Canadian government released the updated Canadian Health Guide, in which they recommend eating less meat and more protein alternatives. But...they used to say that meat was healthy. What are we supposed to do?
Well, as confusing as the mix of information might be we are moving ahead with what I have always believed - eating a balanced diet. What this means to us is adding more vegetable and protein alternative meals into our recipe repertoire.
Eating less meat is a healthy break for our bodies and an opportunity to discover new dishes. Let's face it, the first thought I had when I was thinking of taking on this change was "how am I going to convince my kids to eat more veggies?" Yes, our kids are great eaters, they don't shy away from very many meals, but adding more vegetable-based dishes might be too much for me to handle.
So, what do you do when you have a challenge ahead? We plan the heck out of that challenge. I've been super busy preparing for our new meat-less lifestyle. I've done a lot of research and have gathered together a collection of delicious, kid-friendly meatless meals.
We don't want to just "get by"...we want to enjoy each and every meatless meal we eat.
20 Kid-Friendly Meatless Recipes
20+ Kid Friendly Meatless Recipes
A collection of over 20 delicious kid-friendly vegetarian recipes that are easy to make and delicious.
Budget Bytes shares a simple breakfast, lunch or dinner option spinach, mushroom & feta quiche.
One of our favourite kid-friendly vegetarian dinner dishes. A hearty and healthy lentil sloppy joe recipe.
Damn Delicious shares a super simple and kid friendly lo mein recipe.
Our power packed kale salad has crispy chickpeas, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a kid-friendly pesto dressing.
A mild curry that kids will love - chickpeas and rice curry for the win.
Kids will gobble up this creamy spring vegetable pasta primavera.
Choosing Chia shares how to bring together this amazing black bean vegetarian burrito - the perfect alternative to a typical taco Tuesday.
Did someone say pie?! Get the kids to eat veggies with Mom's Test Kitchen's easy vegetable pot pie.
The Pioneer Woman shares a flavour packed smooth cauliflower soup...perfect hot lunch idea.
Fruit can be savoury too. Pack in the fruit with Eats Amazing's fruity couscous salad.
Who said chilli has to be full of beef? Swap out the meat with Cooking Classy's quinoa chilli.
Can't forget the kids' favourite three cheese pasta. Yep, gooey and cheesy and perfect for lunch or dinner (my kids would say it's perfect for breakfast too).
How delightful is this? Kids will love eating Parenting Chaos' colourful rainbow fruit pizza.
Curry is another favourite with our kids. A delicious oaty sweet potato and chickpea curry with lemongrass from In the Playroom.
Where did the meat go in our vegetarian meatloaf? You seriously won't even miss the meat.
Food 4 Tots shares a recipe for irresistible cauliflower tots. Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable.
Deliciously simple baked spaghetti with mozzarella from Martha Stewart. Classic and crowd pleasing.
Kids will go crazy for BetsyLife's Buffalo quinoa bites and dipping sauce.
Kids love our vegetarian chili - hearty and rich flavour. Perfect on a cool day and in the thermos too!
Super Healthy Kids shares a crunchy kid favourite veggie nugget recipe.
Shepherd's pie without the meat? Yep, She Likes Food shares a kid-friendly vegetarian BBQ shepherd's pie.
Our vegetarian lasagna rolls are fun to make, fun to eat and make delicious leftovers for the lunchbox.
A Few Common Questions About Being Vegetarian
What does "vegetarian" mean?
A vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat and meat products. While vegetarians do not eat meat, they often eat eggs and dairy products. People may be vegetarian for moral, religious, social, or health related reasons.
What does "vegan" mean?
Vegan is a word that people are less familiar with - but that has become much more popular in the last decade. A vegan is a person who does not eat meat and meat products - including any dairy products or eggs. Vegans eat nothing that is an animal by product - even honey.
What does "pescatarian" mean?
A pescatarian is another branch of vegetarianism. A pescatarian does not eat meat, but they do eat fish and seafood. While their diet is largely plant-based, they do eat seafood.
Using a spiralizer or slicing the vegetables thinly can help your vegetarian dishes be more fun and more palatable for kids. This spiralizer is very well-rated and is affordable.
Check out our collection of family friendly vegan recipes too!
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Jennifer Fischer says
I repinned this and clicked through because I love adding meatless meals to our meal plans and then saw my recipe shared! Thanks so much. This is a great post. I loved it before I saw my recipe and now I love it even more.