60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (2025)

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (1)

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Today, I am excited to share a “round-up” of over sixty recipes. These recipes are not your average kid’s meal, rather these recipes are nutrient-dense, packed with good fats and vitamins and minerals. As a mom I desire to feed my children with food, made in our home, that will nourish their growing bodies and minds. I have witnessed the dramatic impact a nutrient-dense diet can have on a growing child. You can read more on the impact a nutrient-dense diet has had in my son’s life here. While I strive to provide the very best in nourishment for my kiddos, I’m challenged by the picky tastes children can develop. Piper, my oldest, knows what he likes and what he doesn’t. I am often looking for new ways to pack as many nutrients as possible into the food I prepare to ensure he gets the nourishment he needs.

The list below is just a starting point. A round-up to give you and I a few fresh ideas when it comes to nourishing our children. I’ll be sharing in a later post important nutrients growing bodies need (read the post here), but for now I give you food, glorious food. And lots of it! I’d love for you to share, in the comments below, nutrient-dense recipes your kids love! Let’s get started.

Breakfast

Muffins/Pancakes/Waffles:

Eggs:

Lunch/Dinner

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (4)

Meats/Seafood:

  • Chicken Fajitas from Live Simply
  • Sweet Chicken Kabobs with Citrus-Soy Sauce from Live Simply
  • Chicken Tenders from The Organic Kitchen
  • Chicken Legs from We Got Real
  • Cowboy Casserolefrom We Got Real
  • Real Food Meatballsfrom Scratch Mommy
  • Salmon Patties from We Got Real
  • Chicken and Rice from The Elliott Homestead
  • Viva La Beef Taquitos from The Elliott Homestead
  • Allergy-Friendly Fish Sticks from Momables
  • Healthy Homemade Fish Sticks from Prairie Homestead
  • Goulash from We Got Real
  • Homemade Tacos: ground beef and toppings of choice
60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (5)

Kid-classics:

  • Gluten-Free/Grain-Free Chicken Nuggets from Mama & Baby Love
  • Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese from Live Simply
  • Macaroni and Cheese with Swiss Chard and Mushrooms from Live Simply
  • Nutrient-Dense Mac and Cheesefrom Naturally Mindful
  • Quinoa and Cheese from Nourishing Herbalist
  • Homemade Corn Dogs from Homemade Dutch Apple Pie
  • Homemade Corn Dogs from Deliciously Organic
  • Hamburgers (with Hidden Liver) from Hollywood Homestead
  • Homemade Pizza and Sauce from Live Simply
  • Kale Salad Pizza from Live Simply

Veggies/Fruits:

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (6)

Veggies:

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (7)

Fruit:

Dips

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (8)

Sweet Dips:

Savory Dips:

Snacks

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (9)

Gelatin:

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (10)

Fruit Leather:

Granola/Cereal/Bars

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (11)

Granola/Cereal:

Bars:

Drinks

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (13)

Smoothies:

Alternatives to Juices/Sodas/Flavored Milk:

Treats

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (14)

Ice Cream/Popsicles/Puddings:

Cookies:

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (15)

Kristin Marr

Kristin is the creator and editor-in-chief of Live Simply. Kristin is married to her high school sweetheart, Dustin, and is the mom to two kids and two free-roam (litterbox-trained) bunnies, Leo and Estela. Kristin started Live Simply in 2013 to share her passion for real food and natural living.

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    1. Hey Jenn, Thank you for asking. Linking from your blog to this round-up with A-okay :).

      Reply

  1. RT @brendondesimone: Ummmm adults too!!! RT @angelokaramanis: 60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love http://t.co/CAS7OuwvIm

    Reply

  2. Ummmm adults too!!! RT @angelokaramanis: 60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love http://t.co/CAS7OuwvIm

    Reply

  3. RT @FoodHasPower: Wow!! 60 Nutrient-Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love – including ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, veggies,… http://…

    Reply

  4. Parents, you and your little ones will love this recipe site. Healthy eats for the entire family! http://t.co/2NBai8c2W0

    Reply

  5. Wow!! 60 Nutrient-Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love – including ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, veggies,… http://t.co/8ggE312h9u

    Reply

  6. What a great resource! Thanks so much for featuring my meatballs!

    Reply

    1. Thank you 🙂 and thank you for the great meatball recipe!

      Reply

  7. What a great post, Kristin! I’ve pinned this as you’ve shared so many great recipes. Thanks for sharing my KIND Fruit and Nut Bars. Blessings, Kelly

    Reply

  8. I love this collection of healthy recipes ! Never thought about making gummies before but a definite alternative to the synthetic laden treats offered in the stores. Thanks for you blog. I will be sure to share with your cousin 🙂

    Reply

  9. Wow, great roundup! Thanks for sharing my raw juices for kiddos 🙂 -Rama, Freshly Grown

    Reply

    1. Thank you 🙂 And thank you for the great juice recipes! I kids love them 🙂

      Reply

  10. Awesome ideas! I’ll definitely be incorporating some of these into our meal plan this week!

    Reply

  11. A bookmark for sure! Awesome post! (And thank you so much for including my recipe!)

    Reply

60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (2025)

FAQs

What are the most nutrient-dense foods for kids? ›

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 is the single most nutrient-dense food? ›

Here are the 11 most nutrient-dense foods on the planet:
  • Liver: ...
  • Potatoes: ...
  • Sardines: ...
  • Shellfish: ...
  • Blueberries: ...
  • Garlic: ...
  • Lean meat and poultry: Lean meat and poultry can provide important nutrients such as protein and iron. ...
  • Fat-free and low-fat dairy: Dairy is a good source of calcium and important for bone health.

What is the most nutrient-dense snack? ›

5 Must-Have Nutrient-Dense Snacks
  • 1) Nuts. Nuts are delicious by the handful and help you keep those hunger pains under control. ...
  • 2) Nut Butters. Okay, so we aren't quite ready to leave the nut train yet, but it's for good reason. ...
  • 3) Canned Tuna. ...
  • 4) Dried Fruit. ...
  • 5) Good Measure Bars.

What are the most nutrient-dense foods for survival? ›

12 Of The Most Nutrient-Dense Foods You Can Eat
  • Salmon.
  • Sardines.
  • Kale.
  • Seaweed.
  • Garlic.
  • Shellfish.
  • Potatoes.
  • Liver.

What food nutrients is the child lacking? ›

Vitamin deficiency Young vitamins Common deficiencies such as vitamin A, vitamin D, and group B vitamins. Dry corneal ulcers are the result of vitamin A deficiency. Meanwhile, lack of vitamin D makes children often rickets, deficiency of vitamin B group easily makes children tired, eat and sleep poorly...

What two foods can you survive on? ›

A balanced diet of survival food will ensure that your body is getting all the protein, carbs, minerals, and vitamins it requires to remain healthy. If you could only select five foods to survive on, potatoes, kale, trail mix, grains, and beans would get you pretty far.

What is the number one unhealthiest food in the world? ›

According to the American Heart Association, the most unhealthy food includes highly processed foods, just as processed snacks or junk food. These are replete with empty calories and low in nutrition. The refined flours, sodium and sugar in these foods make them the most unhealthy food in the world.

What is the number one healthiest food in the world? ›

Top 10 Foods for Health
  • Whole grains. ...
  • Beans and lentils. ...
  • Fish. ...
  • Berries. ...
  • Winter squash. ...
  • Soy. ...
  • Flaxseed, nuts and seeds. ...
  • Organic yogurt. Men and women between 19 and 50 years of age need 1000 milligrams of calcium a day and 1200 milligrams if 50 or older.

What is the most healthiest snack ever? ›

Tips for Healthy Snacking
  • Fruits canned in water or their own juice.
  • Whole grain bread, crackers and cereals.
  • Lower fat yogurt.
  • Lower fat cheese.
  • Unsalted nuts and seeds and their butters.
  • Hummus.
  • Hard boiled eggs.
  • Single serving canned fish.
Mar 1, 2021

What foods should I eat to get all my vitamins? ›

Making Sense of Vitamins and Minerals
  • flavonoids — blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries.
  • carotenoids — orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.
  • lycopene — tomatoes.
  • isoflavones — soy foods, such as soybeans (or edamame)
  • resveratrol — red grapes.
  • catechins — teas.
Feb 12, 2021

What are 7 perfect foods for survival? ›

  • Meats & Beans. Canned meat, chicken, turkey, seafood. and other protein-rich foods, such as. ...
  • Vegetables. Canned vegetables and vegetable juices. ...
  • Fruits. Canned fruits and fruit juices. ...
  • Milk. Canned, boxed or dried milk and shelf- ...
  • Grains. Ready-to-eat cereal, crackers, pretzels, ...
  • Water. Enough for 1 gallon per day.

What is the simplest diet you can live on? ›

The Simple Diet
  • Eat three meals each day. ...
  • Eat your heavier meals for breakfast and lunch with a lighter meal for dinner.
  • Eat two healthy protein choices at each meal or 6-8 choices per day. ...
  • Choose lots of color for each meal. ...
  • Fill in with 100% whole grain choices, 1-3 servings daily. ...
  • Drink water, tea or fat free milk.

What foods make children grow healthy? ›

School-age children need to eat foods from all 5 healthy food groups. The 5 healthy food groups are vegetables and legumes, fruit, cereals and grain foods, dairy and dairy alternatives, and meat and meat alternatives. Healthy foods have nutrients that are important for growth, development and learning.

What are the best nutrients for kids growth? ›

Calcium and vitamin D.

They are essential for strong and healthy bone development, so kids can reach their full height and bone density. Milk, yogurt and cheese, as well as leafy greens and nuts, are good sources of calcium. Eggs are rich in vitamin D.

What nutrient-dense food is good for picky toddlers? ›

For children who are 2 years old or older, health officials champion daily servings of fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as oatmeal and brown rice), oils and a range of lean proteins (including beans, eggs, lentils, peas, seafood, and low-fat meats and poultry).

What is a nutrient-dense lunch for kids? ›

Make sure to add ingredients from all food groups to create a nutrient-dense meal. Rice balls, sandwich quarters, veggie sticks, cheese cubes, granola bites, fruit pieces, yogurt-covered pretzels, chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs and whole-grain crackers are all good options.

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