When I was a newlywed, I LOVED to meal plan. There was nothing better than going through cookbooks and magazines and searching online for yummy recipes to try. (Thank goodness Pinterest wasn’t around back then – I would have spent way too many hours pinning a million recipes!)
But the novelty of meal planning wore off, especially after having kids. I hate spending all that time picking out recipes, shopping, and cooking, only to have my kids turn up their noses at what I’ve prepared. #momlife
These days I do my best to meal plan, but there are many nights where I still stand in front of the open fridge, looking for inspiration when I haven’t prepared ahead of time. But typically I have a meat and vegetable side dish planned for each night. I like to keep the side dish simple and easy – the less chopping, cooking, or dirtying up pans, the better!
Here are a few super simple kid-friendly vegetable side dishes for weeknight dinners:
Broccoli with Butter and Seasoning
I love to buy broccoli that’s already cut and washed and toss them into a steamer bag to cook in the microwave. After the broccoli is done, I’ll serve it with a tiny bit of butter and a sprinkle of our favorite “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning. The steamer bags are such a great tool for weeknight dinners. They make whipping up healthy veggies super simple and quick. And clean up is a breeze too!
Green Beans with Salt and Red Wine Vinegar
This may seem like a strange combination, but I’ve been eating my green beans like this for years. My kids love it too! If you’re a fan of pickled veggies or salt and vinegar potato chips, I’d give this a try. I heat up some canned green beans in the microwave and then toss them with a little bit of red wine vinegar and salt.
Roasted Asparagus with Olive Oil and Garlic Salt
On nights when I’m already heating up the oven for the meat portion of our dinner, I love to throw some vegetables into roast as well. My kids actually really love asparagus, and it cooks super quick in the oven. I cover a baking sheet with foil, trim the ends off a bunch of asparagus, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle on a little bit of garlic salt. Then I roast them for about 12-15 minutes on 425 degrees. We try to limit cheese in our house, but you can sprinkle some parmesan on the asparagus when you pull them out of the oven for an extra yummy boost of flavor!
Sweet Potatoes with Butter and Cinnamon
Sweet potatoes are another quick and easy microwavable veggie. I wash them, prick them with a fork, and cook them until they’re soft. Then I split them open and add a little butter (or coconut oil) and some cinnamon. And if you’re really in the mood for a sweet and healthy treat, try them with cinnamon-sugar. Yum!
Carrots with Butter and Honey
Carrots also cook well in the steamer bags. We add a little bit of butter and honey to the carrots after they’re cooked.
Raw Veggies with Ranch Dressing
I love picking up a vegetable tray at the grocery store when they’re on sale, but I also make my own with all of the leftover un-cooked veggies I have at the end of the week. My kids love dipping raw veggies into ranch dressing, and it’s pretty much the easiest thing to serve since there isn’t any actual cooking going on! For the grown-ups, I’ll chop some of the vegetables a little smaller and serve them with lettuce in a salad.
Whenever I serve a healthy meal that my kids eat and enjoy, I feel like a supermom! What vegetables do your kids like to eat?
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Super Simple Kid-Friendly Vegetable Side Dishes for Weeknight Dinners
