Find the best side dishes for kids with these easy recipes. Each is nutritious, easy to make, and super yummy for little and big kids alike.
Find my go-to easy sides to make serving meals to kids much easier. These are the ones I turn to in order to easily round out meals and add variety and nutrients. They are also my favorite easy way to add a sort of “safety net” to meals. Which means these simple foods can help ensure the kids always have something they like on the table during a meal where they may not love the main dish.
There are easy fruit side dish recipes here, including sauteed apples and baked pears. There are also muffins and make-ahead options, like cornbread muffins and broccoli rice. And plenty of easy vegetable recipes, including our favorite roasted carrots and roasted frozen broccoli.
(For more yummy recipes, check out my Sweet Potato Fritters, Beet Pasta Sauce, and Pasta in Brodo.)
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whole grain crackers, applesauce, roasted vegetables, salad with chopped lettuce to make it easier to eat, steamed vegetables, rice, buttered pasta, dips, and more are some easy options to try.
Roasted vegetables like Sweet Potato Baby Food, a puree in a reusable pouch, mashed avocado or Avocado Puree, or soft fruit prepared for the age of the baby so it’s easy and safe to eat.
Some of our favorites include applesauce, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, yogurt, applesauce, whole grain crackers, bread, toast, rotisserie chicken, or thinly sliced raw vegetables like cucumbers or bell peppers.
Simple Sauteed Apples
Made with just three ingredients, these simple apples pair perfectly with oatmeal, pancakes, and yogurt, as well as savory mains like pork and chicken.
You can use any type of apple you have or like, though generally tart cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Pink Lady) soften nicely without falling apart too quickly.
Simple Sauteed Apples with Cinnamon
Easy Sliced Baked Apples
This super simple method transforms apples into sweet slices of goodness without any need for extra sugar or fancy ingredients.
Transform fresh apples into Sliced Baked Apples as a simple snack, side dish, or as baby led weaning apples. The super simple method takes just 5 minutes to prep, and they work as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, and more!
So Easy Sliced Baked Apples
Quick Sauteed Cinnamon Pears
Whenever I have a few pears on hand—or pears that just won’t ripen—I love turning them into these cooked pears.
Transform any variety of pears into these delicious cinnamon cooked pears. Serve them as a simple side or snack, or cut a little smaller for a finger food for babies.
Quick Sauteed Cinnamon Pears
Easy Baked Pears
With a super simple method and a most delicious flavor, these Baked Pears are a favorite snack for babies, toddlers, and us parents.
We like these apples warm or cold out of the fridge, so see what your kids like best. They work as a simple snack or served with yogurt, oatmeal, or roasted meat.
So Easy Baked Pears
Easy Broccoli Rice
This healthy broccoli recipe has subtle garlic flavor, fiber from brown rice, and all of the nutrition you expect from broccoli. It also boasts a surprising amount of vegetarian protein, as an added bonus.
This Broccoli Rice is a favorite easy side dish—or vegetarian main dish. It’s loaded with fiber and has the yummiest garlicky flavor. You can easily serve it as a baby food, too.
Easy Broccoli Rice
Cheesy Broccoli Rice
With nutrients, creamy texture, and ultimate cheesiness, this one-pan dish is a great vegetarian main or an easy side dish.
Transform five simple ingredients into the yummiest one-pan dish with this Cheesy Broccoli Rice recipe. It works as a vegetarian main dish or as a side dish.
Cheesy Broccoli Rice
Easy Roasted Broccoli
This Roasted Broccoli requires just three ingredients and less than 20 minutes, and the result is slightly sweet and caramelized. So yummy!
This Roasted Broccoli is tender, a little nutty, and a little sweet. Serve this as a simple side to go with dinner. Or make ahead and warm throughout the week to go with lunches.
Easy Roasted Broccoli
Roasted Frozen Broccoli
I love to keep a bag of frozen broccoli on hand in the freezer to make this easy side dish to go with weeknight meals, and I love how easy it is to add flavor according to our moods.
Roast a bag of frozen broccoli to make cooking easier and serve up the most delicious side dish. This is particularly great topped with grated Parmesan cheese!
Roasted Frozen Broccoli
Easy Roasted Carrot Fries
Made with just three simple ingredients, this side comes together in under 30 minutes—and most of that is hands off time when the carrots are in the oven and you can be doing other things!
These baked carrot fries are a simple side to go with burgers or chicken and pair perfectly with ketchup.
Easy Roasted Carrot “Fries”
Quick & Easy Sauteed Carrots
These Sauteed Carrots are an example of the types of veggie recipes for kids I make regularly when I’m in a time crunch come dinner—which is always. My kids love them.
These simple Sauteed Carrots are one of my go-to veggie recipes to make for my family. They’re ready from in under 20 minutes from start to finish, and the end result is tender, naturally sweet carrots.
Easy Sauteed Carrots
Easy Cheesy Rice (with Veggies!)
I love this approach to Cheesy Rice because the four flavor variations make it easy for kids (and adults!) to eat, the veggies are soft, and there’s just enough cheese for it to be creamy and yummy.
This Cheesy Rice recipe has four options to add in veggies and has been a staple of my family’s diet for a few years now. It’s SO easy and versatile—and stores wonderfully in the fridge. And it’s downright delish!
Easy Cheesy Rice (with Veggies!)
Favorite Buttered Noodles
I love this since it’s serious comfort food, and it can be topped with all sorts of additional flavor boosters for adults as we like—so we can all happily share the meal.
I have all kinds of easy ways to incorporate veggies into pasta dishes for kids, but some days, we just need the classic and comforting option of Buttered Noodles. This is my go-to method for the creamiest, easiest buttered pasta to share with the kids.
Favorite Buttered Noodles
Easy Baked Risotto
I love traditional risotto, but I find it to be nearly impossible to make with toddlers and kids underfoot—which is why baking it in the oven is such a nice option! This version has just a handful of ingredients, too, and can be finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon for a nice fresh flavor.
With a simple oven-baked method and lots of fresh flavors, this Baked Risotto is an easy option for family dinner. Plus: The method is so simple, and you get to skip standing and stirring endlessly at the stovetop!
Favorite Baked Risotto
Easy Oatmeal Muffins
These have a solid dose of oatmeal for fiber, whole grains, and complex carbohydrates, yet are naturally sweet and tender—like a classic muffin should be.
With an easy one-bowl method and the most delicious flavor, these Oatmeal Muffins are nutritious and so yummy.
Favorite Oatmeal Muffins
Easy Cornbread Muffins
They are soft, easy to mix up, and store well in the fridge or freezer. Oh, and the kids love them!
Moist and nutritious, these healthy cornmeal muffins are an easy side, quick breakfast, or yummy snack.
Easy Cornbread Muffins
How to Store
Store leftover side dishes in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Warm up as needed and refer to the Notes at the end of each individual recipe for more specific storage information.
Best Tips for Success
- Remember that you don’t need to make a lot of sides dishes when feeding your family, but 1 or 2 can add variety and nutrition to a meal.
- Let the kids help choose a side dish as an easy way to help them feel invested in a meal.
- Try no-cook sides like applesauce, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, yogurt, applesauce, whole grain crackers, bread, toast, or thinly sliced raw vegetables like cucumbers or bell peppers.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this post, so please comment below to share!