There is more currently in season than apples and pumpkins. The farmer’s markets are filling up with green galore—broccoli, Chard, Kale, and coming soon, Brussel sprouts. Don’t roll your eyes and stop reading! Our writers pooled the recipes that our {combined} 28 kids actually eat!
Kid-Approved Green Recipes for Fall
Across the board, the number one way we get our kids to eat greens is to hide them in smoothies. My picky eater is not a fan of spinach in smoothies and wouldn’t try it ever; she could sniff it out a mile away. I froze bunches of kale tore up into pieces and started using that in our smoothies; she never noticed and now asks for them!
My personal favorite smoothie recipe is so simple:
Simple Green Smoothie Recipe
- 1 cup frozen kale
- 1/2 cup of liquid; water, milk, kefir (we like Lifeway), juice – I use whatever is on hand
- 1 cup mixed berry frozen fruit
- handful of ice
The measurements are approximate. I use the markings on the side of my blender and mix until it’s smoothie consistency. When you use a mixed berry package, you also totally mask the green color. My preschooler calls it a purple smoothie. My husband calls my smoothie technique the composting technique because I will also throw in whatever fruits we have that are just about to be too squishy to eat.
I used to be so scared/worried about making a smoothie without an exact recipe. Trust me, just throw a bunch of stuff in the blender and puree until it’s smooth, add ice until it’s slushy like. It pretty much always tastes good.
Don’t relegate greens to salads and sides! When the greens are part of the main course kids are more likely to try them, or not even notice them!
Green Dinner Recipes
Frittata and Quiches are a favorite in our house and a great way to get your kids to eat greens! A favorite in our house is what my kids refer to as broccoli pie: Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche. After years (and I do mean years), my picky eater has declared it a favorite and asked for it as a birthday meal. Loralie’s family likes Nom Nom Paleo’s easy Paleo frittata using regular cows milk and adding cheese (you can take a girl out of Wisconsin, but you can’t take away her cheese….). You can make endless combinations of meat and veggies based on what’s available.
Chili’s and pasta are another great way to sneak in greens. Heather’s kids don’t even notice that there is kale in her White Chicken Chili. My kids love pasta; they would be happy to eat noodles every day. Even my picky eater loves “green” noodles, a parsley pesto, sauce. I sometimes fill in with spinach when I don’t have enough, and I have a friend who made the same recipe using chard. I don’t have a problem getting my kids to eat broccoli; it’s their favorite vegetable! In Heather’s house, this Pasta con Broccoli is in their weekly rotation.
If you are doing your greens as a side, Hyacynth and Melissa’s Husband both agree the best way to do that is with bacon and lots of real butter. Roasting is another excellent option because it tends to make the flavor of food sweeter. Heather’s family enjoys Oven Roasted Broccoli (bonus, I use leftovers in pasta for lunch the next day or in eggs for breakfast)
Do your kids eat greens? Share your favorite recipes in the comments!
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