A compilation of easy kid-friendly vegetarian meal ideas including afternoon snacks! Kids of all ages can help with these ideas!
Easy Vegetarian Meal Ideas
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These Easy Vegetarian Meal Ideas were put together in a way that allows your kids to help in the kitchen! Depending on the age range of your children, here’s how you can get your kids involved in these ideas:
How Can Young Kids Help With These Ideas in the Kitchen?
- Mix the pancake batter
- Spread the peanut butter
- Roll the pigs in the blanket
- Mix the oatmeal
- Sprinkle the granola
- Organize the taco and potato bar toppings
- Open the yogurt
- Put smoothie contents into the blender
- Sprinkle cheese on the homemade pizzas
- Help clean up
- Set the timer
How Can Older Kids Help With These Ideas in the Kitchen?
- Pour the pancake batter on the griddle
- Clean and cut fruit
- Flip burgers
- Make the snacks
- Assemble the Ravioli Bake
- Make the overnight oatmeal
- Put the fruit on the skewers
- Make smoothies
- Clean and cut vegetables
- Follow the recipe
- Make the entire meal
- Be the lead in the kitchen
- Help clean up
How to Teach Life Skills to Kids
Despite us wanting our children to stay little, they are going to grow up. And fast! They need to be ready for life.
- Balance Fun & Boring – The path of least resistance is to let kids just do the fun stuff – decorate cookies, make Valentine’s, and build with Jello Legos. But if they are going to survive in the real world, they need to appreciate hard work, expect the unexpected, make lots of mistakes, accept no for an answer, and persevere. Life is full of gifts – memories, friends and family, bonfires, swimming, hikes, bike rides, picnics, snuggling, game night, sledding, and just being together. Teach your kids to balance fun and boring and they’ll be happy adults!
- It’s Never Too Late – I am not a professional. I have no idea what I am doing. I don’t have parenting figured out. As a matter of fact, I don’t even have life figured out. All I know is I am capable of doing my best, which includes learning from my parenting mistakes. It’s never too late change your expectations, make them clear, and enforce them.
- Tough It Out – If you are about to embark on the voyage of requiring more out of your kids, then get your mindset ready. If they have gotten out of helping around the house before, they will certainly try getting out of responsibility again. Two words – tough love.
- Team Work – Do chores together as a family, make your meals together as a family, do yard work together as a family, and look for other opportunities to work together! Teaching life skills to your kids doesn’t mean you sit on the couch and shout instructions to them. It means you do it with them! A family that works together stays together.
- Be a Good Example – I can’t tell you how many times I hear or read this tip. And every time I think to myself, “I AM a good example!” Just be the best version of you, and your kids will be just fine.
- Stop Doing Everything for Your Kids – The best way to tell your kids they are not capable of doing something is to do everything for them. You will create lazy entitled kids if you do everything for them. Stop.
- Let Kids Be Creative – Let your kids run with it! If you are making smoothies and they want to throw something in there that isn’t on the recipe card, let them. It will be just fine.
- Let Go – As mothers, it’s our nature to nurture. But we have to balance nurturing a skinned knee with letting go of things we are doing and shouldn’t be. We have to let our kids be kids and not overprotect them while at the same time expecting them to pick up after themselves. They learn some of the most important lessons with natural consequences. Those lessons contribute to the formation of life skills.
- Give Kids a Chance – I think you will be pleasantly surprised how fast kids catch on to things – let them pump gas, have them compare prices, learn lawnmower safety, look after little ones, problem solve, and practice putting others first.
- Empathy, Grace & Choices – Nobody is perfect. All of us are shown empathy, grace, and mercy at some point. Give your kids second chances and don’t beat them up for their mistakes. They are hard enough on themselves as it is. Give choices, exercise patience, show empathy, and teach – don’t preach. (I threw that in there for myself, ha!)
How to Make Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats
- Line muffin pan with liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray.
- Melt 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, 6 tbsp honey, and 1/8 tsp salt together on low heat until melted and well combined. Remove from heat.
- Stir in 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal. Mix well.
- Evenly distribute mixture into liners. Press down firmly
- Melt 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips over low heat. Stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat.
- Spoon melted chocolate over each treat, distributing smoothly and evenly.
- Put in the refrigerator until firm.
How to Make Pancake Pockets
- Pancake Pockets started with The Pioneer Woman. They are fun for kids AND adults!
- You can make the batter from scratch or buy pancake mix. Either way, they are made by:
- Spraying a griddle with non-stick spray.
- Pour a scoop of batter on the griddle.
- Place diced fruit of choice in the center of the batter. Drizzle a little syrup over the fruit.
- Spoon a small scoop of batter over the top of the fruit and flip the pancake.
How to Make Peanut Butter & Honey Quesadilla’s
- Spread creamy or crunchy peanut butter and honey over half of a soft flour tortilla shell.
- Fold the tortilla shell in half.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut into four triangle shapes.
- You can easily add in:
- Chocolate Chips
- Sliced Banana
- Chopped Peanuts
- Raisins
Meal Ideas Planner – Printable Version
Click on the blue button below and your Meal Ideas Planner will download instantly. Then print! You’ll be able to write in all of your great meal ideas!
Meal Ideas Planner – Lightened Printable Version
Just in case the colors on the the original version are too dark to see your handwriting, here is a lightened version to see your ideas easier! Click on the blue button below and your Meal Ideas Planner – Lightened Printable Version will download instantly. Then print! You’ll be able to write in all of your great meal ideas!
How to Make Ravioli Bake
Also known as ‘Lazy Lasagna.’
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray and spread about 3/4 cup marinara sauce into the bottom of the pan.
- Arrange half of a 25 oz bag of frozen ravioli in a single layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Top with half of the remaining sauce and sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.
- Repeat the layers with what’s left.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and/or salad.
How to Make Fruit & Granola Wraps
- Spread flavored cream cheese over a soft flour tortilla shell. (If you don’t have flavored cream cheese, mix a little jelly into regular cream cheese!)
- Sprinkle chopped fruit down the center of the tortilla shell.
- Repeat with granola.
- Roll the contents of the wrap by folding in the sides first, then rolling closed just like a wrap!
Meal Ideas Planner – Editable Version
First, make sure you have Adobe on your computer. Then click on the blue button below and your Meal Ideas Planner will open in Adobe. You can click on each of the colored squares and type in your meal ideas. Then print!
Meal Ideas Planner – Lightened Editable Version
Just in case the colors on the original version are too dark to see your ideas, here is a lightened version to see your ideas easier! First, make sure you have Adobe on your computer. Then click on the blue button below and your Meal Ideas Planner – Lightened Editable Version will open in Adobe. You can click on each of the colored squares and type in your meal ideas. Then print!
How to Make Yogurt, Fruit & Granola Breakfast Bowl
- Fill a bowl with your choice of yogurt.
- Decorate with your choice of fruit.
- Sprinkle with granola and marvel at your creation. Then stir, if you’d like, and eat!
- You can easily add in:
- Nuts
- Raisins
- Trail Mix
- Seeds
How to Make Fruit Leather
- Preheat oven to lowest setting, most likely 150 – 170 degrees. Line 11 x 17 pan with parchment paper.
- Puree your choice of fruit in a blender.
- Add honey until desired taste is reached. (It may require 2-4 tbsp, it just depends how naturally sweet the fruit is.) Puree.
- Spread the puree over the parchment paper lined pan evenly.
- Dehydrate by placing int he oven for 5-6 hours. Could be more or less depending on the thickness of the fruit puree.
- Remove from heat once the fruit puree has dried into fruit leather! You’ll know it’s done with your finger does’t stick to it.
- Let cool before cutting into strips and storing.
Tip: Making fruit leather is super easy, don’t overthink it. Don’t worry about measuring, just eyeball. You can’t go wrong! You just need enough fruit puree to thinly cover any size parchment paper lined pan you’d like to use.
What is a Baked Potato Bar?
- A Baked Potato Bar is when you line up baked potatoes and all of the toppings. Then load up your potato as you walk along! Your favorite toppings might be:
- Sour Cream
- Cheese
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- MorningStar Farms Griller Crumbles (Fry up with a little oil and a packet of Mild McCormick Taco Seasoning)
- If you use the Griller Crumbles to add taco flavor, crush Fritos and add those too! It’s delicious!
- First, bake your potatoes.
- Traditionally, you can bake a potato by:
- Preheating the oven to 450 degrees.
- Wash desired number of Russet potatoes and poke holes in each of them.
- Wrap in tin foil and place in the oven for an eternity! I mean an hour.
- Non-traditionally, you can bake a potato by:
- Preheating the oven to 450 degrees.
- Washing desired number of Yukon Gold potatoes and poke holes in each of them.
- Place in a microwave safe dish and put in the microwave for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the microwave and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Tip: The difference between the two baking methods is the potato. Yukon Gold potatoes are softer, they bake faster!
What is an Apple Donut?
- An apple donut is an apple ring, decorated like a donut! Set an apple on a cutting board sideways and slice. Remove the center with a coring tool or a small circle cookie cutter.
- You can spread with:
- Nutella
- Peanut Butter
- Cream Cheese
- You can decorate apple donuts with:
- Nuts
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate Chips
- Dried Fruit
- Coconut Shreds
- Trail Mix
- Marshmallows
- Fresh Fruit
What is a Waffle Sandwich?
- A Waffle Sandwich is made with waffles instead of sandwich bread.
- Just put 2 frozen waffles in the toaster.
- Spread peanut butter on one waffle and jelly on the other. Combine to make a Waffle Sandwich!
How to Make Fruit Kabobs
- Clean and cut fruit. Alternate fruits as you place them on a skewer.
- Don’t have skewers? Use toothpicks! You’ll just have to make several small kabobs instead of a few large ones.
How to Make Vegetable Pizza Wraps
- Mix 8 oz softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, and 1 package of Hidden Valley Dry Ranch Seasoning until smooth.
- Chop vegetables of choice. Recommended: Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots.
- Spread mixture over tortilla shell of choice. Layer center of the tortilla shell with shredded cheese and chopped vegetables.
- Fold ends in and tightly roll into a wrap.
How to Make Mini-Pancakes
- You can make the batter from scratch or buy pancake mix. Either way, they are made by:
- Spraying a skillet with non-stick spray.
- Pour a very small amount of batter on the skillet to make a mini-size pancake.
- You can also buy mini-pancakes from the freezer section of the grocery store.
- What to spread on mini-pancakes:
- Peanut Butter
- Nutella
- Cream Cheese
- What to top mini-pancakes with:
- Fresh Fruit
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Syrup
- Applesauce
- Dried Fruit
- Combinations for mini-pancakes:
- Nutella & Sliced Strawberries
- Peanut Butter & Applesauce
- Peanut Butter & Syrup
- Cream Cheese & Fresh Fruit
How to Make Vegetarian Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine 5 cups of Rice Krispies Cereal, 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup pecan meal, 1 package of dry onion soup mix, and 4 eggs into a large bowl. Mix well.
- Form into 1 inch balls. (Note: Don’t press together too firmly, meaning, don’t squeeze or squish them. Roll in between the palms of your hands lightly to form a ball.)
- Place onto parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cover with vegetarian gravy of choice.
How to Make a Homemade Bagel Pizza
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Toast the desired number of regular or mini-size whole wheat bagels and place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Cover the open sides of the bagels with pizza sauce. (Marinara sauce works just the same!)
- Top with toppings of choice such as:
- Veggies
- Vegetarian Meat Substitutes
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Cover toppings with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
How to Make Enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.
- Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with Mild Enchilada Sauce.
- Fry up a bag of MorningStar Farms Vegetarian Griller Crumbles. I just use a little oil and a packet of Mild McCormick Taco Seasoning. (Make a whole bag, then use it as a topping on your baked potatoes!)
- In a separate bowl, mix 1 – 1 1/2 cups of prepared crumbles with a can of Vegetarian Refried Beans. Spoon mixture down the center of a large soft flour tortilla – from one side to the other. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the meat/bean mixture.
- Roll tightly and place it into the pan. Repeat until the pan is full.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce bubbles.
- Serve with your favorite toppings, such as:
- Sour Cream
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Salsa
- Guacamole
For More Ideas, Check Out:
- Crispy No Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bites
- Vegan Veggie Dip
- Quick & Easy Vegetarian Crunch Wrap
- Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
For Overnight Oatmeal Recipes, Check Out:
- Banana Bread Overnight Oats
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Peanut Butter Overnight Oatmeal
- Chunky Monkey Overnight Oatmeal
- Vegan Brownie Batter Overnight Oatmeal
- Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats
For Smoothie Recipes, Check Out:
- How to Meal Prep Grab-and-Go Smoothies
- Healthy Blueberry Pear Smoothie
- Easy Healthy Strawberry Smoothie
- Peanut Butter and Banana Spinach Smoothie
