Vegetables can be a tough sell for some kids. But because deep-frying or dousing in cheese sauce aren’t options every night, I’ve found some creative alternatives that make vegetables palatable — and even yummy! — for the pickiest eaters.
These six spice mixes make veggies a little more kid-friendly without losing any nutrients or adding loads of extra calories. Plus, I love that these add flavor while bringing out the natural taste of the veggies, so that maybe after a few rounds, your picky eater will be ready to eat their veggies plain or even raw in a salad.
A parent can dream, right?
Top: California Za’atar Seasoning | The Table of Contents
Related: 8 kid-friendly vegetarian recipes for #MeatlessMonday.
I will choose bad breath any day if it means that I get to eat an everything bagel. So delicious, right? So of course I’m freaking out over this brilliant DIY “Everything Bagel” Season Blend at Gimme Some Oven. Sprinkle this on your next sheet pan of roasted root vegetables, then save it for steamed fish or baked chicken on another night. You can also sprinkle this on top of yogurt or hummus to use for dipping raw veggies.
If your kids favor Italian food in a big way, they’ll love this easy Garlic Parmesan Seasoning at Cozy Apron. You can mix all the dry ingredients ahead of time and then just spritz some lemon and olive oil when it’s time to cook. Yum!
I’m keeping this Turmeric Coconut Oil Seasoning at Spirited and Then Some in my back pocket for the next time I make cauliflower — or carrots, sweet potatoes, radishes, beets, or onions, for that matter. I also love that she uses coconut oil to change up the flavor profile a bit, too, since it’s so easy to get stuck in the olive oil rut.
Related: 8 ways to sneak veggies into desserts. And yes, they taste good!
This Coolest Ranch Seasoning Mix at Penny’s Portal seems like the perfect flavor combo for kids, no matter where you sprinkle it. I will say that people tend to have strong opinions about nutritional yeast (I personally love it), so I’d make a small batch with that before going all out.
If you ask me, every home cook needs a kick-ass veggie taco recipe, and this Homemade Taco Seasoning at The Harvest Kitchen looks like just the thing. Sometimes I’ll bread veggies in a mix of panko and taco seasoning before I pan fry them for even better flavor.
Pro Tip: I dip the vegetables in egg or sour cream first so that the panko and spices will stick.
If you’ve never tried za’atar before, know that it’s from the Middle East and includes a lot of sesame seeds and tasty spices. Oh yeah, and it’s delightful. So I can’t wait to try this California Za’atar Seasoning at The Table of Contents. And if you have a hard time finding sumac like I do, just substitute more lemon zest.
A MD secret — OLD BAY on chickpeas (shhhh)!!!
YUM!
Thanks so much for including my recipe! I can’t wait to try all of these, even though my kids are grown up!