I often get asked what we feed our kids, and the answer is always the same: We feed them what we’re having. When my oldest was starting solids, one of the things I was adamant on was that our children were being invited to our family table. As a lover of food, my goal, like most parents, was to raise an adventurous eater. And as much as I love to cook, this mama was not about to cook separate meals for the kids.
Do the kids always like what we’re eating? No. Do they eat everything I put on their plate? Not always. But I usually make sure there’s at least one or two things on the plate that they WILL eat, and the rest is just a big experimentation. We try hard not to pressure them to finish their food, in hopes that with repeated exposure, they will grow to enjoy all the flavours, and so far it’s been working out! They love everything from sauerkraut to seaweed, pasta to bok choy. It’s amazing how their palettes develop when we give them a chance.

Because I know mealtimes can be stressful, and we’ve probably all had that dreaded moment staring into a fridge full of food, mentally taking note of each person’s list of yes and no foods and with no idea what to make for dinner, I’ve compiled some of our favourite meals that work for the whole family, with very minor tweaks for the kids.

My criteria for these meals was simple: quick, adaptable, and enjoyable by all. I hope these recipes give you some new inspiration for easy and delicious meals that can be enjoyed by the whole family! If you try them out, I’d love to hear how it went!

Miso Marinated Salmon with stirfried veggies

For the marinade
2tbsp miso
2tbsp rice vinegar
1tbsp maple syrup
1tbsp sesame oil
1tbsp low sodium tamari

1 whole side of wild sockeye salmon
4-5 cups of your favourite veggies, chopped
1 cup veggie/chicken bone broth
thinly sliced scallions (optional)
toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to broil. Combine marinade ingredients and spread over salmon. Broil on high for 5 mins.

Meanwhile, heat up skillet with 1tbsp avocado oil. Add veggies and sautee for 3-5 minutes, adding broth and covering until veggies to your preferred doneness.

Serve with sushi rice, topped with furikake / toasted sesame / scallions.

How we served it to the kids: flaked off pieces of salmon, 1 piece each of the veggies to start, small amount of rice topped with “sprinkles”

Chickpea Salad

For the dressing
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp good quality olive oil

For the salad
1 can of chickpeas (I like this brand because they’re pre-soaked before cooking)
1 avocado, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
handful of salad greens
sauerkraut, to taste (I’m a huge fan of this brand)

Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake. Drain chickpeas, toss with peppers, celery, dressing and greens. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with avocado and sauerkraut. Enjoy!

How we served it to the kids: Added in all the ingredients they would eat, which was basically everything except for the salad greens.

Taco Salad

For the mango salsa
1 lime, juiced
1 bell pepper, diced small
1 mango, diced small
1-2 tbsp cilantro, minced
1 small cucumber, diced
salt to taste

For the ground beef/turkey/veggie ground
1 lb of grassed / organic ground meat / veggie ground
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika

For the refried beans
1 can kidney beans (I like this brand because they’re pre-soaked before cooking)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt to taste

Toppings
Guacamole
Sour Cream / Yogurt (I used a grass-fed yogurt instead of sour cream)
Cotija Cheese (feta would work here too, or any other cheese you prefer)
Limes
Heirloom tomatoes, chopped
Salad greens
Organic corn tortilla chips

To make the salsa, combine everything, sprinkle with salt and lime.

To make the ground mixture, fry up meat in a small amount of avocado oil on medium heat. Add in spices and cook until done.

To make the refried beans, combine ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Heat up on low in a small saucepan.

How we served it to the kids: The great thing about this spread is that the kids can pick and choose what they want to put in their bowl. I made an extra portion of salsa without cilantro because my daughter doesn’t love cilantro.

Sheetpan dinners make dinner prep a breeze.

Chimichurri Sheet Pan Shrimp

For the chimichurri
1 shallot, finely chopped,
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
3/4 cup olive oil

1 lb shrimp
2-3 potatoes, cut into small chunks (we used purple potatoes for an extra pop of colour)
1 red bell pepper
2-3 cups chopped broccoli crowns

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine chimichurri ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.

On a sheetpan, place the rest of the ingredients and massage with a small amount of olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are almost done. Add shrimp and throw back into the oven for 3-5 minutes, just long enough for them to cook.

Toss everything with chimichurri sauce and serve.

How we served it to the kids: De-shelled the shrimp and gave them a couple of each veggie to start.

And there you have it. I hope this gives you some inspiration for easy meals for the entire fam!

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