Need more kid-friendly and kid-approved Whole30 recipes? I am all about not making two meals for dinner and my kids eat what the grown-ups eat. But, when you dive into a Whole30, that can feel a little trickier, especially if all the Whole30 foods feel like a far cry from your regular meals. I get it – I have a family of 5 boys who used to be the pickiest of eaters! (See my picky eater tips here). Here are some of our kid-approved favorites that are easy to make, take 10 ingredients or less, and my family loves on or off the Whole30!
WANT A WHOLE BOOK OF KID-APPROVED RECIPES?
(kid-friendly, but not just for kids!) Then you need my new cookbook, Whole Food for Your Family! All of these recipes were tested on my 5 boys, who are recovering picky eaters ; ). I know your family will find some new favorites. Learn more or order here!
We love this copycat recipe! It freezes fantastically, replacing those so-many-ingredient store bought nuggets. It includes egg-free and nut-free options for those that need them. One of my most popular recipes! In a crunch for time? Either marinate the night before, or skip the pickle juice marinade and this turns into popcorn chicken! My family loves them with the below easy homemade Date Mustard Sauce.
Paleo Chick fil a Chicken recipe here!
This is my favorite dressing and dipping sauce on or OFF the Whole30, as I was a honey mustard fiend. The dates in the date mustard sauce are a great way to get your kids to enjoy a compliant sauce and/or help them transition away from traditional sweet sauces. I also enjoy the date mustard as an inexpensive delicious salad dressing, stocked with healthy fats!
The easiest #whole30 5-ingredient chicken strips you probably already have the ingredients for! These are kid-friendly – both in flavor and ability to involve the kids in the prep. I make them in a pinch when dinner needs to happen fast. Everyone in our family is on board with these and they keep great in the fridge (freeze great too!) to chop up for salads or wraps later in the week.
5-Ingredient Chicken Strip recipe here!
This Whole30, Paleo take on the classic sloppy joes is always a hit in our house! Simple, comes together in less than 30 minutes, and is a kid favorite! If you are just looking for a gluten-free option, you can serve these on gluten-free buns. Though, I personally still prefer the potato slider or lettuce cup! In a time crunch? Eat this wrapped up in a lettuce wrap!
This Whole30, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free sheet pan meal feeds your family with only15 minutes prep and 20 minutes cook time. It’s a great simple, tasty solution on a busy day!
Whole30 Chicken Nuggets with Hidden Veggies
These Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free nuggets with hidden veggies are a perfect family win! The hand-held shape is perfect for little hands, though these aren’t just for kids! And no, my kids have never detected the hidden veggies ; ).
Chicken Nuggets with Hidden Veggie recipe here!
This Whole30 compliant tomato chicken basil soup comes together quickly, is flexible, and calls for things you might already have on hand! Love this easy soup that my boys devour and can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
Tomato Basil Chicken Soup recipe here!
This Whole30 brisket recipe is one of my most popular. I grew up in Texas and there they *know* brisket! This one is a make over of my best friend’s grandma’s recipe – straight from a Texas grandma to you. This is often my go-to party appetizer to take, as I then know I will at least have a protein there I can have and it’s requested at every Whole30 group potluck I’ve had.
I did NOT grow up liking my veggies (anyone else?). I ate peas, corn and potatoes. I have learned though that I can like almost any veggie, with the right recipe. This recipe I love for it’s versatility and how kid-friendly it is as well – I got my kid’s buy-in with the crispy texture.
Pick Your Veggie Fritter recipe here!
This Whole30, Keto, and Paleo compliant chicken recipe is quick & easy, has ingredients you probably already have, and flavorful! It checks alll the boxes and is great by itself or in a salad or lettuce wrap. We make it a few times a month and love it! Great on it’s own, on a salad, or in a lettuce wrap.
Blackened Chicken recipe here!
Meet our family’s hands-down FAVE crispy fry option that can be done in oven or airfryer. Finally, a homemade fry that is crispy and delicious!
Meet the 30-minute one-pot dinner solution that my kids love! It’s nice those meals that your kids look forward to and this hearty, almost chili-like soup is one of them. It’s gluten-free and dairy-free, and leave out the beans to make it Whole30, Paleo and Keto. My kids have not even *noticed* this one has cauliflower rice in it – blends right into the texture and flavor #momwin. Works great both on the stove or in an instant pot. A family favorite, we usually double it and enjoy the leftovers or freeze it (it freezes great too)!
Another easy chicken recipe coming at you! Seven ingredients (not counting salt) and can be made in the oven or the airfryer. A nice moist chicken with enough flavor to be interesting but mild enough for my kids to love it too. Great by itself, chopped up in salads, or on top of zoodles with a marinara sauce like a chicken parmesean. Whole30 compliant and keto-friendly, this one is a winner!
Such an easy, affordable way to make gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30 tacos or fajitas happen with this easy homemade seasoning! Even my teenage boys can make this one and it’s a meal everyone loves!
Homemade Tacos or Fajita seasoning recipe here!
Homemade Chicken Apple Sausage
Homemade sausage patties are super easy, IMO taste better, and can be made with either ground chicken or ground turkey. You could also shape these into meatballs. Budget-friendly and freeze great too!
Homemade Chicken Apple Sausage recipe here!
We love Pesto Bacon Chicken because it combines several things I love (pesto. bacon.) in an easy delicious bundle. Whole30, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free. Looks so fancy, taste is on point, but I didn’t have to slave in the kitchen forever for it! #winwin. Works great in the oven, on the grill, or in the airfryer. If you have pesto on hand, it becomes a 3-ingredient recipe!
Pesto Bacon Chicken recipe here!
Whole30 Ranch & Cilantro Ranch
A great sauce can go a long way in making meals come together and this easy Whole30 Ranch is a staple for our Whole30’s. In my local Whole30 groups, I would bring this to the opening potluck and have people insist I needed to start bottling and selling it. This is a mayo-based sauce which means it’s a great source of healthy fats. Perfect for all the dipping and topping your salads!
Nut-free, egg-free options, oven or airfryer. Bring a restaurant favorite home with this fun healthier swap! Using a spiralizer actually makes these faster, no cutting individual fries. Cook quickly in the airfryer or in the oven.
One of our family’s all-time favorite meals! This is one of the few recipes on my site involves more than 30 minutes of prep work to make it happen (it took me 45 minutes to make enough for a family of 7). But it’s WORTH it, promise! Don’t plan on many leftovers on this handheld Mexican favorite – these disappear so fast in our house. Ridiculously good!
Tostones Fajita Slider recipe here!
Chicken or Turkey Zucchini Nuggets
This kid-friendly handheld protein-veggie combo is a protein source that kids of all ages can enjoy! We love dipping it in my date mustard sauce. The ingredients are simple and inexpensive and this can be cooked in a pan on the stove or your airfryer. These freeze fantastically, so double batch and freeze the extras. Bonus: it’s Whole30, Paleo, and Keto compliant. Wahoo!
Chicken Zucchini Nugget recipe here!
These Whole30, Keto, Paleo, kid-friendly Mini Meatloaves are a great way to get more protein into your little ones. My kids were turned off by a meatloaf but loved these more individual sized ones! Protein can be a hard sell for kids and these make that more approachable. With only 10 ingredients you might already have, options for air fryer, they freeze great, and come together start to finish in 30 minutes, what’s not to love??
This kid-friendly favorite is regularly requested by my minions. It’s an easy chicken dish that is flavorful but neutral enough to win over even some of my tough critics. Bonus – it comes together in less than 30 minutes!
There aren’t many soups my kids love, but this is one of them! Whole30/paleo/keto-friendly and can be made on the stove or instant pot. Love that it gets so many veggies into this hearty soup that we don’t miss the beans one bit. Easy to make, with only 20 minutes of prep, and makes enough that even this family of 7 has a serving or two left for lunches the next day. Freezes great, so it’s a great one to make up and store away for a night you don’t want to cook.
Creamy Whole30 Mashed Potatoes
Gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo (and of course nut and egg free, it’s mashed potatoes ; ), EASY with a game-changing hack. I have been making mashed potatoes all wrong. I recently learned a hack that has made all the difference.
I am so excited to find these my kiddo will love them it’s so hard to find ones that he really likes so thank you!
I agree – my kids were VERY picky for years and finding recipes we all could enjoy were a huge win. I hope you found some new favorites here!
I like these recipes and I don’t have kids. Think I’m using these for me! TY
Haha, kid-friendly but definitely not just for kids – I’m right there with you on loving these. Thank you!
I really love that you talk about your kiddos so much! So many people in the world want to eat/cook healthy but have kids to please as well.
Why thank you! And I agree, when you are cooking for a family kid-friendly recipes are game-changing.
Thank you for sharing actual real kid-friendly easy recipes! So happy to have found your blog.
Thank you – I’m so happy they are helpful and glad you are here!