Meatless Monday is for eaters of all ages. When young people learn about plant-based ingredients and dishes, they’re more likely to try those foods in the future. That’s why it’s so important to get kids into the kitchen as soon as possible. Check out our list of kid-friendly recipes, including cooking tips and conversation starters for the whole family. They’re fun, familiar, and great for getting the whole family involved in the cooking process.
Black Bean Tostadas
Food for Thought: Give your avocados a light squeeze. If they’re firm, they’re not ripe and may not taste good. Avocados grow on trees, but unlike apples, they won’t ripen until after they’re picked. If your avocados are unripe, place them in a brown paper bag for one to three days. This traps a chemical called ethylene (eth-uh-leen) gas and speeds up the ripening process.
Cooking Tip of the Week: The citric acid in lime juice helps to prevent a cut avocado from turning brown, so make sure to cut your avocado right before mixing it into the corn relish.
Family Dinner Conversation Starter: What do you like the most about this school year so far?
Directions: Adults should handle the oven and any hot items. Kids can help with mixing, assembling, and topping but should ask for help when needed.
Fusilli with Pistachio-Arugula Pesto
Fusilli with Pistachio-Arugula Pesto
Food for Thought: Pistachios are a type of nut. They’re often eaten as a snack food, but they make a great addition to meals, too. Did you know that pistachios are related to cashews? Both grow in warm climates like the Mediterranean and must be roasted to help remove their shells. In the United States, pistachios are mostly grown in California. How do you like to eat pistachios?
Cooking Tip of the Week: As pasta cooks, some of its starch is released into the cooking water. Adding some of this starchy water to the pasta sauce both improves the sauce’s texture and helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
Family Dinner Conversation Starter: What does it mean for a person to come out of his or her shell? Is it easy or hard for you to do this? Why?
Directions: Adults should handle the oven and any hot items. Kids can help with mixing, assembling, and topping but should ask for help when needed.
Whole Wheat Pasta with Spring Veggies
Whole Wheat Pasta with Spring Veggies
Food for Thought: Asparagus is a great source of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, K, folate, and potassium. Asparagus plants grow underground from stems called crowns. The parts we eat are the spears, which pop up from the roots during springtime. These are usually green, but there are white and purple types, too. Did you know that it will take about three years before you can harvest asparagus from the time you plant seeds?
Cooking Tip of the Week: Salting pasta water isn’t an exact science. Start with a palmful, which is usually about a tablespoon. Carefully taste the water and add more if necessary – it should taste like water from the ocean!
Family Dinner Conversation Starter: What would you do if you couldn’t watch TV or use any other devices for a whole week?
Directions: Adults should handle the oven and any hot items. Kids can help with mixing, assembling, and topping but should ask for help when needed.
Quinoa Chili
Quinoa Chili
Food for Thought: Quinoa (keen-wah) is a grain native to central America that gained popularity in the United States. It’s a great source of nutrients like protein, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins, which is one reason it’s so popular, but we love it for its nutty taste, too. Believe it or not, quinoa is actually related to spinach seeds, which grow similarly. No wonder it’s so good for us.
Cooking Tip of the Week: Draining and rinsing canned beans removes as much as 40% of their salt content, so it’s always wise to complete this step before cooking. You can always add a pinch of salt back into the recipe if needed.
Family Dinner Conversation Starter: What does it mean to be a popular person? Is it important? What might be more important?
Directions: Adults should handle the oven and any hot items. Kids can help with mixing, assembling, and topping but should ask for help when needed.
Caramelized Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Caramelized Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Food for Thought: What is tofu, exactly? Believe it or not, it’s a lot like cheese, only made from soybeans. To make tofu, producers start by heating a liquid made from soybeans (soy milk) and then add an acid like lemon juice, which causes the solid parts to separate from the liquid. After straining and pressing these solid bits, the mixture becomes tofu! Read more about how to make tofu here.
Cooking Tip of the Week: Many grocery stores offer pre-chopped vegetables like broccoli and bell peppers. Look for these items (or a stir-fry blend) in the produce section if you’re short on time when cooking.
Family Dinner Conversation Starter: If you could trade places with someone for a day, would you do it? Who would you pick and why?
Directions: Adults should handle the oven and any hot items. Kids can help with mixing, assembling, and topping but should ask for help when needed.
Mediterranean Hummus Pizza
Mediterranean Hummus Pizza
Food for Thought: Lots of research shows that the way people traditionally eat in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea is super healthy and helps prevent heart disease and cancer. It’s easy and delicious for your family to eat this way at home. Look for recipes that use lots of vegetables, whole grains, beans and olive oil. Learn more.
Cooking Tip of the Week: Pizza dough will be easiest to shape into a circle when it’s at room temperature, so if you’re using frozen dough, make sure it’s fully defrosted before you start rolling.
Family Dinner Conversation Starter: What does “healthy” mean to you? Why is it important for our family to try to be healthy?
Directions: Adults should handle the oven and any hot items. Kids can help with mixing, assembling, and topping but should ask for help when needed.
Black Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
Black Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
Food for Thought: Canned pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A and fiber, but double check the can before you buy it. Make sure you’re buying pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling (or else you’ll end up with a very sweet sauce!). You can also make your own pumpkin puree by slicing a pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds and roasting it at 400 F for 30 to 45 minutes. Once cooled, scoop the flesh into a food processor, puree and use as directed.
Cooking Tip of the Week: Don’t like cilantro? It might be genetic. Some people may have a gene that causes cilantro to taste like soap. Feel free to leave it out or substitute another herb.
Family Dinner Conversation Starter: What does being independent mean to you? Are there things you are looking forward to doing on your own when you get older?
Directions: Adults should handle the oven and any hot items. Kids can help with mixing, assembling, and topping but should ask for help when needed.
