Easy Side Dishes For Picky Eaters

Are you tired of your kids turning their noses up at every side dish you serve? I’ve got you covered with our list of 6 delicious and kid-friendly side dishes for picky eaters! These tasty dishes are sure to please even the fussiest little eaters.

From crispy potato skins to crispy homemade chicken nuggets, our side dish recipes are not only packed with flavor but also loaded with nutritious ingredients that will keep your kids satisfied and happy. I understand the struggle of trying to get your children to eat their veggies, so we’ve included delicious options and helpful hints when introducing new foods to your children.

Whether you’re looking for quick and easy recipes for busy weeknights or fun snacks that will entice your kids to eat more veggies, my collection of side dishes has something for everyone. So say goodbye to mealtime battles and hello to happy, well-fed kids with these 10 delicious and kid-friendly side dishes!

Mealtimes Should Be Happy and Easy Going

First things first and before we get into the easy side dishes for picky eaters ideas. Let’s chat about mealtimes. Mealtimes are a time to come to the table or gather around the kitchen island and enjoy each other’s company. It’s a time to share about our day and talk with each other.

It’s not a time to pressure your kids to clean their plates, “take a bite”, “just try it”, “you sister ate it”, or any of that. The first rule to eating should be that you make a commitment as a parent to make a meal that has at least one thing you know your child is familiar with and enjoys that food. It’s nice when we have something on our plate we enjoy, right?

DOR (Division of Responsibility)

You’re job is to decide what the meal will be, when mealtime is, and where ya’ll will eat. Your child’s job is always to decide IF they are going to eat and HOW MUCH they are going to eat. This is based on the principles of Division of Responsibility (DOR).

You can read more about the DOR HERE. When we take the pressure off of our children they are more likely to engage in the food and be more receptive to new foods even being on the table or their plate.

If children feel pressure they can shut down, especially when it comes to eating. Our GI system is one of the first systems to shut down when we experience stress. This is why it’s so important to have positive and pleasant mealtimes.

If you are worried about your child’s picky eating or feel that it’s gone too far then read this article HERE for more information and guidance.

To Sum It All Up Very Quickly:

Decide on a meal that has pieces that the whole family can enjoy. It’s okay to deconstruct a meal too so you’re still making one meal but it may look different on the plates. For example, if you’re making spaghetti it’s okay to make some plates with noodles, sauce, meatballs, etc all mixed together and other plates with noodles, sauce, meatballs but all in their own spot on the plate.

Once you pick the meal and you sit down to eat, focus on each other and not on the food. It’s okay to put a bowl of fruit or garlic bread on each person’s plate or even in the center of the table as a family option if you know you’re child may be more likely to have it that way.

Try not pressuring for a week or two and see how your mealtimes start to shift for the better. It may take your child some time to actually eat the food but the purpose is to get  them comfortable with new foods on their plate and having a calm nervous system (brain and body) to be able to tolerate new foods.

Easy Side Dishes For Picky Eaters

Crispy Potato Skins: 

These are a great idea because they are crispy on the outside and are a gateway to eventually eating baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato casseroles, etc.

How To Make Crispy Potato Skins:

• Grab some russet potatoes. The amount will depend on the size of your family. Keep in mind each potato makes two potato skins. To make it extra easy, I place the potatoes in a bowl with a splash of water in the bottom. Place in the microwave for about 6-7 minutes. I usually use about 4-6 potatoes.
• Once potatoes are done in the microwave, make sure you can place a knife easily through the center. This is how you know they are done. Cut in half lengthwise. Holding the hot potato with a paper towel, I scoop out the middle of the potato with a spoon. Place the potato in a separate bowl. I like to save this part for mashed potatoes for another day.
• Turn potatoes over so the skin is showing and place on parchment paper on a baking pan. Spread either butter or olive oil over the skin and coat with salt and pepper. Heat the oven to broil and place potatoes under the broiler until the skin is nice and crispy. You can also use an air fryer on 380 or 400 for about 5-10 min.
• Once crispy, take the potatoes out of the oven and once a little cooled down, flip over. Fill the potato skins with whatever toppings you like. You can even leave them plain and sprinkle just some salt on them. Shredded cheese (dairy or dairy free) and bacon is always a good combination. It will depend what your family likes.
• I started out just making the skins and adding a small amount of butter and salt to the middle. Then once we were familiar with that, I added bacon, and from there I’ve added ingredients the more my children have them and enjoy them.

Roasted Snow Peas (Can also use Snap Peas):

My kids love these because they snap open and you can take out the baby pea in the middle. It’s a great food to explore & get your kids engaged in first before your kids actually eat it.

How To Make Roasted Snow Peas (Or Snap Peas)

• Grab a bag of snow peas or snap peas at the local grocery store or farmers market.
• Preheat the oven to about 425
• Wash them off and drizzle olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil over the peas just until they are coated.
• Lay the peas on parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• I like to also grate a little bit of lemon peel on top too but this is optional.
• Bake on 425 for about 10-15 minutes. For snow peas, about 10 minutes. For Snap peas closer to 15 minutes.
• Snow peas are flatter and cook faster. Snap peas are crunchier and have bigger pea pods inside. If your child prefers crunchy foods the snap peas may be better to start with. They can snap the pea and take out the pod if they aren’t quite ready to take a bite yet.

Roasted Baby Potatoes:

These are so yummy and you can make the outsides a little crisp and loaded with flavor with just salt, pepper, and some garlic powder or rosemary.

How To Make Roasted Baby Potatoes

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Grab a bag of baby potatoes from the store. I love the baby yukon gold potatoes.
• I prefer to wash them off and stick them in a glass bowl then place in the microwave for about 6 minutes.
• Next, I coat the potatoes with olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sometimes I add dried dill or dried rosemary to them. Do all of this while still in the bowl.
• Place potatoes on parchment paper and place in the oven for about 25 minutes. Microwaving them first cuts the time to roast in half. If you don’t microwave potatoes first then cook in the oven for 25 minutes then flip and cook another 20 minutes until golden brown.
• At the 25 minute mark, take the potatoes out of the oven and flip. See if they have a nice golden brown to the bottom. If they do then you are done cooking them. Serve with some dips like ketchup, bbq sauce, ranch dressing, etc.
• If your kids like cheese, you can also place parmesan cheese on top of these for added flavor.

Raw Veggies and Fruit With Dips:

Sounds too simple but it’s such an easy side and I like to place a plate or bowl in the middle of the table with all of the thinly sliced veggies and fruits on it for everyone to grab. I love to add dips like dairy free coconut whipped cream, yogurt mixed with peanut butter and honey, ranch, and bleu cheese dressing.

My daughter LOVES ketchup so I always have that out as a dip for her. She will place anything in it!

How To Make Veggies and Fruit With Dips:

• You can use a muffin pan and place different kinds of fruits and veggies and dips in each muffin compartment. This is called a graze tray and a great way to introduce new foods without pressure and in a fun way. I like this silicon one HERE and I also like these individual silicon muffin liners HERE.
• Think about making sure there is at least one fruit and/or one veggie your child will eat on the tray because this makes the tray more appealing. It also reduces stress and makes mealtime more safe and comforting to them.
• Slice the veggies thin. I like to use crunchy veggies such as carrots, celery, radishes, cucumbers, bell peppers, snap peas, etc. I slice them thin and not too small but not too big. Typically crunchier veggies are more of a hit than soggy, squishy veggies.
• My son used to only eat broccoli so I would steam up some broccoli at the beginning of the week and keep the leftovers. When I make graze trays I include the steamed broccoli in there so there’s something familiar to him. I don’t have to do that anymore but it helps when first introducing them.
• My kids love berries so we usually have berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. Grapes, apples, pears, and strawberries are good too. I like to cut a kiwi in half and offer it with a spoon or you can use some fun food picks like these too!

Ideas For Dips:

• For the dips, I like to take yogurt and mix with a tbsp of nut butter and a tbsp of honey. I also use whatever dressings or dips they already like and I’ve been known to use chocolate hummus which they love. If your child is not into dips  but loves flavorful foods and spices you can add some everything but the bagel seasoning to the veggie or in a muffin pan to dip. Other spices work too.

Roasted Green Beans:

I buy the bag of fresh green beans and sometimes end up cutting them up so they resemble the size of canned green beans. You can also leave them longer so they are easier to eat by hand if you have a younger child.

Check out my quick video on Instagram for how to make these super easy and simple green beans. Feel free to add whatever seasoning you’d like.

Roasted Cauliflower:

I love to add cauliflower into my boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes but that’s for another blog post. You can roast cauliflower whole, on the grill wrapped in foil with butter, olive oil, salt and pepper or you can cut into pieces and roast into the oven.

Head on over to The Sungrown Kitchen blog and check out their yummy roasted cauliflower recipe HERE. It’s super simple and I’m making tonight!

For more easy side dishes for picky eaters click HERE to read more yummy recipes on the blog. I hope you enjoy these recipes and remember to make them your own. It’s okay to not make them exactly how I have. The most important thing is that this blog post has given you fresh ideas and now you get to make it your own based on what your family enjoys!

This blog uses affiliate links which are no cost to you to use. They simply help keep this blog up and running!