The Best Kid-Friendly Foods for Meal Prep

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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updated Nov 28, 2023
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A plate of apple slices with 3-ingredient peanut butter fruit dip
Credit: Ghazalle Badiozamani

Meal prep has taught me a lot of things along the way, but doing just two rounds of Meal Prep Power Hours has taught me perhaps the most useful lesson of all. And that is: If I have just a few (cheap!) things — from plain pasta to hummus — always waiting in the pantry or fridge, it can make all the difference. My whole family eats better, and I can flex my meal plan to include better lunches and breakfasts too.

These are the 12 recipes I find myself reaching for time and time again, even if I only have a single hour to prepare one recipe and chop some vegetables for the week. Many of them can do double duty as either breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, and all are kid-friendly enough for even the pickiest eaters.

Kid-Friendly Foods for Meal Prep

1 / 12
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fruit Dip
A quick and easy recipe for peanut butter fruit dip made with Greek yogurt and honey.
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2 / 12
Creamy Avocado Dip
A quick and easy recipe for 3-ingredient avocado and goat cheese dip.
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3 / 12
Hummus from Scratch
Skip the store-bought stuff — making it yourself is so easy and will be far tastier.
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4 / 12
BBQ Ranch Chicken Bites
All you need is chicken, ranch dressing, and barbecue sauce to reach BBQ ranch nirvana.
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5 / 12
Meatballs
Learn how to make classic meatballs with this step-by-step cooking lesson that makes tender and rich meatballs every time.
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6 / 12
Roast Any Vegetable
Use your step-by-step guide to learn how to roast any vegetable.
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7 / 12
Easiest Pasta Salad
This goes-anywhere, has-everything pasta salad is one we think you should know by heart.
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8 / 12
Ham and Cheddar Lunch Box Muffins
These hearty muffins are mixed with cornmeal for extra heft and texture, and loaded with thick-cut chunks of ham, sharp cheddar, and a pinch of chives.
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9 / 12
Sheet Pan Veggie Frittata
This cheesy, veggie-packed big-batch frittata is the best way to meal prep breakfast.
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10 / 12
Easy Homemade Granola
A simple easy granola recipe for beginners and seasoned breakfast bakers alike.
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11 / 12
Apple-Oat Breakfast Squares
A wholesome recipe for gluten-free oatmeal bars, sweetened with maple syrup and perfect for breakfast on the go.
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12 / 12
A Week of Steel-Cut Oats in 5 Minutes
The easiest way to make a week's worth of steel-cut oatmeal in 5 minutes.
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