Plant-based and veggie recipes your little one will love

Whether you’re looking to adopt more plant-based meals into your weekly plan, or just trying to get more veg into your kids (a battle we know too well), we’ve put together some of the tastiest plant-based and vegetarian recipes for kids that are easy to make, and will actually get eaten, because we have tried and tasted them on our own tribe.

Breakfast

• Veggie packed breakfast flapjacks
• Raspberry and Peanut Butter Smoothie Chia Pudding

Lunch

• Deliciously Ella’s Quinoa Fritters With Minty Green Sauce
• Annabelle Karmel’s carrot stars 

Dinner

• Deliciously Ella’s Lentil Bolognese
• Hidden Vegetable Tomato Soup

BREAKFAST OPTIONS

Veggie packed breakfast flapjacks

Who says veggies are just for lunch and dinner? These high fibre, savoury flapjacks are delicious for breakfast served with fruit and yogurt, or brilliant on the go for those busy mornings.

Ingredients

• 160g rolled oats
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 courgette grated (water squeezed out through a cloth or muslin)
• 1 small tin of sweet corn, drained and blended to apurée
• 70-80g seeds (I used half ground flaxseed and 1/2 sesame seeds- but you can use any seeds)
• 60ml oil (I used olive oil)
• 60-80g cheddar cheese (*sub for dairy free
• 2 eggs (sub for flax or chia ‘eggs’ if needed)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C and line a square 20cm/20cm tin
2. In your bowl combine all the ingredients above and mix well
3. Spread the mixture evenly in your tin, pressing down well using the back of a spoon or glass
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
5. Allow to cool in the tin, then cut into squares and enjoy!

Raspberry and Peanut Butter Smoothie Chia Pudding

Madeline Shaw’s smoothie recipe is such a lovely way to switch up a classic, and the cute kiwi heart was a breakfast winner!

Ingredients

• 300ml of oat milk 
• 100g of raspberries
• 1 tsp of peanut butter
• 1 frozen banana 

Toppings: 

• 3 tsp of heaped chia seeds 
• 230ml of oat milk 
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract 
• Mint and raspberries to serve

Directions:

LUNCH OPTIONS

Deliciously Ella’s Quinoa Fritters With Minty Green Sauce

These warm and hearty Quinoa fritters are packed full of protein, fibre and healthy fats, making a really satisfying meal. For those with ‘green aversion’ try blending the green sauce further, or serve with natural yogurt.

For the Minty Green Sauce

• ½ of a 400g tin of butterbeans, or other white bean
• 120g frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 clove garlic, peeled & chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons smooth tahini
• 60ml water
• small handful of mint leaves (approximately 4 sprigs)
• 15g chives
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Quinoa Fritters

• 2 tablespoons milled flaxseeds
• 6 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (+ 1 teaspoon)
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 185g cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of gram flour, plus more for coating the fritters
• ¾ teaspoon of fine sea salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• handful of spinach, finely sliced

Method

1. For the minty green sauce place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. To save half of the sauce for lunch the next day (if you’re doing our meal plan), store covered or in an airtight container in the fridge.
2. In a small bowl, combine the milled flax seeds with 6 tablespoons of water. Set aside to absorb until thickened, 10 minutes. This acts as a binder in the fritters.
3. Meanwhile, heat the 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about 2 minutes.
4. Place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add the nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, gram flour, salt, several grinds of pepper, the cooked onion mixture, and soaked flax seeds. Mix well until combined.
5. Divide the mixture into 6 equal-sized portions, shape into patties, and arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
6. Place about 100g of gram flour into a shallow bowl. Dip each patty into the gram flour, and flip to evenly coat on both sides, with no clumps of flour remaining.
7. Wipe pan clean and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the fritters, until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
8. Spread some minty green sauce on the bottom of a shallow bowl, arrange three fritters on top and sprinkle with the shredded spinach and some chives. To save half of the fritters for lunch the next day (if you’re doing our meal plan), cool the fritters completely and store, covered, or in an airtight container in the fridge.

Annabelle Karmel’s carrot stars 

Making Annabelle Karmel’s carrot stars are such a fun, we even got our children involved with the cutters.  You can cut the mixture into any shape try circles or hearts - they will all taste delicious.

Ingredients 

• 200g carrots, peeled and grated
• 50g Cheddar, grated
• 25g Parmesan, grated (or vegetarian alternative)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 tbsp self raising flour

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C Fan.
2. Put the carrots into a clean towel, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. Place in a bowl. Add the cheeses, eggs, flour and seasoning (for babies over one).
4. Line a baking sheet with non stick baking paper. Put a star cutter onto the sheet.  Fill the cutter with the carrot mixture. Press down  firmly. Remove the cutter and repeat. You could also use a small round cutter instead of a star.
5. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until lightly golden and set.

DINNER OPTIONS

Deliciously Ella’s Lentil Bolognese

This healthy, hearty bolognese is packed full of vegetables. It’s super satisfying, and delicious. We served ours with rice and some avocado.

Ingredients 

• 2 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 stick of celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100g dried green lentils
• 1x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of sea salt & black pepper (to taste)

Method

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a  medium heavy-based saucepan.  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and  cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently,  until softened. If the mixture starts to catch on  the bottom of the pan add a splash of water to loosen.
2. Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and oregano. Cook at a simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Hidden Vegetable Tomato Soup

Annabelle Karmel’s top tip for tackling a picky palate is to make the blender your new best friend. If you like, serve this hidden veggie soup with a cheese toastie for some serious dunking!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• ½ red pepper, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• ½ courgette, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 400ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 tsp sundried tomato paste or
• 40g soft sundried tomatoes, whizzed in a processor
• 3 tbsp crème fraiche or pesto (optional)
• Fresh basil to garnish

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the  vegetables and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, stock and sundried tomato paste. Bring up to the boil.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Blend until smooth using a stick blender.
3. If you like you can stir in a little  crème fraiche or pesto and add some fresh basil for the adults but little ones would probably prefer it plain.