Looking for vegetable side dishes to serve your family? Here are a ton of delicious vegetable side dishes for picky eaters!
We all know that vegetables are an essential part of a balanced diet, but try telling that to a picky eater!
While you can try to disguise or hide veggies in other food (like ground cauliflower in mac and cheese sauce) I prefer to try to get my kids to try veggies that are just made in extra delicious ways.
Sure, adding honey and cheese and breadcrumbs isn’t the healthiest – but it is a way to encourage kids to eat veggies and move in the right direction.
Let’s talk about some delicious and easy-to-prepare vegetable side dish recipes that even picky eaters will enjoy.
See all of my favorite kids side dishes:
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- The best side dishes to serve with chicken nuggets for kids
- What to serve with chicken nuggets for adults
- The best side dishes to serve with cheeseburgers for kids
- The best side dishes to serve with pulled pork for kids
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- The best side dishes to serve with hot dogs for kids
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- The best side dishes to serve with chicken wings for kids
- The best side dishes to serve with chicken burgers for kids
- The best side dishes to serve with pasta for kids
- The best side dishes to serve with spaghetti for kids
- The best breakfast side dishes for kids
Free printable side dish planner!
Make sure to download our free printable side dish planner! This checklist gives you ideas for side dishes for your kids every day of the week!
Tips for Encouraging Picky Eaters to Eat Vegetables
Here are some of my best tips for encouraging picky eaters to try veggies.
Introduce new vegetables slowly
Go one veggie at a time. Start with the most familiar items. So, if they like fries, try a parsnip fry or a zucchini fry. Or try a potato another way.
Start by adding small amounts of new vegetables to meals, gradually increasing the quantity over time.
Season your veg
I grew up in the 90s, a time of bland microwave steamed veggies with butter. It was stanky and not great.
Seasoning veggies well can help to make them taste better for everyone involved.
Experiment with how you cook your veggies. I generally find roasted/crispy veggies more appealing than anything steamed and mushy. See what your family prefers!
Be a role model
Children often model their eating habits after their parents or caregivers, so be sure to eat your vegetables and show enthusiasm for trying new foods.
Offer dips and dressings
Once again, not the healthiest, but you have to take baby steps. Picky eaters aren’t going to go from zero to plain brussels sprouts in a week, and having that as the goal will set you up for failure.
Serve vegetables with dips and dressings to make them more flavorful and enjoyable.
Make it fun
Cut vegetables into fun shapes, arrange them in colorful patterns, or create a vegetable-themed dish to make eating vegetables more exciting.
Involve your kids
Involve picky eaters in meal planning and preparation. Allow picky eaters to choose a vegetable for dinner or help with meal preparation to encourage them to try new foods.
Add vegetables to favorite dishes, such as pasta or pizza, to increase their nutritional value and make them more appealing to picky eaters.
There’s always bribery
Consider offering small rewards for trying new vegetables or eating a certain number of vegetables in a week.
Turn eating vegetables into a game by creating a chart to track the number of vegetables consumed or by challenging picky eaters to try new vegetables each week.
Don’t give up if a picky eater doesn’t like a vegetable the first time they try it. It can take multiple exposures for someone to develop a taste for a new food.
Delicious Vegetable Side Dish Recipes
Here are some of my favorite vegetable side dish recipes that can please even picky eaters!
Delicious vegetable side dishes for picky eaters
Have picky eaters on your hands? Here are veggies that even picky eaters will love!
These cheesy fritters can be pan-fried or baked and made with cheddar cheese and steamed broccoli.
Get your kids to eat two — or even three — vegetables at once with these easy and fun vegan potato volcanoes!
Serve Zucchini Pizza as a side for your picky eaters! It’s easy to make and is a hit with all ages.
These 3 Ingredient Onion Baked Potatoes in Foil (with onion soup mix) are easy to make and unbelievably delicious! Adding the onion/butter mixture between the slices and baking in aluminum foil locks in the rich flavor, adding real pizzazz to your potatoes! They are perfect in the oven or on the grill.
Air Fryer Parsnip fries are a great way to change things up from typical french fries or sweet potato fries and the lemon pepper gives these parsnip fries a welcome zing! They are also surprisingly easy to make and very healthy!
Zucchini Gratin uses tender roasted zucchini, fennel and red onion topped with shredded Gruyère cheese in a creamy sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and then baked to into the perfect side dish. This dish is great in the summer months to use up that zucchini or as a side at the holidays!
These Oven Baked Carrot Fries are a deliciously healthy alternative to regular potato fries. The carrots are coated with extra virgin olive oil, then tossed into a spiced chickpea flour mixture which combines nutritional yeast, with garlic powder, oregano, cumin and smoked paprika. They are baked to crispy perfection. You will love this delicious side dish or snack!
These honey roasted vegetables are full of flavor and always a popular side dish with all the family!
With a naturally sweet flavor, this Creamed Corn recipe is popular with picky eaters. A few minutes under the broiler creates a tasty crust that compliments the creamy corn.
This Cucumber Salad is perfect for the picky eater in your household. Crunchy and tangy with a bit of sweetness, it's got all the right bits.
Your kids won't even know it's broccoli with these lemon forward Broccoli Fritters with dip.
These lemon maple Brussels sprouts will make a Brussels sprout lover out of just about anybody. Bright, sweet and tangy, they come together in one pan in less than 20 minutes.
Make your vegetable side dish swoon-worthy with these tender, sweet and delicious Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots. Just a few simple ingredients!
Eggplant fries make vegetables fun. Baked or cooked in the air fryer they are breaded and crispy.
This Cheesy Bacon Ranch Brussels Sprouts recipe is an easy to make low carb side dish that is a combination of tender roasted Brussels sprouts, crispy bacon, melted cheese, and everyone's favorite, ranch dressing. It is a crowd-pleaser!
These garlic herb mushrooms are sauteed in a garlic herb aka cowboy butter sauce and are sure to be a hit with everyone from kids to adults!
What's the easiest way to cook fresh or frozen corn cobs? In the Instant Pot of course! Instant Pot corn on the cob is ready in 10 minutes and cooks up perfectly every time!
Easy roasted butternut squash halves recipe! Just a few minutes of prep and baked to perfection in the oven. Herb honey butter adds richness and flavor.
These air fryer green beans are garlicky, cheesy, and spritzed with lemon juice for a bright flavor. The whole family will love them.
Kids and adults will eat this vegetable side dish. Easy recipe for a veggie side dish that isn't potatoes.
The easiest way to get kids to eat veggies is to air fry them. Our air fryer buffalo cauliflower is hearty, delicious and kids love it.
Use up your leftover mashed potatoes *and* feed your kids something they'll go crazy for!
Thanks for reading!
Hey there, I’m Morgan, the creative mind behind CelebratingWithKids.com! As a parent of two lively little ones, I’ve made it my mission to turn ordinary days into extraordinary adventures, sharing playful activities, thoughtful toy reviews, and delightful printables to help families celebrate every moment together. 🎉👨👩👧👦🎈