Side dishes for kids that the whole family will love!

Trying to come up with side dishes for kids? Here are a TON of side dish ideas for any occasion!

As the parent of 2 preschool aged kids, meal time is one of the most stressful times of my day.

I feel like we just finished washing the dishes from the last meal, and now I have to come up with another one.

I serve my kids a main and two sides with most meals.

The main is usually easy - it's whatever I am eating, sometimes with a modification.

But, the side dishes get tricker.

I aim for one fruit or vegetable and one starch or dairy. My kids really love crunchy things!

But beyond that, I can get stuck in a rut of the same 2 things over and over. With 3 meals in a day, this is not ideal.

So, today I want to share my best side dishes for kids to help inspire updating your rotation!

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!

The best side dishes for kids

Here are some of my favorite side dishes for kids!

Side dishes by main course

Here are my favorite side dishes to pair with some of our most popular main dishes!

The main dish (click for side dish ideas!):

• Pizza
• Hot dogs
• Cheeseburgers
• Mac and cheese
• Chicken nuggets
• Taco Bar
• Pasta
• Spaghetti
• Chicken Burgers
• Chicken Wings
• Grilled chicken
• Tacos
• Pulled Pork
• Breakfast side dishes
• Picnic side dishes

Side dishes by type

• Vegetable side dishes (even for picky eaters)

Side dishes by holiday

Here are my favorite side dishes by holiday:

• Easter ham side dishes
• Christmas ham side dishes
• Thanksgiving side dishes for kids
• Cheap Thanksgiving side dishes to serve a crowd

Holiday treats

These are more "treats" than side dishes, but for a fun holiday treat, they can play as sides!

• Red white & blue foods for kids
• Rainbow recipes
• St Patricks day recipes

Halloween

• Ghost recipes

Christmas

• Reindeer recipes
• Snowman recipes

My favorite kids serve ware

Need serve ware for all of this cute kids foods?

My favorite plate for kids

My favorite water bottles for kids

My favorite lunch boxes 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!