As for preparing healthy dinners for children aged 5 to 10 years, it is very important to combine tasty and healthy meals that will meet the children’s needs and promote their healthy development.

As for preparing healthy dinners for children aged 5 to 10 years, it is very important to combine tasty and healthy meals that will meet the children’s needs and promote their healthy development.

From my own observations I have noted that getting children involved in preparation of foods, and a great presentation of food greatly boosts their interest in consuming new foods. Here are some healthy dinner recipes that will contain fresh foods, spark of flavors and a little hint of revelation.

1. Barbeque Chicken with Steamed Quinoa and Steam Vegetables
In my home this dish is a favorite not only because of its nutritional value but because it can be prepared in a number of ways. This is whereby the chicken is grilled, and grilling affords smaller amounts of fat, which in any case is good for growing muscles in kids. It is balanced by eating it with quinoa which is fiber packed as well as a complete protein.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts
• Quinoa
• Broccoli florets
• Carrot sticks
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse chicken breasts with warm water, sprinkle with salt, black pepper and a few drops of olive oil before barbecuing it lightly.    

• Cook quinoa with boiling water following the instructions that come with the packet.
• With the remaining half of the vegetables steam broccoli and carrots until tender.
• They made this one easy for you, Grilled chicken should be served on quinoa and accompanied by steamed vegetables. As an additional option, I have incorporated lemon juice to give an added taste which really excites my kids.
• Personal Tip: In some instances, I prepare the quinoa by adding a little low sodium chicken broth instead of water when boiling. This is because it endows the grain with a deeper texture of taste that is even loved by the most selective palates. 

2. Grilled African Style Red Snapper Fish with Lycinized Sweet Potatoes and Steamed GreenBeans Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that are required for development of appropriate brain.  

My children were not very keen to take fish at first but when I baked it with sweet potato fries and green beans, fish become their favorite dish.

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillets
• Sweet potatoes
• Green beans
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Paprika

Instructions:

• First get ready your oven by pre heating it at 400°F which is equivalent to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Wash and skin sweet potatoes and then cut them into fries. Just swimming in olive oil, salt and paprika then bake for about 20-25 minutes.
• Rub the salmon fillets with olive oil and sprinkler with salt and pepper then bake in the same pan with the potatoes until the salmon is done.
• Green beans should be steamed or sauté; serve along side salmon and sweet potato fries.
• Personal Insight: Well, to overcome this problem I realized that allowing the kids to apply the paprika on the sweet potatoes makes them have more interest in what they are eating because they can see their efforts yielding a meal.

3. Turkey and Vegetable Stir-Fry
The following stir-fry is easy and healthy which allows the incorporation of the child’s preferred vegetables. Ground turkey takes much less time to cook as compared to beef and looks excellent with lots of colorful vegetables.

Ingredients:

• Ground turkey
• Bell peppers (different colors)
• Snap peas
• Carrots (sliced)
• Soy sauce or tamari
• Olive oil
• Brown rice or whole grain noodles

Instructions:

• Brown rice or whole grain noodles may be cooked following the directions provided on the package.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan set on medium heat and next, cook the ground turkey until browned.
• To which add the sliced bell peppers, snap peas and carrots and sauté until tender.
• Finally add and blend soy sauce/tamari to the stir-fry and enjoy it over rice and/or noodles.
• Personal Experience: This is our kind of meal because the kids enjoy it when deciding which vegetables to add on the stir fry. It also makes them more inclined to eat and at the same time learn about the various veggies that are available.

4. Vegetarian Chili
In teaching children about the benefits of taking vegetarian foods, this is a perfect chili vegetarian for any family. There are beans and vegetables, stuffed inside it which has been a rich source of vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:

• Kidney beans (from a can, washed and without any liquid in them)
• Black beans (canned and cooked )
• Corn (canned or frozen)
• Bell peppers (chopped)
• Tomatoes (diced)
• Onion (chopped)
• Garlic (minced)
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Olive oil

Instructions:

• Warm up the olive oil in a large pot and set on the stove on medium heat. Chop onion and garlic and fry until the onion is translucent.
• To the pot add bell peppers, tomatoes, beans and corn.
• Flavour with chili powder and cumin and allow to stew for about 20-30 minutes with constant stirring.
• You may wish to garnish with a dusting of cheese or a spoonful or natural yoghurt, such as Greek.
• Unique Twist: What may help make the chili less boring is that I occasionally serve the chili with a side of whole-grain tortilla chips. It also has the crunch added to it which is something that kids love.

5. Made with love Whole wheat spaghetti with Tomato n Spinach sauce
This dish is less calorie and fat than pasta, and more acceptable to those who watch their diet. Whole wheat spaghetti gives more fibre, whereas the tomato and spinach sauce helps in gaining vitamins A and C.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat spaghetti
• Spinach (fresh or frozen)
• Tomatoes (diced)
• Onion (chopped)
• Garlic (minced)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

• In a pot following the instructions on the packet cook the whole wheat spaghetti.
• Heat a pan, put some oil and fry onion and garlic until onion is almost transparent.
• Ass the diced tomatoes and let it fry until they almost become a sauce.
• Add spinach and let it fry for some time until it is soft.
• Add salt and black pepper, and then the serve the sauce together with the spaghetti that has been drained.
• You may wish to serve accompanied with a little grated cheese.
• New Idea: On occasions, I incorporate a cup of chopped mushrooms or zucchini to the sauce as a measure of enhancing the nutrients and taste.