If Meatless Monday is your new thing but picky kids are your problem, you need some delicious kid friendly vegetarian recipes.
There are many reasons you might want to go vegetarian even if just one night a week. Whatever your reasons are, it’s always a good idea to try something new on your dinner plate!
Here are some of the best vegetarian recipes kids will actually eat.

Why get your kids to eat vegetarian meals?
Buying meat can be expensive.
The cost of beef is pretty high. And if you have a large family, buying meat for every meal can break your budget.
Cutting the meat out of one or two dinners per week will save you money on your grocery bill.
Eating less meat is better for the environment too.
Cattle farming takes a huge toll on climate change. If we can reduce the amount of cow products we consume, we won’t need as many cows on cattle farms contributing to the greenhouse gases.
Removing meat from the menu can get your kids to eat more vegetables.
You can substitute certain veggies for the meat in your dish without kids even noticing sometimes. And if they like it, they might ask for veggies by name next time.
Your family can learn to try new foods they normally wouldn’t.
Get creative with your Meatless Mondays.
Make it an event or a challenge. It’s more fun when you add something new to your weekly menu.
Here are some great options for your Meatless Monday dinner.
Vegetarian Recipes Kids Will Eat
Best-Ever Crispy Vegan Tofu Nuggets (Baked)
These baked tofu nuggets are so easy and delicious and a kid approved fan favorite!
Creamy Tomato Soup
Quick cooking delicious creamy tomato soup. This homemade soup can be on the table in just ten minutes! Use tomato sauce and tomato paste along with a few seasonings and you have the best tomato soup!
Creamy Baked Vegan Mac And Cheese (Nut And Gluten-Free)
This baked mac & cheese is vegan and nut free too! It is so creamy and delicious and kid approved.
Burnt Garlic Fried Rice
Browned garlic is tossed with rice, and colorful veggies giving tons of flavor. Loved by kids and adults, Irresistibly delicious and gets done in 20 minutes.
Greek Pasta with Garlic and Yogurt
This Greek Pasta with Garlic and Yogurt is a quick, easy, and frugal dish. It’s simple to make, but loaded with flavor!
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas
The sweet and savory filling in this sweet potato and black bean quesadilla makes it the perfect vegetarian dish.
Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)
Sopa de Fideo – a savory Mexican Noodle Soup made with toasted noodles and a flavorful tomato-based broth. It’s easy to make, requires simple ingredients and it’s budget-friendly, too! The whole family will love this hearty and comforting meal!
Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is creamy, cozy and chock full of flavorful pumpkin and fall spices and loved by the whole family.
Tomato Basil Gnocchi
Potato-ey, pillow-soft pasta smothered with a highly flavorful, cheesy, basil-infused, garlicky tomato-based sauce. Easy and so delicious!
Kid Friendly Vegetarian Lentil Sloppy Joe Sandwich Recipe
Everyone loves a sloppy joe sandwich. The kids won’t miss the meat in this vegetarian sloppy joe recipe.
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
No one will miss the meat in this veggie-loaded lasagna! Roasted vegetables add tons of savory flavor and are easy to swap for your favorites.
Zucchini Pasta Sauce (Creamy Tomato Style with Hidden Zucchini!)
Kids won't even know there's zucchini hidden in this sauce!
Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese with Spinach
This super creamy sweet potato mac and cheese uses pureed sweet potato, almond milk and two different kinds of cheese. It’s indulgent while being a little healthier for you and sneaking in some spinach!
Kid Friendly, Easy Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Chili is the perfect go-to dish for busy families. This vegetarian chili recipe is super flavorful.
Pasta e Fagioli aka Pasta and Beans
One of the most kid-friendly recipes ever! Kids will ask for seconds (and maybe thirds) so be prepared with a big pot!
Instant Pot Risotto
Creamy and flavorful vegetarian Instant Pot Risotto recipe. It’s a fail-proof weeknight dinner that requires no continuous stirring or babysitting the pot.
Quick and Easy Tomato Pasta
Super easy, kid friendly and still delicious enough for the adults to really enjoy.
Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Shells
Easy, cheesy and so delicious, these Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Shells are so good, and a great make ahead meal. Kid approved - the delicious ricotta and Parmesan mixture helps hide the spinach
Gnocchi Bake
This Gnocchi Bake is comforting, delicious and packed with a range of different veggies. Kid and parent-approved, it is a great alternative to a pasta bake.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
This Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry is a quick and easy meal that the whole family will enjoy. The sweet potato adds a delicious sweetness which complements the spices perfectly.
Zucchini Meatballs
This zucchini meatball recipe will be a family favorite. It's meatless and made with zucchini, herbs, and cheese. Serve it with your favorite marinara sauce.
Vegan Italian Pasta Salad
This easy vegan Italian pasta salad recipe has a homemade Italian dressing, black olives, peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and parsley!
Twice Baked Mashed Potato Souffle
Kiddos love this Twice-Baked Mashed Potato Souffle! It's creamy and light and full of sour cream and cheesy flavors. Best of all, it's vegetarian and pairs with so many different meals!
Veg Burger Recipe | Vegetarian Burger With Mix Vegetable Patties
This homemade veg burger is simply delicious to taste. The burger buns are stuffed with mix vegetable patties, spiced mayonnaise dressing and cucumber, tomato, onion slices.
Vegetarian Bolognese
Deliciously rich and hearty vegetarian bolognese is the perfect meatless comfort food! Ready in under an hour and made with everyday, simple ingredients like lentils, mushrooms and tomatoes. This healthy bolognese sauce will be a hit with the whole family.
Creamy Vegetable Pasta Bake
This hearty and deliciously creamy vegetable pasta bake is the ultimate in vegetarian comfort food. An easy family dinner loaded with veggies, cheese and topped with a crispy Parmesan breadcrumb topping.
Garlic Olive Oil Pasta Recipe (Aglio e Olio)
This Garlic Olive Oil Pasta is incredibly delicious and incredibly easy to make. Kids will love this simple pasta dish.
Easy Instant Pot Spinach Tortellini Soup Recipe
This Spinach Tortellini Soup is delicious and kid approved! Kids are going to love this yummy soup, a perfect weeknight meal.
Easy Instant Pot Stuffed Shells
InstantPot Stuffed Shells is the best comfort dinner recipe! It’s a one pot magic of jumbo pasta shells, tangy tomato sauce, healthy vegetable filling and cheesy goodness. Italian comfort food at it’s finest.
Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup
This easy creamy mushroom soup with potatoes, onions, and garlic is comforting and warming with a rich mushroom flavor. This recipe uses no flour, so it’s suitable for the gluten-free crowd.
Vegan Chick-fil-A style Nuggets with Vegan Honey Mustard Sauce (Oil-free!)
These vegan Chick-fil-A style tofu nuggets combine agave sweetness and briny pickle juice for a unique yet familiar flavor. Kids will love dipping them in vegan honey mustard sauce.
Homemade Spaghetti O's (Allergy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Kick the can and make this healthy recipe for the kids instead! Homemade Spaghetti O’s that are allergy-free, gluten-free, and vegan! A super easy lunch or dinner that’s kid-friendly and mom-approved!
Lemon Garlic Zoodles (Whole30, Paleo, Vegan)
If your summer harvest is exploding with zucchinis, these Lemon Garlic Zoodles are going to be your favorite go-to recipe. The lemon and garlic really make the flavor pop. This super healthy zucchini noodle recipe is Whole30, Paleo, and Vegan. PS – it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Vegetable Stir Fry – Easy Weeknight Meal
This Easy Weeknight Vegetable Stir Fry uses many items you already have on hand. This is an easy dinner recipe for beginners.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Roasted Vegetables
This Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables dinner is something the entire family will love! Hearty and flavorful, you'll make this vegetarian dish over and over!
Sweet Potato Tacos with Poblano Cream Sauce
Spicy sweet potato tacos have the perfect balance of sweet, savory & spicy. Roasted sweet potatoes and charred corn balance with mildly spicy poblano peppers and creamy avocado. Top it all off with a savory poblano cream sauce and some pickled onions. Leave off the poblanos if your kids don't like spicy food.
Pasta with Carrot Sauce
Pasta with carrot sauce is a creamy, mildly sweet and flavorful dish that makes a great meal for kids. This recipe is easy to make with a few ingredients and the silky smooth carrot sauce has a magical power to appeal even the pickiest kid to eat their meals without any fuss.
Instant Pot Steamed Dumplings
Vegan steamed dumplings just like in your favorite restaurant. Using the Instant Pot, you can make them in 20 minutes and fill them with your favorite vegetables!
Vegan Instant Pot Street Tacos
Vegan street tacos are a kid friendly recipe and fun healthy spin on tacos!
Vegan Lasagna Roll Ups - Easy & Delicious Healthy Dinner Recipe
Vegan lasagna roll ups are a delicious dinner that the whole family will love! They’re easy to make and are great to freeze.
Easy Black Bean Burger Recipe
Black bean burgers are a delicious dinner that’s quick and easy to make!
Zucchini Noodle, Feta & Thyme Bake
This zucchini noodle, Feta cheese & thyme bake will become a family favorite. It is simple to make but is packed full of flavor.
Spinach Pasta with Avocado Sauce
This simple spinach pasta made with creamy avocado sauce is super quick to make and utterly delicious! Made with simple and healthy ingredients, this pasta is creamy, comforting, and completely nutritious!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Comfort food in a bowl, this loaded baked potato soup is full of flavor and easy to make. Rich and creamy in taste, this soup is topped with cheese, and green onions. Done and ready to eat in 30 minutes!
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta with Parmesan, Lemon and Garlic
Roasting veggies is like dinnertime magic - and makes this pasta deeply flavorful and yet also surprisingly kid-friendly!
Veggie 'Nuggets' [Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Low-carb]
These little veggie ‘nuggets’ are like my new favorite thing to add into my meals or even just to snack on! They are perfect for the kiddos & are easy to pack for lunches & on the go too! They are also super easy to make & only require a few ingredients.
Would your kids eat vegetarian dinners?
Let me know in the comments below!
And share if you have any great vegetarian recipes that kids will actually eat.
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