5 High Fiber Dinner Recipes Kids Will Love

Children that grow up on white bread, white rice and too few fruits and vegetables grow up to be adults who eschew fiber, too. Aim to get 25 grams of fiber into your kiddo’s diet every day. ~SheKnowsChefMom

I do not know a single kid who does not love Mac & Cheese! Chef Mom has a healthier version that is higher in fiber.

FIBER-HIGH MAC AND CHEESE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, Chef Mom

Serves 8

What kid doesn’t love diving a fork into a bowl of macaroni and cheese? This fiber-rich rendition features whole wheat macaroni, sun-dried tomatoes and whole wheat bread crumb topping.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) package Hodsgon Mill Whole Wheat Elbow Macaroni (or other whole wheat pasta)
• 1/3 cup dry whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-1/2 cups low-fat 2 percent milk, divided
• 6 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cups chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drain well, if packed in oil)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, toss together bread crumbs and oil.
3. Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain in a colander.
4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat milk to a simmer. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining milk and the flour until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into milk and continue to simmer, stirring, until mixture is thickened.
5. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cheeses and nutmeg. Add macaroni to cheese mixture, stirring to coat. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer macaroni to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until bread crumb topping is lightly browned. Serve immediately. ~Read More High Fiber Chef Mom Recipes Here

Bean Quesadillas, AllRecipes

About this recipe: Veggies, beans and cheese sandwiched in tortillas, then fried until golden on both sides. This is a great weeknight supper, ready in a flash – make one quesadilla per person. You can also cut them like a pizza and serve as a starter or party nibble.

Ingredients
Serves: 12 

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped

• 140g (5 oz) frozen sweetcorn
• 12 flour tortillas, such as Old El Paso
• 1 (415g) tin Discovery Refried Beans
• 110g (4 oz) grated Cheddar cheese
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method
Prep:15min  ›  Cook:20min  ›  Ready in:35min 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Mix in pepper, tomatoes, and sweet corn; cook until heated through.
2. Spread 6 tortillas with equal amounts of the refried beans, vegetable mixture, and then the Cheddar cheese, and top with the remaining tortillas to form a “sandwich”.
3. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place quesadillas in the frying pan and cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and both sides are lightly browned.

Tip: For a healthier meal, try baking the quesadillas in the oven rather than pan frying them. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes at 190 C / Gas mark 5, or until the tortillas are golden brown.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon, Food Network 

Total Time: 45 min
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.

Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

*Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence, Food Network

Southwest Chicken, AllRecipes

“Chicken breasts with black beans, corn, chile peppers, tomatoes. Low-fat, easy and quick. Serve over hot cooked rice if desired.”

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 pinch ground cumin

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Add tomatoes with green chile peppers, beans and corn. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Add a dash of cumin and serve.

And, if your little ones like fish…

Grilled Salmon Soft Tacos, Eating Well

Makes: 4 servings, 2 tacos each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ancho or New Mexico chile powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 4-ounce wild salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick, skin on
• 8 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed
• Cabbage Slaw, (recipe follows)
• Citrus Salsa, (recipe follows)
• Cilantro Crema, (recipe follows)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine oil, chile powder, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture liberally over salmon. Grill the salmon, skin-side down, until it is just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Cut each fillet lengthwise into 2 pieces and remove the skin.
3. To serve, place 2 tortillas on each plate. Evenly divide the fish, Cabbage Slaw, Citrus Salsa and Cilantro Crema among the tortillas.

TIPS & NOTES

• To warm tortillas, wrap in barely damp paper towels and microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds or wrap in foil and bake at 300°F until steaming, 5 to 10 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 567 calories; 30 g fat (6 g sat, 17 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrates; 32 gprotein; 9 g fiber; 481 mg sodium; 1151 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (170% daily value), Selenium (74% dv), Potassium (33% dv), Folate (23% dv), Calcium (15% dv), excellent source of omega-3s.

Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat, 4 fat

Have a delicious, high-fiber meal to share? Share it in the comments!