Do your kids like broccoli? Broccoli seems to be a popular veggie with kids. My kids love it and I have lots of friends whose kids like broccoli too. If your kids like broccoli, that’s amazing! If not, it’s still worth regularly encouraging your kids to try broccoli because it’s a veggie full of so many benefits. I’m excited to share this post with you: all about the benefits of broccoli and kid-friendly broccoli recipes.

Broccoli Benefits Fun Facts

When talking to your kids about veggies, it’s important to put it into terms they understand and find fun and relatable. I have more tips for encouraging kids to eat more veggies in a post HERE. Here are some fun ways to explain the benefits of broccoli to your kids!

• Broccoli helps your brain! Broccoli is a brain food and can help with your memory because it’s high in Vitamin K. (1)
• Broccoli helps make the good bugs (antioxidants) in your body stronger that fight off the bad bugs (free radicals). It’s high in antioxidants which fight off free radicals in your body that can damage your cells and cause disease. (2)
• Broccoli helps your bones grow strong. It’s high in calcium and if we don’t eat enough calcium, our bones may easily break. (3)
• Broccoli helps your eyes so you can see really well. It’s high in Vitamin C which is good for keeping your eyes healthy. (4)
• Broccoli is high in fiber so it helps you poop. (5) (This one may cause conversations and silliness around poop at the dinner table to be aware 😉 )
• Broccoli and other foods in the cruciferous vegetable family (cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, etc.) help to detox and clean your body to get rid of things your body doesn’t need. The more you eat, the more powerfully you can help detox your body. (6)

So amazing, right?! Broccoli is such a great plant to add to your meals.

A few ways to add more broccoli into your meals

• Roast it and serve it as a side dish. Put florets onto a baking sheet with a sprinkle of avocado oil and salt. Roast at 425 for about 15-20 minutes until it’s your desired crispiness. Optional to make really delicious roasted broccoli: In a small bowl add 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice plus 1-2 minced garlic cloves and pour over the roasted broccoli. Broil for another 1-2 minutes and serve. This is my favorite way to roast broccoli. I have more detailed instructions in a post HERE for cauliflower but the same recipe applies to broccoli.
• Serve it with a dip. There are a lot of really great plant-based dips available now, like Kitehill, at Trader Joe’s, Bitchin Sauce, etc. that are really delicious with broccoli, raw or roasted.
• Sautee it with a little extra virgin olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper and add it on top of pizzas.
• Add it to salads and bowls.

12 BROCCOLI RECIPES TO TRY

Kid-friendly, healthy and delicious recipes that are full of broccoli.

1. Broccoli Tots from The Natural Nurturer

Anytime kids can eat something with their hands, I think they enjoy it more. These are full of broccoli and you can find a fun dip for them too, or use ketchup (look for one with tomatoes, seasonings and not a ton of added sugars).

2. Apple Broccoli Salad from The Recipe Critic

I love a good broccoli salad. It’s such a good mixture of textures and flavors: crisp apple and broccoli, creamy dressing, sweet cranberries, crunchy nuts.

3. Broccoli Basil Goat Cheese Pizza from Simply Real Health

This is a good kid- and adult-approved pizza. It’s delicious with any kind of pesto and can come together really quickly if you use rotisserie chicken. We’ve tried it with goat cheese and mozzarella and both are delicious.

4. One-Pan Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice from The Girl Who Ate Everything

This is a one-pan dinner, which is always a plus. I like to go light on the cheese, and use about 1 cup total. I don’t add the cheese into the mixture, but instead use it only to top.

5. Lemon Broccoli Pasta Skillet from The Food Charlatan

A 20-minute one-pan dinner full of flavor and real ingredients. Yum.

6. Lightened Up Cheddar Cauliflower Broccoli Soup from Ambitious Kitchen

I’ve made this soup a handful of times and it’s always a hit. It’s so rich and creamy but a lightened-up version. I usually skip the step of blending the soup because I don’t mind it chunkier, and don’t typically top it with bacon.

7. Orange Chicken & Broccoli from Weeknight Bite

I haven’t tried this recipe yet but will be making it soon! I plan to serve it with Brown Jasmine Rice and sauteed mushrooms and zucchini with cashews.

8. Broccoli Chicken Teriyaki

This dinner couldn’t be easier and kids love it.

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Make a batch of Brown Jasmine Rice (recipe HERE!) and while that’s cooking steam baby carrots, and broccoli florets for about 5 minutes. Either shred a rotisserie chicken or cook up some chicken.
3. Then, in a 9×13 pan, place as much rice as you like, rotisserie chicken pieces, baby carrots, broccoli florets, and snap peas. Pour your favorite teriyaki sauce over (look for one with real ingredients you can pronounce), and give it a stir.
4. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes until everything is warmed together, serve and enjoy!

9. Veggie Pesto Pasta with Broccoli

This is one of our favorite quick dinners. Pesto, pasta, roasted broccoli and asparagus and peas. Add some cooked chicken apple sausage if you like. My girls love this dinner.

10. Broccoli Cashew Stir-Fry from The Garden Grazer

This is delicious on top of my Brown Jasmine Rice recipe (make sure you start the rice about 30 minutes before you plan to eat). This is also such a nutritious meal with brown rice (whole grains), broccoli and onions (veggies) and cashews (nuts and protein).

11. Polenta with White Beans & Roasted Broccoli from Simply Recipes

This is a dinner I haven’t made yet but will be very soon because it looks so delicious. I love all of ingredients: polenta, white beans, roasted broccoli. I also love adding about 1 tablespoon butter (Kerrygold is a favorite brand), plus about 1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan to my polenta. I’m really looking forward to making this dinner.

12. Sweet Potato Broccoli Omelettata from Rachel’s Good Eats

I love quiche and omelettes but don’t love that they’re typically heavy on cheese and/or cream. This one has so many good-for-you ingredients and delicious for breakfast or dinner.

That’s a lot! I hope you found this post helpful, and/or a new recipe to try. Do you have a favorite broccoli recipe? Tell me below!

♥ Lauren