Involving your child in meal preparation can be a fun experience for you and them. In addition to teaching your child some basic cooking skills, you can use this opportunity to develop a rapport with them. However, when you begin cooking lessons with kids, you can opt for some easy fireless cooking ideas for kids instead of recipes that involve fire, as those may not be safe for kids. Johna Burdeos, a registered dietitian with experience in clinical and outpatient nutrition counseling, says, “Fireless cooking is not cooking in the sense that we know it. Nonetheless, children are taught the important skill of knowing how to feed themselves.” Thus, in this post, we have compiled some quick and easy-to-prepare delicious no-flame recipes that children can make themselves with minimum vigilance.
20 Cooking-Without-Fire Recipes For Children
1. Deviled eggs
The nutritious and easy-to-prepare recipe is mostly served in main meals. You will need:
3-4 hard-boiled eggs 1 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt 1tsp lemon juice 1tsp mustard sauce ½tsp garlic powder ½ cup parsley (freshly chopped) Herbs mix (for garnishing) Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste
How to:
2. Peanut butter balls
Peanut butter balls are a quick recipe that is a perfect addition to after school snacks. This delicious recipe is healthy and can be prepared easily by children of all ages. You will need:
1/3 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter 1/4 cup honey 1tsp pure vanilla extract 1 cup rolled oats, ground into a coarse flour 1tsp chia seeds 1/4 cup raisins (chopped, for younger children)
How to:
3. Strawberry crackers
Strawberry is a nutritious fruit that children love. This recipe is a simple and fun way to let your child include their favorite fruit into a quick snack. You will need:
½ cup strawberries (chopped) ½ cup cottage cheese (grated) 1 packet of whole grain crackers
How to:
4. Cheese nachos
Nachos are a crunchy snack that can be used in several mouth-watering recipes. One such recipe that your child can make with fun and ease is cheese nachos. You will need:
1 pack of nachos ½ cup bell peppers (thinly sliced) ½ cup red onions (thinly sliced) 4tbsp cheddar cheese (grated) 1tsp chili flakes 1tsp oregano
How to:
5. Pinwheel sandwiches
Pinwheel sandwiches are quick, customizable, and easy-to-prepare food that children love to eat. You will need:
2 whole wheat tortillas 2tsp organic cream cheese Sliced organic turkey breast Sliced organic cheddar cheese 1tsp green chutney Bell peppers (thinly sliced)
How to: Cut into pinwheels and serve immediately or wrap in wax paper and serve later. Burdeos suggests, “Peanut butter and cold-cut sandwiches are also good fireless cooking options for children.”
6. Mini pizza
Mini pizza is an easy and quick recipe that needs just three basic ingredients. Your child can customize this recipe by adding a variety of vegetables, seeds, and protein-rich items, like tofu. You will need:
2 English muffins 1 cup quick pizza sauce ½ cup mozzarella cheese (shredded) ¼ cup spinach, finely shredded Herbs mix (seasoning)
How to:
7. Puffed rice peanut butter balls
It is yet another quick recipe that your child can prepare by mixing all the ingredients in the right proportions. You will need:
2tbsp peanut butter ½tsp organic honey ½ cup dried fruits and nuts (finely chopped)
How to:
8. Strawberry Ritz
Strawberry Ritz is a tempting recipe that is most raved among children. Your child can easily prepare it by spreading all the right ingredients on the crackers. You will need:
1 pack of whole grain crackers 1 cup spreadable cream cheese ½ cup unsweetened strawberry jam 1 cup strawberry (sliced)
How to:
9. Cinnamon pears
Cinnamon pears are a healthy snack choice, which is easy to prepare and quick to serve. This recipe has all the goodness of pears and cinnamon that can be beneficial for your child’s health. You will need:
½ cup pear (canned and diced) ¼tsp cinnamon (powdered) 1tsp maple syrup
How to:
10. Fruit salad or fruit chaat
This recipe lets children prepare a customized fruit salad that they love to eat. You will need:
1 cup seasonal fruits (chopped) 1tsp seeds and nuts trail mix 1tsp pepper powder 1tsp lemon juice Salt, to taste
How to:
11. Mixed sprouts salad or chaat
Sprouts are a healthy addition to your child’s diet. Adding ingredients, like tofu, carrot, cucumber, and lemon, can make it healthier. Your child can prepare a customized sprouts salad that they will relish for sure. You will need:
1 cup boiled mixed sprouts (whole green gram, chickpea, Bengal gram, moth bean) ½ cup carrot and cucumber mix (finely grated, carrots, cucumber) ½ cup silken tofu (cubed) 1 cup red onion (finely chopped) 1 cup tomato (finely chopped) 1 green chili (finely chopped) 1tsp lemon juice Sea salt and pepper, to taste
How to:
12. Saucy zucchini noodles
Zucchini or courgette is a nutritious summer squash and has a mild refreshing taste. Your child will love this hassle-free zucchini recipe that is simple and quick to prepare. You will need:
1 cup zucchini (finely stripped) 1 avocado 1 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced) 20g mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts) ½ cup water 1tbsp lemon juice Salt and pepper, to taste
How to:
13. Vegetable pita pockets
Pita bread has a mildly sweet flavor that children will likely enjoy. This recipe combines the pita bread with the goodness of fresh vegetables, mayo, and other delicious ingredients. You will need:
2 whole-wheat pita bread 1 cup homemade falafel 3-4tbsp tahini sauce (preferably homemade) 4tbsp mayonnaise 1 tomato (finely chopped) 1 cucumber (finely chopped) 1 red onion (thinly sliced) ¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
How to:
14. Sweet corn salad
Sweet corn is used in the preparation of a variety of soups and salads. This is a no-fire delicious corn salad recipe that your child can prepare quickly. You will need:
1 cup sweet corn (boiled) ½ cup spring onions (chopped) ½ cup nuts (cashews, almonds) (chopped finely) 1 chopped green chili ¼ cilantro (chopped) Salt, to taste
How to:
15. Guava smoothie
This no-flame recipe is a blend of guava and coconut milk, which are healthy for children. Your child can quickly prepare this recipe with minimum ingredients in use. You will need:
2 cups 100% guava juice (chilled) ½ cup coconut milk 1 cup vanilla unsweetened yogurt
How to:
16. Veggie fajitas
Fajita is a Tex-Mex preparation made from grilled meat and often served with a taco or tortilla. This recipe is a vegetarian version that does not include grilling, and thus, has no use of fire. You will need:
2 cups fresh vegetables (chopped) 1 can (200g) pinto beans (drained and rinsed) 5 cup tomato salsa 2 limes (zested and juiced) 2tbsp hot sauce ½ cup cilantro (chopped) 2 ripe avocados (cored and diced) 1tsp garlic clove (finely grated) 4 soft flour tortillas (medium-sized)
How to:
17. Creamy canapé
Canapé is a cracker or piece of bread with a savory or sweet topping. It is often served as a starter. Preparing it can be a fun and creative learning experience for your child. You will need: For preparing dip:
½ cup cottage cheese 3-4tbsp hung curd 1tbsp honey 1tsp vanilla essence
For preparing canapé:
2 multigrain bread slices ½ cup fresh Fruits (chopped) ½ cup chocolate sauce ½ cup colorful sprinkles (for decoration)
How to:
18. Fruity oats smoothie
A smoothie is a refreshing and filling drink prepared from pureed raw fruit and/or vegetables. Your child can prepare various smoothies by combining fruit/vegetables with other ingredients, such as nuts, seeds, grains, and milk. You will need:
1 cup rolled oats 2 cups skimmed milk (or coconut milk) 1 cup fruit and veggie mix (papaya, banana, and spinach) 1tbsp seeds and nuts trail mix 1tbsp chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pistachio) or nut butter
How to:
19. Instant bread dahi vada
It is an alternative to traditional dahi vadas, which are made with deep-fried black lentil cakes. In India, dahi vada is a popular snack often eaten between meals or even as an appetizer. You will need:
4-5 white bread slices 1 cup plain yogurt 1tsp brown sugar 3tbsp sweet tamarind chutney ¼ cup roasted cashew (roughly chopped) ⅛ cup raisins 1in ginger piece (finely chopped) 2tbsp fresh parsley (chopped) ¼tsp roasted cumin (powder) Black salt, to taste
How to:
20. Rainforest yogurt sundae
Sundae is one of the fabulous desserts that consists of ice cream topped with a sweet sauce or syrup. This recipe replaces ice cream with frozen yogurt and adds mixed nuts and seeds to make the preparation nutritious. You will need:
1 cup low-fat yogurt (frozen) 1cup fruits (chopped) ¼ cup mixed nuts and seeds (chopped)
How to:
