Getting your picky eater to enjoy their veggies can be quite the challenge. But we've got some fantastic recipes that can change that! Vegetarian meals, which focus on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, offer a wealth of flavours and nutrients without meat. Here are some easy and delicious vegetarian meals designed to please even the fussiest eaters. These meals are not only nutritious but also fun and flavourful, making dinnertime enjoyable for everyone. 

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Finding family dinners more chaotic than calm? Time to switch things up with Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids by Dr Nick Fuller, an expert on childhood obesity in Australia. This guide is packed with helpful tips and advice to deal with picky eaters and create delicious, wholesome meals the whole family will love.

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Best Vegetarian Meal Ideas For Picky Eaters: Top 5 Picks

These top five vegetarian meals are so good they’re sure to impress even the pickiest eaters. Let's dive into these recipes and pick out your next meal!

Baked Falafel

These easy, homemade falafels are oven-baked, which makes them a healthier option that doesn't require hours at the stove. Also, they freeze well, so you can keep them for up to 2 weeks.

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Makes 15

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 handful parsley, stems removed
• 1 large handful coriander, stems removed

Tahini Yoghurt, to serve

• ½ cup natural yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon tahini
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Drizzle of olive oil

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. 
2. Drain and rinse the tins of chickpeas, then add into a food processor. Add all remaining ingredients and blitz until all ingredients are combined and the chickpeas are pulp. 
3. Using a teaspoon, form small balls of the mixture and place onto the baking tray. Bake in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes until golden and crisp on the outside but soft on the inside.
4. To make the tahini yoghurt, combine yoghurt, tahini and lemon juice and mix well. Drizzle with olive oil.
5. Serve the falafel with tahini yoghurt and enjoy! Falafel can be eaten on its own hot or cold, accompanied with fresh hummus, added to salads, or added to salad wraps. The possibilities are endless!

Veggie Nachos

Not up for something complex? Try this instead—it’s fantastic. The quickest nachos to whip up (and they’re vegetarian, too!).

Type: Vegetarian, Gluten Free

Serves 4 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 1x bag plain toasted corn chips or tortilla strips
• 1x 400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1x 400g tin diced tomatoes (or 1x punnet cherry tomatoes halved, or 3 tomatoes diced)
• ½ cup low fat cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup sliced jalapeños (you can buy these jarred from a large supermarket or delicatessen)
• Guacamole
• 1 avocado
• Juice of half a lemon
• Sprinkle of chilli flakes
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place corn chips into a large baking dish and top with kidney beans and tomatoes. Sprinkle over the jalapenos - don’t worry, they lose their heat as they cook. 
2. Cover with the shredded cheese and place into the oven to cook for approximately 12 minutes, until heated through and slightly golden on top.
3. Meanwhile to make the guacamole, spoon the avocado flesh into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add lemon juice, chilli flakes, shallot and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and mix to combine. 
4. Divide the nachos between 4 plates and top each with tablespoons of the guacamole. Serve and enjoy!

Tahini Spaghetti

Tahini adds a rich, nutty flavour and pairs perfectly with this spring-inspired pasta dish. Enjoy it hot or cold, depending on the spring weather! We’ve used hulled tahini in this recipe for extra creaminess. 

Type: Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy Free

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• 400g wholemeal spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 250g baby Roma tomatoes, halved
• 2 zucchini, peeled into large thin ribbons
• 1x400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Handful fresh parsley leaves, plus extra to serve
• Sprinkle of sesame seeds, to serve

Recipe

1. Heat a large saucepan of water over high heat until boiling, then cook the spaghetti for approximately 12 minutes. Ensure that you cook the spaghetti ‘al dente’, so that it is still slightly firm to the bite. 
2. Once the spaghetti is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the spaghetti. Return the spaghetti to the large saucepan. 
3. Whilst the pasta is boiling, heat a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Add in the olive oil and garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the tahini, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, whisking to combine. 
4. Whisk the reserved pasta water into the tahini sauce, then remove from the heat. 
5. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, chickpeas and parsley to the spaghetti in the large saucepan. Pour in the tahini sauce. Stir gently to combine, ensuring that everything is coated in the sauce. 
6. Divide the spaghetti between 4 serving bowls. Top with extra fresh parsley and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Roast Carrot Salad

A great dish to make in bulk and enjoy for lunches and meals all week long. It’s tasty whether served hot or cold!

Type: Vegetarian (Vegan if honey is removed), Gluten Free, Lactose Free

Serves 4 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium carrots, skin on, chopped into finger size pieces
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
• Handful of parsley
• Seeds of 1 pomegranate
• For the dressing:
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the carrots evenly in a large oven tray and sprinkle over the olive oil and sumac and mix. Roast in the oven for 15. Add the walnuts to the carrot tray and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes until golden. 
2. To make the dressing, add all dressing ingredients to a small jar and shake until combined. 
3. Once the carrots are cooked, remove the tray from the oven. Add the parsley and pomegranate, then pour over the dressing. Toss to combine before serving. Enjoy!

Make mealtime more exciting by introducing Carrot Cake to your fussy kid.

Vegetarian Rice Bowls

With leftover tahini sauce from the lamb wraps, you can easily build your meal around it. You can do the same with any sauce or dip you have—peanut satay, a favourite dip, or whatever you like. Remember, this is a flexible recipe. Feel free to tweak or swap ingredients as you see fit.

Type: Gluten Free, Lactose free, Vegetarian, Vegan

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked (Tip - cook all your rice in one go and freeze into portions. So much easier!)
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped roughly
• 1/3 cauliflower, with stem and florets chopped into bite-sized pieces 
• 2 good shakes cumin
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• Handful green beans cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
• Leftover tahini, to serve

Recipe

1. Turn on the oven and heat to 180°C. 
2. Cover cauliflower and sweet potato with oil and add cumin only to cauliflower florets. Spread out evenly onto a baking tray, including leaves. Roast for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Set aside. 
3. Meanwhile, cook the brown rice according to the packet directions, then divide it between four bowls.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat then add garlic and cook for 1 minute until soft. Add the tofu and green beans. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until tofu is slightly crisp and the beans are still slightly crunchy.
5. To serve, divide the roast cauliflower and sweet potato between the four bowls. Top with the sautéed garlic tofu and bean mixture, then drizzle the tahini over the top before serving. 

Give Christmas Rice Pilaf a try—it’s not only visually appealing but also packed with delicious flavours. Kids will especially love the fantastic mix of tastes in this dish.

Final Thoughts

Cooking vegetarian meals for picky eaters can be a fun adventure rather than a challenge. By mixing up flavours, textures, and presentations, you can prepare dishes that are both tasty and nutritious. 

Add a splash of creativity with different veggies and plant-based proteins in your family’s favourite recipes to gradually broaden their taste buds. With a bit of patience and a lot of persistence, you can turn mealtime struggles into a delightful and healthy experience for everyone at the table. So, get cooking and enjoy the process—happy eating!

Ready for more mouth-watering meals? Visit our Recipes page for quick and tasty dishes that everyone will love!

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Meet Dr Nick Fuller

My Story

As a father, I know first-hand that raising healthy and happy children is tricky. Children are fussy, particularly at the end of the day when they are shattered. We also live in a society where companies seek to profit from what we feed our kids; incorrect and damaging advice is pushed on us and marketed towards our children, and we have no time.

But with these recipes and resources, you and your children can enjoy simple and well-founded food and lifestyle choices for lifelong health.