Healthy Pasta Dishes Kids Will Love

Kids love pasta, so pile on the healthy toppings. Our five recipes show you how.

Text By Cheryl Lock; Recipes By Colleen Weeden

Paula Hible

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When you're deciding what to make for dinner and checking off prerequisites in your head-Is it fast? Is it healthy? Will the kids eat it?-pasta is a surprisingly good pick. "Unlike the simple carbs in sweets, pasta's complex carbs provide steady energy so kids aren't hungry an hour after dinner," says Stacey Finch, R.D., a nutritionist at Arkansas Children's Hospital, in Little Rock. Plus, noodles are full of fiber and folic acid. You'll want to offer a variety of sauces and toppings too. Even kids who love their mac with cheese will usually try healthier options. So to the same old pasta dishes, say, "Ciao, baby!"

Shrimp Nests

Standout Nutrient: Omega-3s

These fatty acids are healthy for a kid's brain, eyes, and heart. And shrimp is a low-mercury choice.

Makes: 4 servings

Find the recipe here

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