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What dinners should be like for children from 6 to 12 years old

“The main objective of the little one's dinner is that it is nutritious and ensures the energy needs they have for their growth and daily activity. The basic composition would be at least half the plate of vegetables, a quarter of quality proteins such as meat , fish or eggs, avoiding ultra-processed ones, and a quarter of quality carbohydrate sources, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes or legume pasta,” he explains. Marta Tejón, child nutritionist at the Vithas Almería hospital.

For its part, Elena de la Fuente, nutritionist Quirón San José Hospital and of his own center Elena de la Fuentemaintains that “the dinners of children from 6 to 12 years old should be healthy, in which we include foods of high nutritional value, that is, foods that contain good quality proteins, such as meat, fish, eggs, legumes, that contain raw or cooked vegetables and, if we add carbohydrates, they are either whole grains, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta or whole wheat bread, or starches, such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Children should eat healthy and, just as we say that snacks for children should be healthy, dinners too, but that does not mean following any strict diet: “Optimal nutrition for the little ones at home is what ensures that they grow properly and provide them with the necessary vitamins and minerals. Children should not follow weight loss diets or create restrictions because it can slow down their development and cause nutritional deficiencies,” says Tejón.

What can't be missing from dinners for children ages 6 to 12 and what's left over?

There are foods that are basic in the infant feeding and others that should not be present or, at least, should be very sporadic: “Vegetables should not be missing, of course. This group of foods is very difficult to include in our children since they generate rejection, often due to the lack of custom, a very important premise is that parents are the example and food providers, so it must be offer dishes rich in vegetables and, also, that they are attractive and tasty. If we have a child who never eats vegetables, his first contact with cooked cauliflower will generate rejection on most occasions, which is why we could give him cauliflower rice or a cauliflower pizza base. What is left over are the processed nuggets, hake sticks, pizzas or sausages. These foods mostly lack vitamins and minerals, in addition to being a source of sugars in the diet. For this reason, you have to opt for cuts of meat, fish loins or fillets or eggs as protein sources,” explains the nutritionist from Vithas Almería.

Nutritionist Elena de la Fuente points out along these same lines: “They should not be missing lVegetables, which should make up 50% of the dinner and that they are raw and cooked vegetables throughout the week, that we add salads, green beans, asparagus or mushrooms, the vegetables that we have in season. It is important that there is variety in color, so that there is also the greatest availability of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Other foods that should not be missing would be good quality proteins, such as lean meats, chicken, turkey, white fish and the like. And also blue proteins, such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, eggs and also vegetable proteins, which we can introduce in the form of legumes. Proteins have to make up 25% of the dinner and then the other 25% should be carbohydrates, which may or may not be included, depending on the child's diet during the day, and, if they are included, they must be whole grains such as whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice or starches such as potatoes or sweet potatoes. “We have to try to cook these foods in a simple way.”

De la Fuente also influences the idea of try to make up for lunches and dinners: “In the event that the boys or girls have eaten in the school cafeteria, we must make sure what the meals have been like and then complement the dinners and make sure that throughout the week they have eaten fish three or four times, including white and blue fish that eat legumes at least twice a week and having these references, then complement the dinners.

As to foods that should not be presentDe la Fuente is clear: “Foods with low nutritional value such as refined cereals such as white pasta, white rice, refined flours, ultra-processed foods such as lasagna, pizza or even ultra-processed meats such as sausages or bacon do not have to be present. ultra-processed fish products such as surimi sticks or ready-made fish burgers.

It is also important to provide special attention to dessert: “fresh fruit should be prioritized, and they should have at least three daily servings of whole fruit, since juices are not considered fruit. If we have consumed those three daily servings of fruit throughout the day, at dinner we can include yogurt, but a good quality dairy such as unsweetened full-fat natural yogurt, unsweetened natural kefir, or unsweetened curd,” explain it nutritionist Quirón San José Hospital.

We must not neglect children's breakfastswhich must also be well chosen, like these options that we give in our article “20 healthy breakfasts for children according to nutritionists”.

Taking all these indications into account, we are going to offer dinner ideas for children ages 6 to 12:

1.Cauliflower rice with crushed tomato and grilled egg.

Cauliflower is rich in vitamins A, K, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin B and antioxidants. In addition, it has a high fiber and water content. Grilled egg is healthier than fried and is rich in vitamin A, E, B, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin B₁₂ and phosphorus among others.

2. Rolled zucchini omelet, extra cooked ham and cheese.



Zucchini provides vitamins A and C, folic acid, iron, manganese and is rich in fiber. In addition, omelette is an easy dish to prepare and one that children usually like very much.

3. Steamed salmon with potatoes and baked pumpkin.



Salmon is one of the fish that children eat best and is very rich in proteins and minerals. Contains iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, iron and calcium. In addition, pumpkin is rich in water and fiber, low in calories. It also contains beta-carotene, a great antioxidant.

4. Vegetable cream with chicken skewers.



Making vegetable creams, like preparing purees, is a good way for children to eat vegetables more easily. Chicken skewers, meanwhile, are a fun way for children to eat chicken. Chicken meat is low in fat and rich in proteins, lipids, Vitamin 3 and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, sodium, potassium and magnesium, among others.


5. Baked fish with a base of potatoes and vegetables.



Baked fish is very easy to make and is a healthy and delicious way for children to eat fish. Vegetables, as we have said, cannot be missing from the dinners of the little ones in the house.




Journalist specialized in parenting and family, education and health. I also have a long history in topics related to gastronomy and nutrition.

I love communicating, telling stories and informing, that's why I opted for journalism, but also because I enjoy learning every day.

I graduated in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid and later combined my professional side with studying a master's degree specialized in multimedia journalism. Since then I have gone through various media, I continued training and expanded my passion for the online world, being in charge of the websites of magazines such as Ser Padres and Mía, among others.

I am a lover of reading, poetry, I love traveling, discovering and, above all, I enjoy if my articles help readers solve doubts and make their daily lives a little more enjoyable and easier.