The infamous kid’s happy meal has ingredients that make me less than happy… so I made my own version, a Healthy Happy Meal that kids will love and parents will be happy to make. Get instructions on making the best homemade fries here: Crispy Baked French Fries! If you prefer a burger instead of nuggets, make a Grillable Black Bean Burger!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Kid-Friendly: Kids (and adults too honestly) LOVE this homemade Healthy Happy Meal. Perfect for a kid’s party or easy lunch!
- Plant-Based: You don’t need expensive chicken or mystery meats to make these tenders. They’re actually entirely vegan and made from tofu but no one will ever guess!
- Cheaper & Healthier: Fast food is not cheap anymore. A kid’s happy meal starts at $7. Not to mention, it is so much healthier to make it at home! Same as tacos and you can make my One Pan Taco Casserole instead.
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Notes on Ingredients
- Tofu: Used as the protein for the tenders. Use high-protein or extra firm tofu for the best texture.
- Breadcrumbs: Gluten-free breadcrumbs will work.
- Flour: Whole-wheat or gluten-free all-purpose flour works.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW in the recipe card.
How do you make Healthy Happy Meal?
- Cut a block of tofu in half.
- Cut the half block into 6 pieces then shape them into nuggets. Save the extra shavings broken off for another meal!
- In a bowl, mix the flour and milk to make a batter.
- Then, pour the breadcrumbs on a plate with salt, pepper and garlic. Dip the tofu in the batter then roll in breadcrumbs.
- Lay the nuggets on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with olive oil spray and bake or air fry at 400 for 20 min or until golden and crispy!
- Make the fries and enjoy!
- Step 1: Rip the tofu into nuggets. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the water and flour.
- Step 2: Then, make the breadcrumb mixture by mixing salt, pepper, garlic, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
- Step 3: Dip each piece of tofu into the batter.
- Step 4: Next, dip each nugget into the breadcrumbs to coat it and then add them to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Step 5: Cut the fries and bake them.
- Step 6: Lastly, serve with ketchup, apple slices, and enjoy!
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Commonly Asked Questions
Nope! It’s actually way cheaper! This meal breaks down into under $2 per serving. Pair this meal with Homemade Nature’s Gatorade!
I always look for a vegan breadcrumb without any eggs in it that also has “cleaner” ingredients. If your store doesn’t have one, you could always blend up crackers in a food processor.
You can use any type of potato, but russet will give the true French fry taste. You can also try my Crispy Oil-Free Baked Fries! Another option is to use sweet potato to make sweet potato fries.
“Both the kids and adults in my family love this meal. The tofu nuggets and fries combination is so good!”
– Jordan
Extra Helpful Tips
- Make sure to get extra firm tofu so the nuggets can stay intact and form a nugget shape.
- Flip the nuggets halfway through baking if you like them extra crispy.
- Cut the fries to your preferred thickness. You can have them thin or more like wedges. Keep in mind that thicker fries may take longer to cook.
- Add apple slices to the meal for the full effect! For a drink, make Homemade Nature’s Gatorade!
If you tried this Healthy Happy Meal or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Healthy Happy Meal
Equipment
- 1 knife sharp enough to cut a potato
- 1 baking sheet you can put the nuggets and fries on one sheet
- 2 bowls
- 1 peeler optional
Ingredients
- ½ block tofu high protein firm
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour or gluten free flour
- ½ cup water or soy milk
- salt, pepper and garlic powder to season
fries
- ½ potato russet
- olive oil spray
- sea salt
Instructions
- Cut block of tofu in half.
- Cut the half block into 6 pieces then shape them into nuggets. Save the extra shavings broken off for another meal!
- In a bowl mix the flour and milk to make a batter.
- Then pour the breadcrumbs on a plate with salt, pepper and garlic. Dip the tofu in the batter then roll in breadcrumbs.
- Lay the nuggets on baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with olive oil spray and bake/air fry at 400 for 20 min or until golden and crispy!
fries
- Peeling the potato is optional, then cut into thin fries and lay on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake or air fry at 400 F. until crispy/golden brown! This should take about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
- Make sure to get extra firm tofu so the nuggets can stay intact and form a nugget shape.
- Flip the nuggets half way through if you like them extra crispy.
- Cut the fries to your preferred thickness. You can have them thin or more like wedges. Just keep in mind that thicker fries may take longer to cook.
- Add apple slices to the meal!
Jordan Stacy says
Both the kids and adults in my family love this meal. The tofu nuggets and fries combination is so good!