Waffled Pizza Pockets: Fun Cooking with Kids and Smart Food Choices

I’m happy to be partnering with Horizon Organic to share what three little boys have taught me over the last eight years and an easy kid-friendly recipe for Waffled Pizza Pockets you’ll love.

Getting kids to make healthy food choices can be a challenge. Sugar-filled snacks and colorful packaging compete for their attention, and even the most flavorful healthy food can lose out. We all want our children to enjoy vegetables, fruits, and whole grains—so how do we get there? We’re still learning, but these seven practical tips have helped our family.

7 Ways to Help Your Kids Make Healthy Food Choices

1. Give children the words to describe foods. Rather than “It’s gross,” teach them to say whether something is sweet, sour, salty, crunchy, juicy, bitter, or soft. That helps them form opinions and communicate preferences.
2. Praise bravery and small steps. A reward—even something small like a quarter—can help a child try a new bite. The first taste is often the hardest.
3. Offer vegetables in many ways. Don’t force or hide them exclusively. Serve raw veggies with dips like hummus or ranch, roast or steam them, add them to pasta and tacos, and blend them into smoothies and sauces.
4. Keep mealtime peaceful. Family meals should be pleasant, not a power struggle. If a child refuses what’s served, don’t turn it into a battle. Maintain consistency and let them learn to try new foods without using mealtime as leverage.
5. Let kids help in the kitchen. Children are more likely to taste food they helped prepare. Cooking builds life skills and creates memories—let them pick meals and participate in planning and prep.
6. Avoid labeling your child as “picky.” When you keep offering new foods, they come to expect trying something different regularly. Consistency helps habits form.
7. Explain why healthy foods matter. Relate nutrition to things they care about—my boys love cars, so we talk about food as fuel that keeps their bodies running smoothly like an engine.

With my older two boys back at school, Little Boy #3 and I have enjoyed extra kitchen time together. We make Easy Waffled Pizza Pockets for lunch, after-school snacks, or quick weeknight dinners. Everyone gets to assemble their own pocket, and toppings can be tailored to taste. Turkey pepperoni and cheese is our go-to, while ham and pineapple make a tasty Hawaiian twist. Gather your toppings and let little hands help assemble.

Spread pizza sauce on one tortilla and add cheese and toppings to the other.

Press the assembled tortillas in a hot waffle iron to crisp the outside and melt the cheese. Have an adult operate the waffle iron to prevent burns.

Slice the cooked pocket into quarters and serve with extra pizza sauce for dipping.

These are fun for both kids and adults, and they’re quick to assemble and cook.

Waffled Pizza Pockets — Recipe details

Waffled Pizza Pockets

• Julie
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Waffle Iron
• Cuisine: Italian

This conversation is sponsored by Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.