Fresh or frozen, green beans are a light and healthy side to include with a chicken skillet dinner. Don't bother with the microwave; it only takes a few minutes to steam the beans and microwaving robs the vegetable of taste and crunch. Toss the steamed beans with lemon juice, olive oil, Italian breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan for a rich side that's relatively healthy. Mix the beans with sliced almonds and a little butter or creamy dressing for a simple side or mix the beans with roasted garlic and diced tomatoes for an ultra-healthy dish.

Salad is one of those side dishes you can serve with any entree. Fresh produce has a stimulating texture and enough of a sweet flavor to appeal to kids, although adding your little one's favorite creamy salad dressing also helps. Buy a pre-packaged salad or salad kit if you're in a time crunch, it's still a tasty and healthy choice. If you make your own salad, mix lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, celery and ranch dressing for a simple salad. Combine lettuce, carrots, celery, onion, olives and vinaigrette for an Italian salad.

Baked or boiled, potatoes are a nutritious side dish and a natural match for chicken and garlic. Dice the potatoes, toss with seasoning -- ranch seasoning mix goes over well with the little ones -- and bake on a cookie sheet for a quick side dish that echoes the flavor of home fries. Poke a whole potato with a fork, sprinkle the skin with Cajun seasoning, wrap in foil and bake to create healthy baked potatoes. Serve the potatoes with low-fat butter, sour cream or light creamy dressing to help hold down the calories. Boil cubed potatoes and mix with creamy salad dressing to create a quick potato salad.

Carrots get a bad rap with kids when it comes to side dishes, but only because they're often overcooked. Lightly steam or bake the carrots so that they're warm, but still maintain some crunch. Toss the steamed carrot slices with a raspberry vinaigrette or a creamy salad dressing for an ultra quick dish. Brush baby carrots with a ginger-honey glaze or sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar before baking to add a sweet zing to the vegetable taste.