Sneak in the Veggies...

How many ways can a mom sneak veggies into her kids' meals? A million.

Of all the food issues I have with my kids, getting them to eat veggies isn't one of them. However, I still find it fun to sneak veggies into their meals. If you aren't good at keeping fresh veggies in the house try and always keep some in the freezer. I went through a phase where we never ate veggies because I was sick of watching them go bad in the fridge.

Smoothies: You can put anything in a smoothie, according to me. Kale, spinach, carrots, celery, cucumbers, beets. Mask the taste with OJ and Berries and most kids will never know. Add avocado to make it creamy.

Tomato Sauce: Whether you make sauce from scratch or pour out of a jar you can always add veggies. I roast them first and then throw them in the Vitamix (or blender). Once pureed add the tomato sauce. I add carrots, celery, onions, peppers, eggplant, squash, broccoli, or cauliflower. Eat with pasta, meatballs, or on pizza. You can also add cooked ground beef and make it Meat Sauce.

Soup: Pureed veggies can be a soup all on their own. Last night I put cooked cauliflower, butternut squash, and carrots in the Vitamix with water and some spices and called it soup! The girls loved it. Vince wouldn't try it so I poured it over his turkey meatballs and he didn't notice. You can do this with any veggies you and your family like. Broccoli soup, pea soup, potato soup, corn soup, tomato soup, etc.

Meatloaf: My friend Debbi makes Meatloaf with a can of vegetable soup. If you don't have a can you like you can make vegetable soup in the crock pot. Add any diced or small veggies you want with a little water and cook a few hours. I would use peas, carrots, onions, diced potatoes, and peppers. Then mix the soup with meat, top with ketchup or Saucy Susan and bake at 350 for an hour.

Hamburgers: You can make different kinds of burgers by adding diced veggies to the ground meat (beef or turkey). For a Southwest Burger,  add corn, diced peppers, black beans, onions, and cheddar cheese (if you can). For an Italian Burger,  add tomatoes, peppers, onion, and mozzarella cheese (if you can) and top with tomato sauce after cooking. For a Greek Burger, add peppers, red onion, olives, and feta cheese (if you can). You can even make a Veggie Burger! I would add cornmeal to help it stick together.

Mac N Cheese: (Whole Foods has gluten-free and dairy-free options) I always add something random to a box of Mac N Cheese to make it a bit more healthful. You can add a few jars of baby food such as butternut squash, sweet potato, apple sauce, or winter squash. You can also add canned pumpkin, canned mashed yams, different flavored apple sauce, or anything else orange colored. Add it to the pasta when you add the cheese. I usually bake it in the oven for a little while so all the flavors mix with the cheese.

Spinach Dip: I guess you aren't hiding the spinach but kids will sometimes eat this. You can add avocado, kale, greek yogurt, and lemon. If you can have cheese, you can add swiss cheese, parmesan, cream cheese, or any other cheese you like. Bake at 350 for an hour.


Enjoy being sneaky...