Austin Moms BLog | 10 Ways to Sneak in the Veggies

We could go on and on about all the various parenting techniques that help our children eat well and not be picky at the table. And while I am interested in reading about and implementing some of those, sometimes I find it helpful to avoid the food-related drama and just sneak veggies into everyday foods so that I know my kids are getting nutrients. I’ve come to learn that I grew up eating vegetables that were mixed/sneaky in much of my meals and while I’m sure I would’ve protested had I known, I do think it gave me a taste for vegetables that now I’m so thankful for! I absolutely love eating vegetables now and I hope that my kids will one day branch out from knowingly eating only tasteless veggies like peas and cucumbers. Until then, I’ll sneak a lot of the veggies in and hope their taste buds start to take note over time.

Here are 10 creative ways to sneak veggies into food for your family:

  1. Smoothies – Blend veggies with yogurt or milk and fruit with ice (or frozen fruit). The result is an icy, sweet and healthy drink that is perfect for hot Texas afternoons! My kids especially like frozen bananas blended with bunches of spinach and greek yogurt for a creamy cold treat.
  2. Popsicles – Blend veggies with fruit, yogurt or juice and freeze them at home in re-usable popsicle making trays. I often make popsicles out of any liquid leftover from making smoothies (as described above). Raw cucumbers and spinach blend in especially well as sneaky smoothie/popsicle ingredients.
  3. Pasta – Make your own pasta sauce (white or red) and add finely chopped (or pureed) vegetables like roasted carrots, raw spinach, roasted zucchini, kale, cauliflower, etc. as the sauce simmers. Also, try swapping out pasta noodles for spaghetti squash instead! I was surprised by this but my 3 year old loved it and didn’t know it wasn’t actually pasta.
  4. Sandwiches – Add small pieces of spinach and/or tomatoes to a grilled cheese sandwich and it will hardly change the yummy cheesy flavor or texture.
  5. Muffins – Use a grater (or electric food processor) to shred zucchini or carrots and add them to a muffin recipe, just like how you would bake any fruit into a muffin. The muffin will be sweet and moist from the water and flavor of the vegetables but the sugar and spices will cover up any strong veggie taste.
  6. Pancakes – Very similar to baking veggie muffins, but in pancake form instead! Try using mashed sweet potatoes and/or pureed carrots in your pancake mix. Add some “pumpkin pie spice” and your pancakes will taste far more like a dessert than a vegetable.
  7. Meatballs or meatloaf – Most meatball or meatloaf recipes call for a bit of onion or other finely diced ingredients to add flavor and moisture to the meat. Adding finely diced greens, as well as carrots, or sun-dried tomatoes add nutrients and complexity to the taste without changing the dominant meat texture and flavor.
  8. Pizza – Mix pureed vegetables into your pizza sauce for very picky eaters, or add finely diced veggies underneath the cheese.
  9. Soup – Roasted vegetables mixed with herbs, spices, grains, cheese and/or broths can make really delicious and comforting soups. Cheesy cauliflower soup is healthier alternative to a creamy potato soup, tomato soup is great for sandwich dipping and broccoli cheese soup is always a crowd pleaser.
  10. Chips and Dips – Make your own chips by roasting pieces of kale or thinly sliced beets or sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt. And making dips for your chips is not hard! Salsa is a great way to eat fresh tomatoes and Greek yogurt blended with veggies like spinach and artichokes can make a delicious green chip dip. Also, delicious? Try sneaking some pureed veggies like tomatoes or roasted red peppers into your queso for some extra flavor and nutrition.

Let us know how you sneak veggies in for your family and what works best! Bon appetite!

 

Lydia Hekman
As the Sales Manager for Austin Moms, Lydia works with our amazing advertising sponsors who enable our site to continue to flourish and grow! She loves to help businesses spread the word about their products or services and how they can support Austin Moms. Lydia has been married to Scott for almost 13 years, and she is Mom to Violet, Ezra & Sylvia. She loves serving local Moms as a part of this Austin Moms team, but also separately as a birth doula. She and her family are partners of the Austin Stone Community Church where her husband Scott is an Executive Pastor & Elder. Lydia also loves going out to eat, vacationing in Michigan and spending time with her friends and family. 

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