20 Recipes to Sneak Veggies Into Family Meals
Some kids can be truly picky eaters. Vegetables are not as attractive as all of the processed sugary foods they might be exposed to. Sometimes you have to be a sleuth in order to make sure they are getting their daily serving of veggies. The secret to sneaking veggies into a child’s diet is to make them fun or undetectable. I’m giving you 20 easy recipes to sneak veggies into family meals.
These dishes all use vegetables, but your kids will still gladly eat them! The textures and colors in these meals are more appealing than a frozen bag of broccoli, so you won’t need to beg your kids to try them. Remember: don’t tell your kids there are veggies in their food! (It’s a secret!)
Don’t forget the super easy veggie tacos recipe that you can get here!
Getting kids to eat their vegetables is not easy! Sometimes you have to be a little bit creative! Here are 20 ways to sneak veggies into family meals. 1. Zucchini Noodles with Alfredo Sauce Zucchini noodles are a popular keto alternative to pasta. They’re crunchy, colorful, and delicious! Stir fry the zoodles, throw in some Alfredo sauce, and top the dish with an appetizing seasoning. These mini pizzas are adorable! They’re shaped like carrots, with carrots in the base and in the sauce. At first glance, the slices don’t look like they’re made from carrots – they might as well be regular mini pizzas! If your kids like guacamole, they’ll try this breakfast meal! This dish consists of eggs baked inside of an avocado, seasoned to taste. The eggs and avocados serve up a healthy dose of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Smoothie bowls are simple: they’re smoothies poured into a bowl with some toppings. This berry-banana smoothie bowl recipe makes room for Although you can clearly see the veggies in this salad, the colors are so vibrant that your child just might devour it! Using bowtie pasta, peas, corn, and other colorful vegetables, whip up an easy, toddler-friendly salad. Turn their food pink with cubes made 100% from beets! Use them in macaroni and cheese to make a pink pasta so tasty, your kids won’t know that you’re sneaking iron, calcium, and magnesium into their diets. You can even make nutritious pink pancakes! Serve up a spaghetti and meatball dinner with a twist – veggies inside of the meatballs! Since the meatballs are spiced with appealing flavors, they won’t notice the zucchini, carrots, or whatever else you stuff them with. You can even sneak vegetables into a dessert dish! While carrots give these muffins their color, the cinnamon and vanilla extract add some sweet flavors to each batch. 12 muffins take 30 minutes to make, and each one only has 214 calories! These vegan and gluten free hot dogs are sure to be a hit at your next outdoor party! Instead of meat, use pureed lentils and veggies. To give The title says it all – the vegetables are hidden to trick your kids into eating their dinner! The sauce is made with spinach, onions, garlic, and tomatoes (a fruit, but still nutritious!). When they bite into the enchilada bake, they’ll see chicken and cheddar cheese instead. For kids that are a little less picky, all it takes to get The cauliflower in this pasta is completely hidden! Blending steamed veggies and using nutritional yeast creates a creamy sauce that tastes better than less healthy ingredients. The pasta is also spiced with a bit of nutmeg - yum! After you’ve tried carrot cake muffins, whip up a batch of zucchini muffins! The zucchini keeps these muffins moist, making them kid-friendly. Add in some goat cheese or bacon before tossing one in your child’s lunchbox! Instead of using red food dye to make red velvet pancakes, use pureed beets! To save time, used canned beets instead of ones you’d have to peel and cook. Make some for a special occasion, like Valentine’s Day! Kids love mac and cheese, but they might not be as excited to devour a pumpkin. Sneak some harvest veggies into your child’s favorite meal by using pumpkin puree. It blends right in! Italian Bolognese meat sauce is time consuming to make. This sauce alternative uses onions, carrots, zucchinis, and bell peppers mixed with ground turkey and spices. This healthier alternative is quicker – the veggies only take 3 minutes to cook! Here’s another macaroni dish with hidden vegetables! Creamy squash replaces traditional cheese sauces, and oregano adds some flavor that These meatballs don’t have any meat in them – they’re made from zucchinis, chickpeas, and carrots instead! Italian seasoning makes these “meatballs” taste more familiar, too. Mix in some marinara sauce and your child’s favorite pasta to create their new favorite meal! Looking for a kids’ snack that uses fruits and veggies? Try these beet blueberry muffins! The gluten free recipe is indistinguishable from regular blueberry muffins. If your toddler will eat a blueberry muffin, they’ll devour these, too! The title says it all: these pancakes will sneak squash into your child’s breakfast! If you’d like to cut out carbohydrates, use crooked neck squash instead of butternut squash. You have plenty of options! 20 Ways To Get Your Kids To Eat More Vegetables
Zucchini Noodles Recipe with Healthy Alfredo Sauce (Zucchini Alfredo) | Wholesome Yum
Carrot Pizza with Carrot Pizza Sauce
Baked Avocado Egg Recipe (Egg Stuffed Avocado)
Toddler Breakfast Smoothie Bowl Bar
blended spinach or kale. If all of the ingredients are blended thoroughly, your children won’t notice the greens at all!
Kid Friendly Pasta Salad
100% Beet Cubes for Pink Foods – Your Kids Will Never Expect It
Easy Homemade Baked Italian Meatballs
Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
Lentil Carrot Hot Dog Recipe
the hot dogs the same aroma as ones that just came off the grill, this recipe calls for smoked paprika and garlic powder.
Hidden Veggie Enchilada Bake
Crispy Tofu Burgers with Rainbow Vegetables
them to eat veggies is to make them more appealing. This vegan, gluten free burger is crunchy, colorful, and sweet. You might be able to convince your kids that they aren’t eating tofu!
Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta (vegan, dairy-free)
Healthy Zucchini Muffins with Goat’s Cheese
Healthy Red Velvet Pancakes with Sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Butter
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese | Lightened Up Recipe!
Turkey Vegetable Spaghetti | Healthy Bolognese
Vegan Macaroni Squash
kids are used to. This meal is also gluten free, making it perfect for families with Celiac or other gluten intolerances.
Sneaky Zucchini Meatballs
Gluten Free and Paleo Beet Blueberry Muffins
Keto Low Carb Pancakes with a Sneaky Vegetable!
How do you sneak veggies into family meals?
Hi! I’m Nellie. I am a busy mama of three, wife to my high school sweetheart who loves to cook, workout and stay organized! I love to share helpful printables, the best recipes and fitness tips for the modern mom. I strongly believe that every mom can feed their family well, take proper care of themselves and have fun along the way! Read my story.
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Janine Huldie
Thursday 29th of August 2019
OK, these recipes are perfect, especially knowing that I have a picky eater with my youngest. So, what can I say, but thank you as I can use all the help I can get veggies into the picky eater without her truly knowing!! :)