How to Sneak Veggies in for Picky Eaters

Getting your children to eat all the vegetables they need and maintain a healthy diet can be challenging, to say the least. Don’t let this become a battle! You will drive yourself crazy and your children could end up resenting mealtimes. 

Offering your children vegetables daily is still an important way to expose them and give them opportunities to choose to include vegetables with their meals. However, this could take months or years. Instead of waiting for this day to come, try implementing some of the following ways to sneak those veggies in!

Baked Goods

Never underestimate the allure of a delicious baked good! There are a ton of great baked good recipes that sneak veggies in and don’t sacrifice flavor. Here are a few you can try:

• Chocolate banana muffins – these decadent muffins  include whole wheat flour, sweet potato or pumpkin, ground flaxseed, and banana.

• Zucchini chocolate chip breakfast cookies – these make ahead breakfast cookies include zucchini, bananas, oats, and nut butter.

• Sweet potato quick biscuits – this classic biscuit recipe is perfectly moist and has a subtle sweetness.

The Kid Classics 

When in doubt, use the classic meals that you know your child loves to hide some veggies. Finely chopped or pureed veggies are easily able to hidden in recipes like:

• Healthy mac and cheese – this baked pasta sneaks in sweet potato and is still creamy and comforting.

• Baked meatballs – these moist, healthy meatballs are super nutritious with carrot, zucchini, parsley, and chives.

• Meatloaf muffins – these meatloaf muffins sneak in onion, carrot, fresh parsley, and garlic cloves.

CHEESE!

As long as there isn’t a dairy intolerance, cheese is your best friend! Use it to cover up any veggies in these delicious meals:

• Spinach lasagna rolls – this vegetarian lasagne takes the typical ingredients of cheese, sauce, and pasta and adds spinach.

• Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole – this comforting casserole hides onion, carrots, celery, broccoli, and garlic.

• English muffin pizzas – pizza is a great way to incorporate veggies as toppings.

These are just a few suggestions, but you can use them as inspiration or a jumping off point when planning your meals. Remember that any amount of vegetables you can get in your child is better than nothing. Try not to turn mealtime into a battle and keep it a positive experience for all involved. 

If you’d like more help planning your meals and/or more recipes that incorporate the vegetables they need, email Angela today at info@bee-healthy.net.