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Surprise! There's Vegetables in There

Growing up, my little brother was one of the pickiest eaters.  He wanted nothing to do with condiments, ordered everything plain, and eating his vegetables was the last thing on his mind.  Do you have a picky eater or have a hard time getting your children to eat their vegetables?  Let me share a few tips and tricks on how to sneak those healthy foods into your child's diet.


Smoothies
Smoothies are one of my favorite go-to treats on a warm summer day (or honestly any day) and children love them as well.  Last year at the Sam E Hill SHADES program, we introduced new healthy foods to children once a week and smoothies were by far the favorite.  If they had known there was spinach in the smoothies, that may not have been the case, but as far as they knew it was a delicious cup of sweet goodness.  Several great recipes can be found at The Everyday Mom Life.

Baked Goods
Believe it or not, there are many ways you can hide vegetables into your favorite brownie, cookie, or muffin recipe.  Pureed sweet potatoes, carrots, and zucchini are several veggies you can add to your favorite recipes, without significantly altering the texture.  I personally love zucchini bread, and carrot cake is by far my favorite flavor in the cake world, but those items are definitely NOT hiding anything from your picky eater.  Try out one of the sweet treat recipes by Super Healthy Kids.  The 4 Ingredient Sweet Potato Brownies are delicious (I added an egg and a little protein powder to mine).

Sauces
I will be the first to admit I have a problem when it comes to dips and sauces.  I LOVE THEM!  I say french fried are my Achilles heel of junk food, but they're really just an edible utensil for a delicious sauce or dip.  From my experience, kids love dips and sauces too!  I've seen children forgo the carrots and celery and drink the ranch dressing straight out of the cup!  It's pretty easy to hide carrots, peppers, broccoli, or even squash in pizza or spaghetti sauce just by pureeing them.  (You can also make pizza crust out of cauliflower.)  My Fussy Eater has 15 healthy and kid approved recipes for other dips and sauces. 

Mac and Cheese
Cauliflower is easily hidden in this comfort food.  Whether you make it from scratch or pour it out of a box, adding some finely chopped or pureed cauliflower can practically be invisible.  This simple addition will add fiber and B vitamins to a normally not-so-healthy kid favorite.  The Self Proclaimed Foodie has a homemade recipe if you want to give it a try!

Vegetables are an important part of a healthy balanced diet and are essential in a child's growth and development.  Some children may enjoy them, while others have to be tricked into consuming their daily dose.  Either way, these recipes are a great way to to get children and yourself eating healthy.

-Ms. Jennifer

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