When you have picky eaters at the table (or are a picky eater yourself), it’s tricky to prepare a healthy meal. Most picky eaters actively avoid eating their greens —or even their reds, oranges, and yellows, for that matter. In short, they don’t like vegetables. More often than not, picky eaters dislike the texture of vegetables. Unlike proteins and carbs, fruits and vegetables can feel like a “hassle” to eat. However, you can keep little ones healthy and encourage them to try new flavors by hiding healthy greens in their favorite meals!
Hidden veggie lasagna
Everybody loves a warming lasagna dish! But, what you may not realize is that a simple Italian lasagna recipe gives you plenty of room for creative veggie plotting. Indeed, when you make your lasagna from scratch, you can start with preparing a rich tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes. It’s the perfect opportunity to add some thinly d vegetables such as onions and carrots into the sauce. They will become invisible once the sauce is pureed.
Veggie-packed smoothie
There’s a reason why most kids love a breakfast smoothie. Smoothies are convenient and easy to consume. Besides, they can feel like a milkshake treat if you add a little peanut butter and yogurt.
Smoothies are high in vitamins as you can pack plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. But none is the wiser: Everything disappears into the food processor to come out as a deliciously thick drink.
Steam buns with a surprise
Chinese steamed buns, or mantou, are usually steamed white bread. They can be served with a filling. However, it’s fair to say that picky eaters will shy away from filled buns. Yet, you can mix some delicious vegetable puree into the dough to make them healthier. Butternut squash mantou are sweet and orange in color. You can also experiment with other vegetables, such as using pumpkin or sweet potato puree for flavor.
Make the most of Halloween colors
The countdown to Halloween has started, and it’s the best excuse to make their favorite dish in exciting colors. But instead of using food colorants, you can use natural ingredients that will transform the dish. For instance, if you enjoy making your pasta from scratch, you can mix some spinach into the pasta dough to make green spaghetti. If you are making ravioli, why not add some beetroot puree to serve pink ravioli? There are many options to bring more vegetables into homemade pasta dough.
For store-bought pasta, you can turn the sauce into a vegetable hiding party. Greens mixed into a homemade pesto sauce fully disappear from sight.
Meatballs with a twist
Meatballs are a favorite for little ones. They are easy to eat. For parents, they offer a smart receptacle for thinly cut vegetables. For extra nutrition, you could mix ground beef or minced fish with some carrots, spinach, green onions, and even grated zucchini. Once the vegetables are combined with the meat or the fish, you can coat the ball with breadcrumbs. Under the crunchy crush hides a healthy and nutritious heart filled with proteins and vitamins. What’s not to like?
Picky eaters often struggle with food texture. However, making greens an integral part of their favorite dish without affecting the texture they know can help create a healthy and balanced diet.
