Your favorite "hide the veggies" recipes

libbyann

Will still won't willingly eat vegetables. We offer them at least twice a day, but they pretty much always go untouched. I'm certainly not above hiding veggies in foods so he gets those missing nutrients, but I'm bored of my ideas! I have Deceptively Delicious, but those recipes are a little more involved than I want for easy lunches and dinners. Here's what we routinely do:

- Zucchini grated into mac & cheese [though he's starting to figure this one out, grrr]
- Sweet Potato Muffins/Pancakes
- Zucchini Muffins
- Chicken nuggets dipped in a veggie puree before breading
- Carrots & onions grated into ground beef before grilling for hamburgers
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese [again, he's started refusing this one too]

And someone please give me hope - will he ever outgrow this phase? We've been dealing with it for well over a year now and I've lost hope that he'll ever willingly eat a veggie again. *sigh*

mcgee

My kids are both willing veggie eaters, so I don't have a lot of suggestions. You could try making carrot muffins. Will he eat KA's chicken tacos? If so, perhaps you could add some corn or sliced peppers in with the pico.

My mom has had some success getting picky eaters to eat raw cauliflower and sliced green bell peppers by serving them with ranch dressing and telling the kids that they don't really have much of a taste - they taste like ranch when dipped in ranch. 

Will he eat cooked broccoli if mixed with lots of cheese or cooked in a cheese sauce?

You could also try serving Morningstar Farms' spicy black bean veggie burgers. They're really tasty. 

libbyann

mcgee:

My kids are both willing veggie eaters, so I don't have a lot of suggestions. You could try making carrot muffins. Will he eat KA's chicken tacos? If so, perhaps you could add some corn or sliced peppers in with the pico.

My mom has had some success getting picky eaters to eat raw cauliflower and sliced green bell peppers by serving them with ranch dressing and telling the kids that they don't really have much of a taste - they taste like ranch when dipped in ranch. 

Will he eat cooked broccoli if mixed with lots of cheese or cooked in a cheese sauce?

You could also try serving Morningstar Farms' spicy black bean veggie burgers. They're really tasty. 

Thanks, mcgee. I have tried mixing corn in with the pico in KA tacos - he just picks out the chicken. He's an incredibly picky eater and right now I can't really reason with him, which is making it incredibly frustrating for me. I keep telling myself it's just food, but with the way I eat, it's not JUST food. It's fuel & I hate that his fuel is coming from fruit and bread every day, all day. 

He will not touch broccoli. No.matter.what. He used to eat it and LOVE it. Not sure what changed. We've tried dipping sauces for veggies - he'll dip and lick the sauce off the veggie, haha! We don't do soy, so the burgers are out since the first ingredient is soy. 

lol, I'm probably making this as difficult as him I think I'll have to just keep being patient with him and realize that when he's 3, 4, or 5, I can reason with him more than I can now.

NoVA-grl

Does he like eggs?  You could try mixing in veggies into an egg omelet.

libbyann

NoVA-grl:

Does he like eggs?  You could try mixing in veggies into an egg omelet.

Good idea! He does like eggs...I might try a puree of some form in the omelet.

mcgee

libbyann:

NoVA-grl:

Does he like eggs?  You could try mixing in veggies into an egg omelet.

Good idea! He does like eggs...I might try a puree of some form in the omelet.

Puree some red peppers and tell him that you're having red eggs. Kind of like green eggs and ham, but red.  Maybe the novelty of a different color will make it easier to hide a veggie puree.

MrsMillerTime

DD is "moody" when it comes to veggies.  Some days she'll eat them no problem but it is not uncommon for us to fight with her for a week or so.  I'm not afraid to give DD the Happy Tot veggie pouches (she l.o.v.e.s. them) when I feel like it's been a while since her last legitimate veggie intake.

Veggie omelets are also a big hit around our house.  Or thinly sliced veggies added in with cheese quesadillas.

michelleaxo

libbyann:

I hate that his fuel is coming from fruit and bread every day, all day. 

He will not touch broccoli. No.matter.what. He used to eat it and LOVE it. Not sure what changed. We've tried dipping sauces for veggies - he'll dip and lick the sauce off the veggie, haha!

Ha! Him and G sound so much alike. She has become sooo picky and only wants fruit and bread. Oh, and she licks off all the dipping sauce we give her too.

Angie&Doc

Austin still doesn't eat any veggies. We try, but he just doesn't like them.

kellenickle

Maybe smoothies? DD helps me make a smoothie almost every morning and then we share it. We usually do blueberries and strawberries with lots of spinach, but I'm sure there are other veggies that may work. I also find that DD will eat almost anything that she helps make. Maybe he could cook with you?

bridegril

I made these this weekend and they were a hit with my kiddos, me and dh too!

Carrot, Apple and Oat Chicken Nuggets ? slightly adapted from Food.com

• 2 Pounds Ground Chicken
• 1 Apple, grated
• 3 Carrots, grated
• 1/3 Cup Oatmeal, uncooked
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 Cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix chicken, apple, carrots and oats until well combined.  Form into tablespoon sized balls, then flatten into a nugget shaped patty.

Dip into egg, then roll in breadcrumbs.  Place nuggets on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  **Nuggets will not brown very much.**

Freeze extra nuggets in a freezer safe bag.  To reheat, bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

Here is the link to the food blog... she looks to have some good stuff!

https://www.thejeyofcooking.com/

chargermama

when all else fails - we have our girls drink V-8 Fusion b/c it has a serving of fruit and vegetable in every serving.  Our ped recommended it.  It is a bit high in sugar but hey at least they are getting some veggie in there.  Also try zucchini and carrot puree in spaghetti sauce.  Maybe give him a Boca burger instead of a hamburger.

 

Oh and my daughter loved eating corn on the cob.  Have you tried that one?

SareBear30

Sweet potato fries? I also tricked DH into veg with a meatloaf recipe that had spinach. I added shredded carrots too. Does he like mashed potatoes? How about cauliflower mixed in mashed potatoes? Oh, and I've heard peas blended in guacamole are tasty. Below is the recipe for the meatloaf (sorry for the formatting, I'm on my phone.)

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2487

MnMShaw

These are some of my favorites I hide veggies in from DH.  

Broccoli Pesto Pizza

Bacon Mac and Cheese with mixed veggies

Zucchini Enchiladas