If you’re like any parent in America, you may just have a picky eater on your hands. Getting your child to try your favorite family dinner ideas can be one of your greatest challenges (second only to getting them to to bed every night).
We’ve all seen it: pushed around peas, broccoli hidden under mashed potatoes, and carrots mysteriously appearing in the dog bowl. Our futile attempts to include vegetables in our children’s meals—and actually have them consume and enjoy them—is an exhaustingly uphill battle. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve often had to resort to sneaky tactics to get my little one to partake. Read on for a few tried and true stealth methods that you’ll wish you known sooner!
1. Brownies are the perfect place to hide veggies while feeling confident they’ll be eaten with glee and appreciation. Just puree enough of any mild-flavored veggie—like cauliflower or zucchini—and substitute it for half the wet ingredients in your recipe. Mix everything up and bake as usual. They’ll be none the wiser, and all the healthier!
2. When baking french fries, slice some carrot sticks and bake them off together. Serve with ketchup and look out for an empty plate.
3. Making muffins? If you finely grate ¼–½ cup of carrots, using the side of your box grater that has the teeny tiny holes, and fold them into the batter just before baking, they’ll melt in like butter. The kiddos will never taste or see ‘em coming. If the muffins are not chocolate, just be sure to darken the batter with brown sugar or molasses, instead of white sugar, to hide the evidence.
4. Thankfully, many kids like tomato sauce with their pasta, so they’re sure to get a good serving of vegetables in anytime you serve this staple dish. Why not sneak a bit more in there for good measure? Puree some zucchini or yellow squash, and add it to their favorite sauce as it simmers. Spaghetti with lots o’ veggies, anyone?
5. A delectable fruit smoothie is a great place to hide some soft-baked butternut squash, or a handful of spinach or greens. Blend well, and they won’t know where the fruit ends and the veggies begin.
6. Turn your average tuna or egg-salad sandwich into a colorful mini masterpiece. Channel your snowman-decorating skills by using veggies to add eyes, noses and mouths to the meal, creating fun sandwich faces your kids will happily eat. It works!
7. When your kid's grilled cheese sandwich gets all melty in the pan, and you’re just about to put that second slice of bread on top, add a few leaves of spinach, and a little more cheese—then put the second slice of bread on it. Yum! Gooey, delicious, nutritious, and stuck together so they have no choice but to enjoy it without a fight.
8. Puree your veggie of choice (steam to soften hard veggies like carrots, and add a little water), and spread on bread as a substitute for mayo or mustard, then top with your kids favorite sandwich fixings, like chicken, turkey and cheese, meatballs or anything else they love.
9. Trying to get your child to eat kale? As comical as that notion may sound, it can be done. Rinse off a handful, massage in a little sea salt, and steam it with raisins. The slightly salty greens mixed with sweet, plump, softened raisins in each bite makes for a delicious side dish.
10. Put some nut butter of choice, honey or melted chocolate in the middle of a plate of veggie sticks, and dip away! They need something to scoop up the dip with, and if veggies are the only thing on the plate, they’ll have to use them.
11. Puree yellow squash, mix it with store bought applesauce and a pinch of cinnamon. Keep a jar in the fridge and use with fish sticks, potato pancakes, pork chops or pretzel sticks. The possibilities are endless!
12. Melt some cheese and pour it over broccoli. ‘Nuff said.
For more inspiration, see our favorite fun restaurants in NYC and great make-your-own-pizza spots.