3 Meals with Hidden Vegetables for Your Picky Eater
October 30, 2020
Author: Regalo Baby
Kids and vegetables aren’t always best friends. It’s not totally uncommon for children to dislike vegetables before they’ve even tried them!
The sight of green can be enough to make them turn their little noses up and refuse to eat what is on their plate.
It’s frustrating, to say the least. We want our children to enjoy eating healthy foods, but we certainly can’t force feed them. Meals with hidden vegetables have been a helpful way for us to sneak nutrients into food that we know our kids will devour.
Recommended Vegetable Intake for Children
Children aged 2–3 should consume 1 cup of vegetables per day; children who are 4–8 years old require 1½ cups of vegetables per day.
It may sound daunting, but there is good news: the fiber in vegetables aids digestion, plus they are full of phytonutrients, which boosts their immune system.
Because of the recommended requirements, parents may need to get a little sneaky when cooking. Meals with hidden vegetables have been the answer at our house.
It’s up to you whether you tell your child all the ingredients included in their meal, but you’ll feel good knowing you served them their daily intake of veggies.
Vegetable-Packed Pizza Rolls
There’s a reason this recipe is one of the most popular vegetable recipes for kids on Pinterest—9 vegetables finely chopped and hidden inside a kid-favorite: pizza! We adapted this recipe from Super Healthy Kids to use store bought dough instead of making our own. As much as we'd love to make our own dough, finding the time to do so is tricky!
Hidden Vegetable Pizza Rolls
- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper (diced)
- 1 Carrot (diced)
- 1/2 Zucchini (diced)
- 1/2 Onion (diced)
- 1 Tomato (diced)
- 2 Mushrooms (diced)
- 1/4 cup Spinach
- 1 cup Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 1 Refridgerated Pizza Dough
- Muffin Tin
- Cooking Spray
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
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Chop all vegetables.
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Combine all vegetables in a pan and saute for 5-7 minutes or until slightly softened.
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In a blender, combine sauteed vegetables and spaghetti sauce. Blend until smooth.
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Roll out your pizza dough, add marinara sauce and 3/4 cup of cheese.
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Roll the pizza crust into a log and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.
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Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and add a slice to each tin. Cover with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Waffles
These muffins were so delicious, our kids were happy eating them as a dessert! It does make a lot, so toss the extras in the freezer, and you will have some on hand for when they crave them again!
Get the full Double Chocolate Zucchini Waffles Recipe here
Chicken Nuggets with Veggies
Chicken nuggets are nearly an everyday request from my children (and husband). I stumbled across this much healthy chicken nuggets recipe and have been making them for my kid's ever since.
You will be surprised at just how easy this recipe is—with only 6 ingredients, this quick and easy recipe may become a staple in your home.
Get the full Chicken Nuggets with Veggies Recipe here
