Children are not the only ones who have a tough time eating their vegetables, some adults do too. And if you have a family of picky eaters who frown at the idea of peas and carrots strategically placed next to their favorite mac and cheese, here are some sneaky yet delicious ways to get your family to eat more vegetables at every meal.
Start your day with healthy vegetables
There’s a reason why breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day; it is the first meal our body gets after a long break since dinner from the previous night and it is important to load up on nutrients to get the day started right. Here are some easy ways to add vegetables to your breakfast menu:
- Mix minced cauliflower or broccoli to scrambled eggs
- Add peppers, onions, mushrooms to an omelet
- Add puréed pumpkin or butternut squash to your pancake or waffle batter
- Bake zucchini and/or carrot muffins
- Add leafy greens like spinach and kale, avocados, carrots or beets to your smoothie
Vegetables can be in your lunches and dinners too
With one serving of vegetables in your breakfast, you can add the next serving to your family’s lunches and dinners too. Here are a few interesting ideas:
- Make vegetable “noodles” with zucchini, squash, cucumbers and carrots and make a more fun looking salad or a low-carb version of spaghetti and meatballs.
- Incorporate vegetables like carrots, peas and mushrooms into your pasta dish
- Make mashed potatoes with a mix of regular and sweet potatoes for added nutrition
- Use kale, chard, collard greens or just lettuce instead of bread or tortillas to make crunchier and healthier wraps or sandwiches.
- Make a hearty vegetable soup to start your meal
- Add vegetable purée to your burgers and meatloaf
- Make vegetable and kale chips for a healthy snack
- Add more vegetables on your pizza
- Make vegetable burgers
- Grill vegetables like corn and asparagus
- Bake your own fries with sweet potatoes, zucchini or green beans
- Stuff squashes, bell peppers or tomatoes with meat, rice, couscous or quinoa
- Replace pita or tortilla chips with carrot sticks, cauliflower, cucumbers and peas for a healthier appetizer
- Make colorful stir fries
Vegetables in Desserts?
A sweet tooth can be a bane because most of the desserts we buy are loaded with sugar. You could, of course, make your own healthier versions like:
- Chocolate cakes with puréed carrot
- Avocados in brownies and chocolate pudding
- Puréed carrots in your favorite chocolate chip cookies
- Carrots baked into bread
- Beets added to a luscious red velvet cake
Get creative in the kitchen, try to use these tips or add some of your own to incorporate more vegetables into your family’s diet. Also, remember to shop local and look for seasonal produce to get the maximum benefits.
References
40 Ways to Sneak Veggies Into Any Meal Without Sacrificing Flavor. (2018, February 08). Retrieved from https://greatist.com/health/40-unexpected-ways-add-veggies-meal
21-Day Challenge: Power Up Your Veggies. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.health.com/microsites/challenge/veggie-challenge.html
