How to Sneak Vegetables Into Meals
Grate vegetables into your meals., Add pureed vegetables to your food., Add vegetables to your baked goods., Stir vegetables into ground meats., Add chopped greens to your grains., Use vegetables as sauces or dressings.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Grate vegetables into your meals.
If you're used to cooking for picky eaters that scoop the vegetables out of their food, try grating the vegetables.
Grated vegetables are hard to spot and they blend in easily to most dishes.
Try grating carrots, zucchini, broccoli, or beets.For example, you can mix grated carrots into meatloaf for extra flavor and moisture.
You could also stir grated zucchini into pasta or casseroles. -
Step 2: Add pureed vegetables to your food.
Steam or roast any vegetables until they're soft.
Place the cooked vegetables in a food processor or blender and blend them until they're completely smooth.
You can stir these vegetable purees into sauces, mashed potatoes, soup, or pastas.For example, puree cauliflower, winter squash, or roasted red peppers and add them to your favorite casserole. , Many vegetables add moisture, flavor, and nutrients to baked goods.
Since grated and pureed vegetables blend into the baked goods, no one will realize that they're also getting a serving of vegetables.
You can usually add 1/2 cup of grated or pureed vegetables to most baked goods.Try adding pumpkin puree, butternut squash puree, or grated carrots or zucchini to muffins, quick breads or pancakes. , You can easily grate or shred vegetables to stir into ground meats that you'll stir fry or cook into a sauce.
If you can't easily grate or shred the veggie, try pureeing it before stirring it into the meat.
For example, you can puree onion and stir it into meatballs.
Pureed spinach (fresh or frozen) can easily be mixed into meat for meatloaf.
To hide the color of the green spinach, use it with ground beef instead of ground chicken or turkey. , If you usually serve a grain or a starch with your meals, start stirring in chopped vegetables.
Try to keep the vegetables small so they combine with the grain or starch.
This will also keep people from noticing and picking them out.For example, you could stir chopped spinach into brown rice or quinoa. , Mash or puree vegetables to use as sauces or dressings.
Stir in vegetable stock until the purees are thin and easy to pour over foods.
Roasted red peppers, butternut squash and carrots make flavorful and slightly sweet sauces.
To make a quick salad dressing, simply mash avocado and thin it with olive oil and lemon juice.
To use your vegetable sauces or dressings, drizzle them over:
Mashed vegetables Meats Fish Salads -
Step 3: Add vegetables to your baked goods.
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Step 4: Stir vegetables into ground meats.
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Step 5: Add chopped greens to your grains.
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Step 6: Use vegetables as sauces or dressings.
Detailed Guide
If you're used to cooking for picky eaters that scoop the vegetables out of their food, try grating the vegetables.
Grated vegetables are hard to spot and they blend in easily to most dishes.
Try grating carrots, zucchini, broccoli, or beets.For example, you can mix grated carrots into meatloaf for extra flavor and moisture.
You could also stir grated zucchini into pasta or casseroles.
Steam or roast any vegetables until they're soft.
Place the cooked vegetables in a food processor or blender and blend them until they're completely smooth.
You can stir these vegetable purees into sauces, mashed potatoes, soup, or pastas.For example, puree cauliflower, winter squash, or roasted red peppers and add them to your favorite casserole. , Many vegetables add moisture, flavor, and nutrients to baked goods.
Since grated and pureed vegetables blend into the baked goods, no one will realize that they're also getting a serving of vegetables.
You can usually add 1/2 cup of grated or pureed vegetables to most baked goods.Try adding pumpkin puree, butternut squash puree, or grated carrots or zucchini to muffins, quick breads or pancakes. , You can easily grate or shred vegetables to stir into ground meats that you'll stir fry or cook into a sauce.
If you can't easily grate or shred the veggie, try pureeing it before stirring it into the meat.
For example, you can puree onion and stir it into meatballs.
Pureed spinach (fresh or frozen) can easily be mixed into meat for meatloaf.
To hide the color of the green spinach, use it with ground beef instead of ground chicken or turkey. , If you usually serve a grain or a starch with your meals, start stirring in chopped vegetables.
Try to keep the vegetables small so they combine with the grain or starch.
This will also keep people from noticing and picking them out.For example, you could stir chopped spinach into brown rice or quinoa. , Mash or puree vegetables to use as sauces or dressings.
Stir in vegetable stock until the purees are thin and easy to pour over foods.
Roasted red peppers, butternut squash and carrots make flavorful and slightly sweet sauces.
To make a quick salad dressing, simply mash avocado and thin it with olive oil and lemon juice.
To use your vegetable sauces or dressings, drizzle them over:
Mashed vegetables Meats Fish Salads
About the Author
Christopher Richardson
Creates helpful guides on pet care to inspire and educate readers.
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