Three Ways to Sneak Vegetables in Your Child's Diet

Melanie L. Marten
Many kids are picky eaters. Parents lament the fact, try all sorts of tricks to get children to eat more nutritious foods, and sometimes give up in the end. The most important type of food for children to eat is vegetables. This is also one of the hardest to convince them to try.

There is an easier way. As long as you do not mind engaging in some subtle trickery, it is possible for you to sneak vegetables into your child's diet without them realizing it.

The Veggie Juice Hide

When it comes to your child's health, a juicer machine is a good investment. If your child regularly drinks fruit juice, it is possible to add in the goodness of vegetables without them realizing. Simply send the vegetables through the juicer and mix well with their fruit juice. You can even create a thick shake by blending it with ice. This will make it extra special and will not arouse your child's suspicions.

The Mystery Muffin

Another great way to get vegetables into your child's diet is by hiding them in muffins, quick breads, or other baked goods. You can even hide them in cookies. The secret here is to use a food processor to blend the vegetables to an applesauce like consistency. Then, you can use them to replace some of the liquid in the baked goods recipe.

This method of sneaking vegetables into your child's diet is more beneficial than using the juice method. With juicing, the fiber and some nutrients are extracted. This way, everything from the vegetable is being used.

Meatballs and Burgers

You will also use the whole vegetable if you incorporate them into meatballs, meatloaf, and burgers. Simply puree, grate, or chop the vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, peas, beets, and spinach and mix it with the chop meat. Your child may even enjoy eating special colorful meatballs! If not, make sure that you put the spaghetti sauce or gravy on the meatballs before you give them their plate.

Getting your children to eat nutritious vegetables can be a daunting task. With these creative ways of sneaking them into your child's diet, you may not create a vegetable lover, but at least you will know that they are receiving a wide and varied nutritious diet. While it would be preferable to be able to get your child to try new vegetables and learn to enjoy them, it is often too stressful a proposition. Sneaking vegetables to your child is really a viable option.

Published by Melanie L. Marten

Melanie Marten is self-taught and self-employed. Besides freelance writing, she dabbles in website design and owns dozens of websites and blogs. Work is squeezed in between parenting two boys, homeschoolin...  View profile

  • When it comes to your child's health, a juicer machine is a good investment.
  • Another great way to get vegetables into your child's diet is by hiding them in muffins.
  • Getting your children to eat nutritious vegetables can be a daunting task.

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