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Need A Kids Recipe That Packs Hidden Veggies? We’ve Got Five!
Looking for a healthy kids recipe? We’ve got you covered!
Helping your kids make the right food choices and understand nutrition guidelines is important as they grow. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that kids eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day in order to develop properly. Unfortunately, it can a real struggle to convince your kids to eat enough – sometimes ANY – fruits and vegetables!
If you have picky eaters in your house, the best way to handle it is to get creative. Taking a favorite kids recipe and making it healthy can be easier than you think. Try these 5 delicious kid-friendly recipes with hidden fruits and vegetables for added nutrition picky eaters won’t even notice!
These savory, cheesy pizza rolls are packed with added nutrition your kids won’t be able to sniff out! A lot of kids have a hard time with the texture of veggies and turn their noses up as soon as they see the color green!
Thankfully, the hidden veggies in this recipe are blended into the marinara sauce, making it hard for even the pickiest eaters to spot.
Chop veggies (you will need two cups total of your choice of the vegetables listed) and saute for 3-4 minutes or until slightly tender. Blend in a high powered blender with marinara sauce.
Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the warm water and the oil and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form aball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, about 12 by 10 inches.
Begin by spreading about 1 cup of sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch boarder around the edges. If it seems like it needs more, then add 1 or 2 Tbsp at a time. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Chicken nuggets are an easy win when you’re dealing with picky eaters. They’re probably on most kids’ list of top 5 favorite foods. While chicken nuggets are usually found in the frozen aisle of a grocery store or at a fast-food restaurant, this kids recipe is a much healthier version.
These nuggets feature hidden carrots and zucchini. Make this kids recipe in a big batch and store in the freezer so you’ll always a healthy kid approved meal on hand.
1. In a food processor place the carrot and zucchini, with the metal chopping bade process until they are finely diced.
2. Add the chicken breast, garlic, mustard and onion powders (you can use all, some or none of these) and salt and pepper. Process for approx 45 seconds or until the mixture starts to come together.
3. Remove the blade from the food processor. Set up a crumbing station, a bowl of flour, a bowl of egg and a dash of milk whisked together, and a bowl of breadcrumbs.
5. These can now be placed on a lined baking tray with a spray of cooking oil and baked in a 400 F oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are lightly golden and bounce back when touched. Depending on your oven you may need to turn half way.
When all else fails turn to chocolate! Chocolate has a strong, sweet flavor that’s perfect for masking the taste of veggies. This kids recipe sneaks carrots and zucchini into delicious whole wheat chocolate muffins. You’re kids will feel like they’re getting a sweet treat while getting two servings of vegetables in!
Preheat your oven to 350 and grease your muffin tin or line it with paper liners.
Beat the eggs or flax seed mix. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well. I use a stand mixer.
Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing and scraping the sides as you go.
After the other ingredients are well mixed, add the chocolate chips if desired.
Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop the batter in to your muffin tin, filling each spot ⅔ of the way full.
This kids recipe features a family favorite: meatballs! These healthy turkey meatballs hide baby carrots and sweet bell peppers inside, adding a healthy sweetness.
Turkey meatballs are another favorite kids recipe that’s easy to make in big batches and freeze for later.
Place onion, carrots and peppers in food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, finely chop ingredients by hand.
Combine bread crumbs, egg, turkey and veggie mixture in bowl, mix well. Form mixture into 24 golf ball-sized meatballs.
Place in baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until slightly browned and meat is no longer pink.
Remove from oven and toss with dressing. Serve over 1 cup brown rice.
Banana muffins are a childhood classic perfect for early mornings or packing as a snack for school. These muffins have shredded zucchini hidden in the recipe. For extra nutrition, you could also add some shredded carrots. You can make a big batch of these muffins and freeze some for later. Simply pop them in the microwave or oven when you’re ready to enjoy them!
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
Stir the flour mixture into the banana-zucchini mixture. Don’t overmix! Spoon batter into mini muffin tins.
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