Sneaking fruits and vegetables into other types of food can be an easy and rewarding process. If you are sick of arguing over one helping of peas at dinner just do what the savvy moms do, sneak it into other dishes! Read on for healthy recipes that benefit from a few extra veggies.

Live Chocolate Mousse

 

(Adapted from Reinfeld, Mark and Jennifer Murray (2010). Live Chocolate Mousse, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw reprinted in the March 2010 edition of Vegetarian Times.)

Tell your kids they are eating mousse like the kind they get at the restaurant buffets, and you won’t hear any complaints. The agave nectar, cocoa powder and almond butter are the primary flavors here, obscuring any extant avocado.

The avocado’s main purpose is to create the creamy texture inherent to mousses. It also delivers those great monounsaturated fats that kids need to grow. In order to make the best live mousse possible, use avocadoes that have just ripened. If the avocados are overripe or under-ripe, the avocado flavor will be evident. Serves: 4 | Vegan | Time: 30 min or less | Gluten Free

Ingredients:

• 3 Hass avocados (2 cups mashed)
• 1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. raw agave nectar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. raw cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoon raw almond butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground nutmeg or cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon flavored extract such as mint, cherry, orange, almond, hazelnut, or coffee (optional)

Puree all of the ingredients in a food processor for 3 to 4 minutes. You can stop when the consistency is smooth and creamy, like a mousse. You might need to scrape the sides of the bowl at times to be sure all ingredients are properly mixed. Scoop into serving bowls and serve directly.

Raw foods are great sources of vitamins and minerals because everything that is consumed is fresh and alive. Nothing has been heated for pasteurizing so no nutrients have been lost. It is best to consume a raw meal on an empty stomach, preferably 4 hours or so since your last meal so that the nutrients have the opportunity to be absorbed directly into your system without combining with other processed foods. Fruit Pops

 

(Adapted from August 2009 issue of Runner’s World, p.42, “Treat Yourself: Refuel and Rehydrate with Homemade Frozen Pops)

In the summertime there are many occasions for kids to snack on healthy things. When it is hot out there is less demand for the heavy meat and potatoes dishes favored during the winter. A mainstay among kids is the ice pop, which more often than not, is simply an ice stick saturated with corn syrup and artificial coloring. Create your own healthy frozen treats at home and your kids will be slurping down 2 servings of the 5 fruit and vegetables recommended daily.

Ingredients:

• 100% juice: pineapple, orange, cranberry, or a mix
• Chopped fresh fruit with any non-edible peels taken off
• Popsicle molds

For 1 serving, use 1 cup of juice and 1 cup of fruit. Blend the juices together in the blender with the fruit. Some good fruit suggestions are peaches, mangoes or strawberries. Pour the mix into pop molds and freeze for about 3 hours. These taste just as good (if not better) than the ones the ice cream truck dispenses and they are full of replenishing carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

If you don’t want to buy pre-made popsicle molds, you can make your own. Just buy a bag of wax Dixie cups, pour the fruit concoction into those and insert a popsicle stick. You knew those little sticks had a purpose other than school art projects, right? The fruit chunks should help to hold it up. When the 3 hours of freezing are finished, tear the cup away from the frozen treat. Make sure your kids eat them fast, though, because they can melt!

Zucchini Muffins

(Adapted from Vegetarian Times Issue 10.1.2002, p.71)

Serves 24

Baking veggies into a loved breakfast item? Genius.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

 

To begin, preheat the oven to 350 F. You will be using 3 muffin tins with 8 muffins per tin. Grease them or insert disposable muffin cups. Grab your electric mixer, either the hand or the standing variety, and beat the oil, sugar, and eggs on medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the zucchini, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt.

Reduce the speed on the mixer and mix until all of the ingredients are only just combined. If using nuts, fold them in here. Now, fill the muffin cups to 3/4 full so that the muffins have space to rise in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the centers are firm. You can tell that the centers are firm by inserting a toothpick and looking to see if any batter clings to it when you pull it out. Finally, the fun part! Remove from oven, let cool, and then eat your veggies!

Small Slip-Ins

 

Many moms mix together butternut squash with their mashed potatoes. Watch the ratio of potatoes to squash so the color doesn’t appear too vivid.

Buy some baby food jars of broccoli or peas and integrate them into the raw meat patties for hamburgers. Try 1/2 to a full jar for a patty and then bake the burgers rather than grill them so that the veggies don’t fall out prematurely while grilling. It is likely that your kids pile on the condiments anyway, so once this happens, the flavor of the veggies won’t be detected.

Mixing carrots into pasta sauce is pretty easy. Again, carrot baby food is the easiest (and least traceable) way to incorporate them but if you would rather just grate them in, that is fine too. Your little ones won’t be able to taste them either way.

Cabbage has large amounts of vitamin K in it, essential for healthy hair and nail growth. A serving can also give you up to 50% of your daily needed intake of vitamin C. Unfortunately, most people find it unpalatable raw. Also, the odor it produces when cooked turns most people off, or at least makes them wrinkle their noses. But if you shred some cabbage along with some lettuce and mix it 1/2 and 1/2 then you can have a great taco, mixed salad or sandwich topping.

These simple and delicious tricks will have your kids eating the foods they need without them even knowing it!