Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I'd like to figure out how to creatively incorporate more veggies into our meals that people will actually eat. What are your best creative ideas?

I cook gluten free and egg free, but feel free to offer any ideas. I hope this thread will be a good resource for all of us with varying diets.

One example I hadn't thought of from another thread is a poster mentioned adding cauliflower to potato soup. I thought that was genius!

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

When I make meatloaf, I use pureed carrots instead of tomato sauce due to allergies. I then thinly slice spinach leaves into the mixture. It doesn't take away from the taste of the meatloaf and it adds another veggie to the meal.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Cauliflower fried "rice" was a big hit here.
I've also added finely grated carrots and zucchini to bolognese sauce and homemade sausage rolls.
I made a roast leftover pie (dice roast meat and vegetables, add some gravy and put in a savoury pie or pastie crust)

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Adding to baking is pretty easy, you can puree anything, almost and mix it in things like muffins and cookies.

Smoothies can hide stuff of similar colors.

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Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

When I make broth I always add a bunch of veggies to it, cook them down and puree them in to the broth. It makes a really nice flavourful thicker broth that my kids love. Not veggies but I also cook and puree beans in to my broth to make it thicker and more stew like without anyone even knowing they are eating beans.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Great ideas. I'd like to offer more veggies with lunches. Having them prepped and ready is just not happening, but I think it would be good.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

The kids won't do it, but I make sure to have veggies for breakfast. This is usually either eggs scrambled with leftover dinner veggies, or a small bowl of kimchi or sauerkraut with whatever we're having.

I put a surprisingly large amount of shredded carrots and finely chopped mushrooms in almost anything with ground beef, usually spaghetti sauce or taco meat filling around here. (I also add red lentils to those things, but not technically a veggie . .) Stretches the expensive ground beef, sneaks in extra veggies, all the good things.

We are stuck in a rut of baby carrots being the only portable lunch veggie so I need to be better about cutting up cukes and celery at the beginning of the week.

We don't like cauliflower rice but I add zucchini noodles to regular noodles for the kids and sometimes the adults have straight zoodles.

Does buying red pepper and kale hummus count?

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

green smoothies or put greens in other smoothies (you can't see them in blueberry or chocolate smoothies. pb chocolate banana is a favorite around here).

You could check some of those sneaky chef books out from the library (I wouldn't lie to my kids about veggies, but those recipes make them palatable for kids so I like them).

if you bake you can do pumpkin muffins, zucchini bread, etc. I also like substituting pureed beans for some of the fat in recipes, but that's not strictly a veggie.

I finally figured out after many years that if I pureed the mushrooms with the sauce, my kids would eat stroganoff but they just didn't like mushroom pieces. Mushrooms are very nutritious so that's a good one.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I have done this in the past, but the kids weren't too happy about it, but I do think carrots and spinach would go over well. Maybe grated zucchini. :think

This is a great idea. I could add more veggies to my spaghetti sauce and I don't think anyone would be the wiser.

What kind of veggies do you use in baking? How do you sub? I'm making gluten free stuff so I know it's already kind of complicated.

What veggies do you use in your broth?

Me, too. Lunch is definitely where I'm falling down on veggie intake.

How do you add the lentils to your ground beef? My kids love zucchini noodles. We need to have them more often. :yes Oh and I think red pepper and kale hummus counts. :yes


I was reminded that when I've made potato soup lately, I've added a handful of chopped kale to it. I think everyone thinks it is some kind of herb. :giggle

---------- Post added at 09:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 AM ----------


I'm supposed to be adding more legumes to my diet and my children aren't all that happy about them, so ways to add them is awesome, too.

Yes, I keep forgetting about mushrooms. :doh I used to chop them up and add them to ground beef to make the beef go further.

I love the ideas for adding in/hiding veggies so keep them coming, bu I also would like to talk about making meals more veggie centered rather than "meat and starch". How does one accomplish that in a palatable way?

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I don't know how to make gluten free or anything... but with my muffins, for example I just add about a half a cup extra flour to absorb the extra liquid of purees added. I've not had to in awhile, but I have done things like carrots, mangoes, apples, cauliflower, broccoli (in chocolate cake mix in place of most of the liquid called for... beats hide well in chocolate too). Basically anything you can soften by cooking than pureed smoothly you can hide with the right flavor.

Another thing I have done is rolling meat in pureed veg (like carrot or yellow peppers) and then breading it (that is less concentrated though).

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---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:58 PM ----------

Book suggestion, maybe you can tweek recipes for your gf needs, "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food" Jessica Seinfeld.



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Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I used pureed butternut squash in recipes that call for small-ish amounts of pumpkin.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Sweet potato fries are another one I forgot to mention- we bake them.

I do breaded, baked cauliflower as a meat sub in tacos. It has a nice, meaty texture. I also make bean patties instead of meat patties.

Soups are good for more veggie centered meals. Also potatoes may be starchy but they have a lot of vitamins so they have some veggie qualities, too.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Add bacon :shifty

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Do your sweet potato fries get crispy? If so I'd love your tips.

Bacon. Yes, bacon. It counts if it is in a BLT, right? :giggle

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

You can coat them in oil if they aren't getting crispy (put in a bag with oil and shake). Oil also makes the salt stick. But it might be a humidity thing- I live in the desert.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

My kids would rather snack on veg than have them at meals. Dips help, like hummus, salsa or french onion dip.

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Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I find any kind of roasted veg including fries works best if there is just enough oil, not too little or too much. I also use parchment paper (when I can find it at the dollar store :D) and that helps as well.

Does your family like salads? A meal salad is a good veggie based meal. I make mine with less lettuce/greens and more other veggies both for cost control and because my kids have trouble eating a lot of greens.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

We really liked this soup. I like that it's a creamy soup, not because of cream, but because of pureed beans. You could puree the whole thing so there are no beans or spinach visible. I always use the regular blender, but I really need an immersion blender.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

My daughter as well. I buy the tiny cucumbers and small peppers from Costco so all they need is a wash and they are ready to eat. And she and her friends actually eat carrots better if we give them whole with floppy green at the end, like on tv :giggle

We do homemade pizza and I put out a mix of toppings and encourage tasting them raw and then cooked on the pizza. This is a good way to use up small portions of leftovers and works best when we have a guest, btw.

I make pictures with food sometimes. Nothing pinterest level in quality, but it cracks her up to say "hahaha, I'm eating the dinosaur legs."

Dr. Prager's brand veggie burgers are win for DD1, as are the spinach and broccoli potato products.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I've been doing the Autoimmune Protocol, and one of the suggestions is to use pureed cooked white sweet potato as a soup and gravy base. I love white sweet potatoes!

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

:jawdrop I have never heard of or seen those! Off to google.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

One thing that has helped to up the veggies that my kids will eat is to have build-you-own dishes that include lots of different veggie choices. We do taco salads or nachos almost once a week and I put out tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, scallions, radishes, celery, carrots, olives, and any other veggie I can scare up whether or not it's traditional. With enough sour cream my youngest will even eat some.

We do Asian lettuce wraps the same way - seasoned ground beef or turkey served in romaine leaves with carrots, celery, cuke, peas, etc.

One thing I picked up from the THM cookbook is to use okra in smoothies (mainly in place of banana) and to thicken sauces. It works particularly nicely in crockpot dishes and soups to thicken and keep them from breaking. My 10 year old hates the sight of okra, but loves my tomato soup and I just don't have the heart to let her know that it's about 1/3 okra. :giggle

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

They are called Oriental Yams here at the regular grocery store. If you have an international market, they might carry them.

---------- Post added at 05:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:37 PM ----------

Adding that the white sweet potatoes have purple skin.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Pretty much whatever I have on hand. For the immune boosting qualities, almost always at least two whole onions and a whole head of garlic. Cooked and pureed in to the broth it dissappears. I've added carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli stalks, any kind of squash (zucchini, pumpkin, butternut, etc), and probably other things that I'm not thinking of right now. Pretty much anything that will cook down. Puree it up and it just makes for a nicely flavoured thicker broth.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

:cup
These are wonderful ideas! Veggies are on my mind as well lately,especially with two in school and bringing home colds.

Zucchini lasagna is delicious but only one child will eat (some) of it.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

So I added 8oz of chopped fresh mushrooms and a finely chopped orange bell pepper to the taco meat tonight and it sure was extra tasty. I'm not sure I could go back to just ground beef. It added such a wonderful flavor. Even the kids commented on how yummy it was. :rockon

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I made potato soup tonight, but forgot to buy some cauliflower to add. :dohI'm so bummed I forgot. I did, however, shred up the last of the kale from the garden, diced up a red bell pepper, and a jalapeno from the garden and added those to the soup. So I got some extra veggies in there besides the regular onions and celery.

Must remember the cauliflower next time.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I'm sure it would be good with frozen. I keep some on hand for times like this :tu

Kale is $1 a bunch at Whole Foods right now :rockon Now I have 3 bunches of 3 different types to use!

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Yes, I should throw a few bags of frozen cauliflower in the freezer. I used to keep it on hand and stopped at some point. I have no idea why. :scratch

$1 a bunch for kale? Awesome. I'll have to check that out if I can get to that part of city.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I made chicken pot pie tonight.

Chicken

Peas

Crust

But the sauce was 3 cups veggie broth
3 celery stalks
1 carrot
8 oz mushrooms

Spices

Pureed the broth and veggies otherwise my kids won't eat mushrooms

NO need to buy cream of mushroom of cream of chicken soup

Much healthier and tastier

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

We don't like riced cauliflower as "rice" but I will add up to 1/2 a cup of it (from frozen) when I'm cooking ground beef or turkey.

I really need to make more of the THM okra recipes. I love the shakes I've tried, but haven't ventured into soups or baked goods.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I always really liked the Bean Boss soup.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I add vegetables to everything. My kids know, and I don't hide it, I just DO it.

Tex-Mex meals make for the easiest add ins. I spiralize carrots and roast them with olive oil, salt and cumin, toss with lime juice just before serving. These make a good side, or taco fill addition. We love these. Diced radishes add a great touch of crunch to wraps/tacos.

I add shredded zucchini, carrots, diced mushrooms, and shredded kale to spaghetti sauce.

I make black bean soup with bagged broccoli coleslaw mix, or the big bags of pre-cut broccoli, cauliflower, and baby carrots that my grocery carries (Especially good when they go on clearance). A good puree of the soup before serving helps. if you want more info on this, let me know.

I shred zucchini into frittatas, or meatloaf, or anywhere when I'm making something with ground beef.

I serve sliced raw vegetables all the time, which goes over better than salads.

Um, I know I do more, but I'm stuck with recall right now.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I wouldn't have thought about shredding zucchini into dishes. That's a great idea.

Yes, please tell me more about the black bean soup. I'm sure I can't get my whole family to eat it, but it might be a nice lunch for those who will.

---------- Post added at 10:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------

What is bean boss soup?

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

crumbs! typed it out, but it vanishes.

Black Bean soup, easy edition. :)

Saute some onion and garlic in olive oil.
Add vegetables - I use a 2lb mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, or a big bag of broccoli coleslaw mix, or just toss in whatever in on hand.
Add a large can of diced tomatoes.
Add can of drained black beans.
Add about 2 diced potatoes.
maybe 2-3 tsp of cumin
Bring to boil and simmer until veggies are soft.
Puree soup, return to pot, and add drained can of black beans, and salt and pepper to taste.
Top with shredded cheese, or sour cream, if desired.

Simple, but tasty.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Kristin, I need to try this. Are you using chicken broth for your liquid? About how much?

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

chicken or veggie broth :yes

I pour enough to cover all the veggies. I make a large pot - maybe 6 cups of broth? It's a "loose" recipe.

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Tonight I made chili with extra veggies. To the ground beef as it was cooking, I added a grated zucchini, two grated carrots, and a few handfuls of chopped kale. It was better than ever!

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

I made these baked zucchini sticks tonight with our dinner and they were a huge hit, even with DS12! I gave him ranch to dip them in and he said he didn't even want it because they tasted so good! WIN!

Re: Creative ideas for more veggies
 

Tomorrow for lunch, I am going to try to make veggie tacos using just sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers for the "meat" filling. And then I'll make my own homemade salsa. That should give us a good punch of veggies for lunch! :D If avocados weren't so expensive, I would have added guacamole, too. It's crazy, but my kids are excited to try these. :rockon