ZUCCHINI, ya’ll!! Hands down, it’s the best veggie to sneak into foods. If your kids (or even spouse) has a hard time downing those good-for-you vegetables, try adding minced zucchini to your next dish.
Zucchini has a disappearing quality once it’s minced. Like cucumbers, the inside is white and turns translucent when cooked. Nutrients are found in the skin so I wouldn’t suggest peeling it but if tiny specks of green are an issue, you could definitely skin it.
I add zucchini to my taco meat, chili, spaghetti sauce and in tons of other dishes. Here’s the kicker, it’s not only good in savory meals but you can use it in making sweet food too, like cupcakes, muffins and bread. Similar to zucchini, yellow squash is also a great veggie to add to foods.
Here are some other veggies that you may want to try out:
- Red bell peppers and carrots in marina or tomato-based sauces
- Spinach in pesto or mashed with avocado
- Cauliflower with rice
Something to keep in mind is not to overload the dishes with vegetables or else the whole thing will backfire on you. And whenever possible, try to match the colors with the dish so it easily blends in. When my kids were little, I used to puree vegetables for them and mind you, I’ve fed them vegetables since they were babies. Unfortunately, feeding them tons of vegetables didn’t eliminate the fact that they still have their own tastes and preferences as to what they like and don’t. Now that my kids are a bit older, they know that I add veggies to just about anything but they appreciate my effort to disguise it and even request it minced so they don’t have to bite on huge chunks. Works for me!
