When I had kids, I vowed that they wouldn’t be picky eaters. I wasn’t going to be one of THOSE moms who let her kids get away with not eating their fruits and veggies. And much to my delight, my first two kids ended up being fairly good eaters. Sure, it could have been luck, but I’d prefer to believe it was my stellar parenting. 😉
I’ll admit it, I got a little cocky. Since I was fortunate enough to have two kids that were good eaters, when I would hear other moms complaining about THEIR picky eaters, I was less than sympathetic. They simply must not be doing something right!
Fast forward a few years…. My 3rd child (who happens to be a very bossy toddler) eats fruit snacks for breakfast most mornings….or Cheetos. Sigh….where did I go wrong?
Needless to say, my attitude about picky eaters has changed. Mostly because my 2 year old has put me right in my place. When it comes to the foods she WILL or WILL NOT put in her mouth, she has proven to me that she is the one in charge.
For the past year, she has pretty much decided that the only things she will eat are chicken nuggets, applesauce, or anything in cracker form. And veggies? Well you can forget about veggies. I’m pretty sure she thinks that anything that is the color green is toxic to the human body. And it is about killing me.
And since I have admitted defeat in the power struggle between my toddler and me, I have moved on to a different strategy to get her to eat vegetables.
DECEPTION.
That’s right, if I can’t get her to eat healthy foods in their true form, I am just going to try to sneak them into her. If the veggies aren’t recognizable, there is at least some chance I will get her to eat them.
So, I’ve scoured the internet and come up with a list of dinner recipes that are picky eater approved. All the recipes in this list incorporate hidden veggies, and I am hopeful that they will get my toddler’s daily intake of vegetables to improve! (We all could benefit from eating more veggies, so I guess it’s a win for the whole family!)
I will keep you updated as I try out the recipes and let you know if they were successful or not. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see some behind the scenes as I try out these recipes! I’d also love to hear if you have given any of them a try!
So, without further ado, here’s the list:
13 Healthy Meal Ideas for Picky Kids (with Hidden Veggies!)
Easy One Pot Mac & Cheese with Hidden Veggies from Raia’s Recipes
This one should be a home run! Every kid loves mac & cheese! Just sneak some pureed cooked carrots into the sauce and your kids will be none the wiser! (Pro-tip: If you don’t feel like pureeing the carrots yourself, try mixing in carrot baby food!) Also, the recipe calls for gluten-free noodles, but just make it with regular noodles if you prefer!
Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower with Bacon & Cheese from Flavour & Savour
I guess if you add bacon and cheese to a dish it HAS to be good, right? I’ll be honest, I have tried Mashed Cauliflower before, and the texture was a bit “off” to me, but I’m thinking…what if you mix it half and half with regular mashed potatoes?
Broccoli Cheddar Tater Tots from Haute and Healthy Living
Tater Tots seem like a pretty kid friendly food right? As long as the broccoli is chopped so finely that it is barely detectable, this might be a winner!
Balsamic Meatloaf with Sauteed Vegetables from My Sequined Life
I think I plan on using my family’s own recipe for meatloaf and incorporating the veggies into it for this one. Again, as long as the veggies aren’t detectable, it should be a hit!
Paleo Chicken Nuggets with Sweet Potato from Mom Foodie
I’m a little skeptical I could pull this off (my kids might be a little too used to packaged chicken nuggets!) but I’m going to give it a try!
Meatball Casserole with Hidden Zucchini from Joy Filled Eats
I like her tip to remove the green skin of the zucchini to make it more disguisable. The whole dish is covered in melted cheese, so it definitely has THAT going for it!
Veggie Meatballs Slow Cooker Recipe by Must Have Mom
Here is another meatball recipe to try! I would probably use only ground beef instead of mixing with ground pork, since that’s what my family is used to, but definitely worth a try! Bonus that it is a slow cooker recipe!
Cheesy Zucchini Rice by The Recipe Critic
My kids love rice. Rice with cheese? Even better. I’m pretty confident they won’t even notice the zucchini that is grated up into this recipe! I’m excited to try it!
Easy Pasta Bolognese Sauce by Sneaky Mommies
I just have one problem with this recipe. What the heck is Bolognese Sauce? Am I the only one who doesn’t know what this is? I’m probably just not fancy enough, but from what I can tell is some kind of meat sauce for pasta? Anywho, I think I will tweak the recipe a bit to basically make it a spaghetti sauce with lots of different hidden veggies!
Easy Baked Ziti with Spinach, Zucchini & Mushrooms by Fun Money Mom
Pasta covered in cheese. Seems foolproof to me! I double my kids will notice all the vegetables!
Meatloaf with Zucchini by Food Done Light
Another take on meatloaf, this time just with added zucchini. Worth a try! Again, I will probably tweak to use my own meatloaf recipe, and peel the green off the zucchini so my kids don’t detect it!
Veggie Pasta Sauce by Healthy Little Foodie
This veggie pasta sauce is loaded with 6 different veggies and it is pureed smooth so if your picky has eater has problems with textures, have no fear! I’m thinking I could mix half and half with the store bought pasta sauce I usually use, so my kiddos can’t tell the difference!
Hidden Veggie Crock Pot Sloppy Joes by Yummy Healthy Easy
Sloppy Joes are a family favorite in my house, so I think these will be a hit!
Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower with Bacon & Cheese from Flavour & Savour
I guess if you add bacon and cheese to a dish it HAS to be good, right? I’ll be honest, I have tried Mashed Cauliflower before, and the texture was a bit “off” to me, but I’m thinking…what if you mix it half and half with regular mashed potatoes?
Broccoli Cheddar Tater Tots from Haute and Healthy Living
Tater Tots seem like a pretty kid friendly food right? As long as the broccoli is chopped so finely that it is barely detectable, this might be a winner!
Balsamic Meatloaf with Sauteed Vegetables from My Sequined Life
I think I plan on using my family’s own recipe for meatloaf and incorporating the veggies into it for this one. Again, as long as the veggies aren’t detectable, it should be a hit!
Paleo Chicken Nuggets with Sweet Potato from Mom Foodie
I’m a little skeptical I could pull this off (my kids might be a little too used to packaged chicken nuggets!) but I’m going to give it a try!
Meatball Casserole with Hidden Zucchini from Joy Filled Eats
I like her tip to remove the green skin of the zucchini to make it more disguisable. The whole dish is covered in melted cheese, so it definitely has THAT going for it!
Veggie Meatballs Slow Cooker Recipe by Must Have Mom
Here is another meatball recipe to try! I would probably use only ground beef instead of mixing with ground pork, since that’s what my family is used to, but definitely worth a try! Bonus that it is a slow cooker recipe!
Cheesy Zucchini Rice by The Recipe Critic
My kids love rice. Rice with cheese? Even better. I’m pretty confident they won’t even notice the zucchini that is grated up into this recipe! I’m excited to try it!
Easy Pasta Bolognese Sauce by Sneaky Mommies
I just have one problem with this recipe. What the heck is Bolognese Sauce? Am I the only one who doesn’t know what this is? I’m probably just not fancy enough, but from what I can tell is some kind of meat sauce for pasta? Anywho, I think I will tweak the recipe a bit to basically make it a spaghetti sauce with lots of different hidden veggies!
Easy Baked Ziti with Spinach, Zucchini & Mushrooms by Fun Money Mom
Pasta covered in cheese. Seems foolproof to me! I double my kids will notice all the vegetables!
Meatloaf with Zucchini by Food Done Light
Another take on meatloaf, this time just with added zucchini. Worth a try! Again, I will probably tweak to use my own meatloaf recipe, and peel the green off the zucchini so my kids don’t detect it!
Veggie Pasta Sauce by Healthy Little Foodie
This veggie pasta sauce is loaded with 6 different veggies and it is pureed smooth so if your picky has eater has problems with textures, have no fear! I’m thinking I could mix half and half with the store bought pasta sauce I usually use, so my kiddos can’t tell the difference!
Hidden Veggie Crock Pot Sloppy Joes by Yummy Healthy Easy
Sloppy Joes are a family favorite in my house, so I think these will be a hit!
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