How to Hide Vegetables in Your Kids' Meals

Vegetables are an important part of a child's diet, packed full of essential vitamins and minerals required for optimal growth and development. The US Department of Agriculture states that children require varying levels of vegetables each day, depending on age, gender and activity level; the amount ranges from 1 cup for 2- to 3-year-old boys and girls up to 3 cups for 14- to 18-year-old boys. Knowing how to hide vegetables in your cooking is an effective method for ensuring your child consumes his daily quota of vegetables.

Things You'll Need

• Large saucepan
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Blender
• Frying pan

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Instructions

Sauces

• 1

  Saute or microwave vegetables until soft. Choose onion, garlic, peppers and herbs to add great flavor to tomato-based sauces. Broccoli and carrots are great for pasta sauces, and cauliflower is a perfect addition to cheese sauces. Use beans and root vegetables to thicken sauces.

• 2

  Puree the vegetables in a blender until smooth.

• 3

  Add the pureed vegetables to pasta sauces, use as a pizza topping, or add to gravy.

Soups

• 4

  Saute onions and garlic in a large saucepan.

• 5

  Add other vegetables to the pan. Experiment -- soups are a great way to incorporate a range of vegetables and use what's leftover in the fridge and pantry. Add herbs to flavor.

• 6

  Fill the saucepan with water until the vegetables are covered. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 20 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked through.

• 7

  Pour the contents of the saucepan (vegetables and water) into a blender. Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.

Meat

• 8

  Finely chop vegetables such as onions, garlic, peppers, carrots, beets and squash.

• 9

  Cook the vegetables on the stove or in the microwave until soft.

• 10

  Puree the vegetables in a blender.

• 11

  Mix the pureed vegetables into ground meat and shape into burger patties or meatballs for pasta dishes.