54 Delicious Hidden Veggie Recipes for Picky Kids
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Parents often struggle to get kids to eat their vegetables, but with hidden veggie recipes, that struggle can become a thing of the past. By hiding veggies in delicious and familiar foods, parents can ensure that their kids get the nutrients they need without even realizing it.
There are hidden veggie recipes for almost every food imaginable, from mac and cheese to pizza and brownies. And the best part is that these recipes are just as delicious for adults as they are for kids.
How To Get Kids To Eat Vegetables
Getting kids to eat their vegetables can be tough, but with a little creativity, it’s not impossible. Here are a few tips for getting your kids to eat their veggies:
- Make eating vegetables fun and exciting by turning them into games or disguising them in delicious foods.
- Get your kids involved in the cooking process so they can see how fun and easy it is to make healthy food.
- Lead by example and let your kids see you enjoying a variety of vegetables.
- Be patient and keep offering new vegetables even if your kids don’t initially seem interested at first. With time and exposure, they may just come around.
- Hidden veggie recipes are a great way to sneak extra nutrients into your family’s diet.
So the next time you’re looking for a way to sneak some extra veggies into your family’s diet, try one of these hidden veggie recipes for a delicious and healthy meal.
The Best Vegetables To Hide In Food
There are a few vegetables that work particularly well for hidden veggie recipes. Here are a few of the best:
- Carrots – Carrots can be grated and added to almost any recipe, from pasta sauce to mac and cheese. They’re also a great way to add moisture and sweetness to baked goods.
- Zucchini – Zucchini can be grated and added to recipes like pancakes, waffles, muffins, and bread. It’s also great for bulking up ground meat dishes like burgers and meatloaf.
- Spinach – Spinach can be blended into smoothies, soups, and sauces. It can also be used as a filling for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
- Cauliflower – Cauliflower can be used as a replacement for rice or potatoes in recipes. It can also be blended into soups and sauces for a creamy texture.
Delicious Hidden Vegetable Meals For Dinner
Your family will barely notice (or never know) that these dinners are made with hidden veggies in them.
Healthy Sloppy Joes
These Sloppy Joes are healthier because they are low in added sugar and have hidden veggies, but they are full of lip-smacking flavor.
There is zero ketchup in them but they have lots of naturally sweet and sour sloppy sauce, and they are only 300 calories each.
Creamy Zucchini Pasta Sauce
Kids won't know they're eating a healthy serving of zucchini and tomatoes in this pasta dish! Serve it with their favorite pasta shape and be prepared to hear that they want more!
Vegan Sloppy Joes
Let your family think they're eating something fun like sloppy joes, but secretly you're feeding them something healthy.
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Tender and flavorful meatloaf cupcakes topped with garlic thyme mashed potato “frosting”. Fun to eat and kid-friendly.
Turkey Chili
A Healthy Turkey Chili recipe that is tasty, simple, and made in the crockpot or instant pot with no beans. It's got tons of sneaky veggies hidden inside.
Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta
Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta is a delicious combination of chicken, pasta, and a luscious sauce made from half & half, parmesan, lemon, and plenty of garlic. There is also a vegetable snuck into the mix.
Zucchini Beef Meatballs
Zucchini Beef Meatballs made with ricotta cheese are tender and delicious; nobody will guess what's in them.
Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
They're a favorite you know and love, but these are made from scratch and are so much healthier with some hidden added nutrition.
These Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets are everything you want in a homemade chicken nugget but oh so much more! They're flavorful and crunchy, but they're also not deep-fried and are still great to store in the freezer!
Vegan Zucchini Meatball Sub
This vegan meatball sub starts is a great way to use up zucchini. The sandwich is stuffed with zucchini meatballs and topped with zucchini marinara!
Healthy Turkey Burgers with Spinach
Skip the ground beef burgers and try out a Healthy Turkey Burger Recipe instead! These turkey burgers are filled with simple ingredients and they're made in under 30 minutes.
Even if you have busy weeknights, you can still get a healthy dinner on the table in no time at all!
Instant Pot Cabbage Dal
Cabbage dal is a wholesome and healthy dal made with green cabbage. This yellow dal is made using toor dal (arhar dal or pigeon pea).
When made in an Instant Pot, this dal is ready in 20 minutes, with less than 5 minutes of hands-on time.
Keto Burger Mini Bites
Learn How To Make Keto Burger Mini Bites filled with Low Carb Vegetables for your Kid, Brunch, Party, or an Appetizer for a Super Bowl. Nobody will ever know what's inside.
Zucchini, Onion & Sweet Corn Pie
Zucchini, onion, and sweet corn pie is the perfect summer dish for your table. It’s full of flavor, and a sneaky way to serve veggies that your kids will love.
Fluffy Italian Zucchini Fritters (Pancakes)
These zucchini fritters are tasty and make a great side dish. Easy to make and delicious, your family won’t even notice with the cheesy taste that they’re eating veggies.
Crockpot Veggie Loaded Beef Chili
This crockpot veggie-loaded beef chili recipe is full of healthy vegetables, lean ground beef, and beans. It’s an easy-to-make and family-friendly dinner.
Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Pasta
With a creamy sauce, this roasted red pepper ricotta pasta hides all the veggies and will be loved by picky eaters! An easy pasta recipe perfect for all the family.
Zucchini Slice Recipe
Zucchini Slice! This classic Aussie dish is easy to make, incredibly yummy, and super versatile too. Great way to get more veg into kids!
Baked Ziti With Spinach, Zucchini & Mushrooms
This easy baked ziti with spinach will have your family begging for seconds, and your kids won’t even complain about eating their veggies.
Hidden Vegetable Soups and Sauces
Healthy and hearty soups and sauces that will stick to your ribs and give you plenty of vegetables per serving.
Soups
Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Super easy to make this homemade tomato basil soup from scratch! Healthy, flavorful, and freezer-friendly soup.
Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Soup
Easy to make this creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup! Comforting, budget-friendly, lower-carb soup that's packed with flavors.
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Easy to make creamy, rich Broccoli Cheddar Soup bursting with flavors. Deliciously satisfying and comforting to eat.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This Broccoli Cheddar Soup is an easy one-pot recipe ready in under 30 minutes and is better than any takeout. This soup is perfect for picky eaters.
Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup
This thick & creamy cashew carrot ginger soup is an easy-to-make instant pot soup recipe. Made with cashews, carrots, ginger, coconut milk, and Thai red curry paste for a bit of spice.
Plus, it’s both vegan and gluten-free.
Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
This hearty pumpkin and sweet potato soup is comforting and packed with flavor and hidden garbanzo beans. With roast pumpkin and sweet potato, it's also budget-friendly and simple to make.
Sauces
Healthy Bolognese Sauce
Healthy Bolognese Sauce is a delicious, hearty dinner. Loaded with flavor, this hidden veggie bolognese is one you’ll love.
Seven Vegetable Sauce
This is the most delicious Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce ever. It is a creamy tomato sauce but loaded with six other veggies that are perfectly hidden for even picky eaters
Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
This simple hidden veggie pasta sauce is packed full of flavor. Loaded with your favorite fresh garden vegetables, this light and easy sauce is perfect for pasta.
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Easy to make this thick and rich homemade Meat Sauce packed with veggies and umami flavors. Kid-friendly, freezer-friendly that's perfect for meal prep.
Italian Sausage Bolognese
Italian Sausage Bolognese is a hearty, comforting pasta sauce made super healthy with tons of hidden veggies!
The veggie base of the sauce is pulsed in a food processor for a flavor-packed, nutrient-dense dinner the whole family will love! As familiar as spaghetti and totally kid-friendly!
Homemade Chunky Garden Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce
This Homemade Chunky Garden Vegetable Pasta Sauce is loaded with bright tomatoes and plenty of vegetables.
Appetizers & Drinks With Hidden Veggies
Vegetables can be hidden in your favorite appetizers and made into smoothies.
Appetizers & Sides
Cauliflower Hummus
You won’t believe that this hummus is made with cauliflower instead of chickpeas!
It is a dead ringer for its higher carb relative, but without any beans and only 2 grams of net carbs per serving with a texture and taste that is spot on!
Lemon Beet Hummus Recipe
If you're looking for a delicious and nutritious appetizer, look no further than lemon beet hummus. This flavorful dip is perfect for parties or as a quick snack.
It's easy to make and contains ingredients that are good for you.
Zucchini Chips
Bake a batch of low-calorie Zucchini Chips to scoop into a garden-fresh Lemon-Dill Yogurt Dip. This clean recipe is a healthy appetizer snack idea.
What a great way to use up summer squash when it is popping up faster than you can pick it. The crisp, crunchy coating is so unexpected, and the dip is guilt-free!
Easy Low-Calorie Snack Recipe
A crispy, crunchy, low-calorie snack recipe secretly filled with healthy veggies will surprise your guests when served as a party starter with chutney.
Avocado Pasta Salad
This Avocado Pasta Salad is one that'll be different than all the others on the cookout table. It's creamy, bright, packed full of (hidden) spinach, and healthy pasta salad that just happens to be vegan friendly.
Cheesy Zucchini Quick Bread
Cheesy Zucchini Bread made with fresh and healthy zucchini, shredded cheddar cheese, and chives is a delicious and easy savory quick bread loved by the whole family.
No fancy mixers or kneading are required.
Drinks & Smoothies
Blueberry Broccoli Smoothie
This vegan Blueberry Broccoli Smoothie is loaded with good-for-your-health fruits and vegetables. It is tasty and nourishing and yet simple to make!
Delicious Spinach Smoothie
This citrus smoothie really covers up the taste of spinach and lets you get a good dose of veggie. It’s perfect for breakfast, meal prep, or a snack and even the kids will love it.
Sweet Treats With Vegetables
Veggies can be used in sweets like muffins, quick breads, and cupcakes to add moisture and flavor. Zucchini and carrot are popular choices for sweet recipes.
Zucchini Muffins
These zucchini muffins come out moist and flavorful every time! We love this recipe because it’s easy and of course, the zucchini makes them extra moist.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are the perfect use for those garden zucchini. Rich and chocolatey, tender and delicious, but made with a handful of healthier ingredients like almond flour, oats, maple syrup, applesauce, and of course, lots of zucchini!
Kid-friendly, they taste like dessert but make the perfect breakfast or snack.
Healthy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Rolls
Healthy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Rolls recipe, perfect for holiday breakfast or brunch. These rolls are delicious, moist, fluffy, and easy to make!
Lemon Zucchini Cupcakes
If you’ve never baked with zucchini before, it’s something you absolutely MUST try! You can’t taste the flavor of zucchini in your baking but it makes your baking so moist and amazing. Plus, the kids will never know unless you tell them.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Moist chocolate muffins filled with two different kinds of chocolate chips and zucchini. The perfect way to use up leftover zucchini!
Healthy Fruit & Vegetable Muffins
Here is a recipe for healthy muffins that you and your kids will love. It is packed with fruits, vegetables, and healthy, yummy ingredients.
Zucchini Bread
The best zucchini bread is so good and delectably soft. This is a great breakfast or after-dinner snack.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Just when you think chocolate cake couldn’t get any better, Chocolate Zucchini Cake adds another level of deliciousness.
Packed with moisture-rich zucchini, this heavenly cake is frosted with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream and bakes up perfectly every time.
Carrot Bread with Walnuts
Super flavorful and crowned with walnuts, Carrot Bread has all the goodness of carrot cake disguised in a breakfast loaf.
Filled with freshly grated carrots, walnuts, and your favorite spices this scrumptious bread can be served all year long.
Eggless Brownies
These eggless brownies are everything you want in a brownie, dense and fudgy with chewy edges and a secret ingredient (sweet potato!) to keep them moist and delicious.
Triple Chocolate Chickpea Brownie Bites
Triple chocolate brownies are a sweet treat that is both vegan and gluten-free but packed with surprising decadence.
Made with chickpeas, and infused with three types of vegan chocolate, pure maple syrup, and more, these healthy brownies will be a new favorite!
Amish Zucchini Bread
This Amish zucchini bread is a great way to use zucchini. This sweet and moist quick bread also smells amazing while it bakes!
Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
Pumpkin zucchini muffins are sweet with some hidden veggies. Perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Hidden Veggie Muffins
These hidden veggie muffins are sweet, chocolaty, and delicious. They’re easy to make and loaded with nutrients!
Banana Carrot Oatmeal Muffins
Banana Carrot Oatmeal Muffins are the perfect healthy little breakfast or snack! Kids love them, and they are a great way to sneak in extra fruits and veggies!
Plus they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free so they are an allergy-friendly snack that can be taken to school!
Tips For Hiding Veggies In Food For Kids
Try a few hidden veggie recipes and see which ones your kids like the best. With a little trial and error, you’ll eventually find a few winning meals that your whole family will love.
Here are a few tips for hiding veggies in food for kids:
- Start with a recipe that your kids already love and add hidden veggies to it.
- Use a food processor to grate or blend the veggies so they’re not easily detectable.
- Add hidden veggies to dishes with many flavors, like pasta sauce or chili.
- Add hidden veggies to dishes with a lot of texture, like pancakes, quick bread, or muffins.
Hidden Vegetable Cookbooks
Final Thoughts
Hiding vegetables in food is a great way to sneak extra nutrients into your family’s diet. By hiding vegetables in school lunches and other familiar foods, parents can ensure that their kids get the nutrients they need without even realizing it.
You can hide veggies into almost every food imaginable, from soups to breakfast, to baked goods. So the next time you’re looking for a way to sneak some extra veggies into your family’s diet, try one or more of these hidden veggie recipes for a delicious and healthy meal.
