6 Ways to Sneak in More Fruits and Veggies

Making sure you get enough fruits and veggies in your own diet is hard enough, but trying to get your little ones to eat them can be near impossible. Dinners can be grueling and long when you have a picky eater on your hands. To achieve a healthy, balanced meal, I sneak the veggies in. No more guesswork of how to get through to a fussy eater. Here’s a list of ways to get more fruits and veggies into their diet for a healthier school year. They’ll never know these dishes are packed with nutritious, fiber-filled greens!

1. Turn your veggies into pasta. I recommend using a spiral vegetable cutter and starting off with items such as zucchini and squash. They are mild in taste but full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, plus plenty of vitamin A, C and E to boot!
2. Mash cauliflower. Once I started mashing cauliflower as a healthy sub to mashed potatoes, I never went back. They taste the same, if not better! Mix them with ghee for a creamy, buttery taste.
3. Let them be the chef. Kids love to work with crafts and build things with their hands. Turn healthy eating into a fun, interactive project by letting them make their own fruit salad. I let them chose their favorite fruits, mix them into a bowl, and lay out all the ingredients they wish to top them off with, like honey, walnuts, dark chocolate morsels, greek yogurt, and cinnamon!
4. Whip up a smoothie. My kids love my smoothies from the 21-Day Belly Fix. They range from sweet and refreshing to savory and creamy—so whatever your child’s taste may be, a smoothie made with loads of colorful fruit and greens is the way to go! I like to use kale and spinach in mine. Each smoothie has 1-3 servings of fruits and vegetables, so these are a great option when dealing with any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
5. Add vegetables in dessert. Yes, you read that right. This is the ultimate sneak maneuver to add in more vegetables into your child’s diet. Simply puree veggies such as sweet potato and carrots and add them into your favorite brownie or pancake mix. Yum!
6. Bake fruit leather. A favorite among all kids! They’re much like fruit roll ups, except without all the extra sugar and unhealthy additives. A popular one includes pureed strawberries and a small handful of cooked kale or spinach. Dribble on a tablespoon of honey or cinnamon, and then bake it on the lowest oven setting for about 4-6 hours.

Try out these tricks throughout the school week and watch your kids’ excel! They’ll love these yummy treats that will keep them healthy and focused all year.