What Are Some Kid-Friendly Recipes That Hide Healthy Ingredients?

[BethCooks4U]

I have a host who wants me to give her guests ideas on what to cook kids (4-8 yr olds) - ways to hide good for you ingredients, fun recipes/shapes, packable warm lunch ideas. Please share!

 

[Becca115]

You can use the food chopper to chop veggies super fine to hide in sauces.

I love to use the mini muffin pan for just about anything. Kids seem to like smaller portions. My kids also eat more when I let them help make the meal (i.e. help pour and mix, help cut up veggies with safe cutter, etc.)

 

[heidabear]

I have to hide veggies in food so that my husband will eat it, much less my son! I use the mandolin to shred things like zucchini and add it to meatloaf, spaghetti, hamburgers.Also, I've baked sliced eggplant on the bar pan with some Parmesan cheese. I add it to pasta with marinara for eggplant Parmesan. It's good and kid friendly because what kid doesn't like spaghetti.Even by using the crinkle cut on the mandolin to cut veggies it makes it more enticing to kids.

 

[lesliec]

Mine don't like spaghetti!!!! VERY VERY VERY PICKY!!!!!

I do use the food chopper a lot. I can hide anything in a meat patty. We had guests over one time and they asked if there was a reason the hamburgers were green!!! I had hidden A LOT of broccoli in them.

 

[ChefetteDuJour]

Go to a bookstore and check out the cookbook, "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food" by Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry's wife)
She uses purees which of course use a food processor and not part of our toolset ... but it will give you a lot of great ideas for hiding the most surprising things in different foods.
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Also .... I was using up a Barnes & Noble gift card yesterday and found a kid-friendly recipe book entitled, "Simple 1-2-3 KIDS". Not all are "good for you" recipes, but some are. Cute example .. "Octo-Dogs and Shells" ... Uses hot dogs (could use turkey dogs), shell pasta, frozen mixed vegebales (could use our choppers to chop your own), prepared alfredo sauce, mustard, and Goldfish crackers.
So - you make the pasta then top it with the hotdog - straight up but legs split into 8 pieces like an octopus (eyes = mustard drop)... then sprinkle goldfish aroudn the edge for the sea theme. Many more clever/fun recipes...