Steph’s Hidden Veggie Recipes

October 18, 2022

Steph’s Hidden Veggie Recipes

Looking for hidden veggie recipes? I’ve got you covered!

Ensuring veggies are part of our daily diet is key to supporting our health, no matter how old or young we are! Veggies provide us with so many vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function and thrive.

However, I know all too well how tricky it can be to not only sneak veggies into our little ones’ meals, but hope they enjoy the taste too.

That’s why I am sharing 5 of my favourite hidden veggies recipes with you!

I feel very lucky that so far Harvey hasn’t been too fussy with his food and I hope that that doesn’t change (and I hope I don’t jinx myself saying this now!). However, I do know that a lot of other parents struggle with fussy eaters and are always on the hunt for easy recipes that are loaded with veggies but don’t compromise on a child’s taste buds!

Since becoming a mum, I have developed a ‘mother’s lens’ to so many aspects of my life, my work included. In doing this, I realised just how many great recipes we have in the KIC recipe hub that are perfect for those who are a little fussy when it comes to vegetables. The best thing about KIC recipes is that they’re all dietician approved which means that they’re going help ensure a balanced and healthy diet which is jam packed with nutrients.

So, if you’re in need of some hidden veggie recipe inspo, here are my 5 of my favourite hidden veggie recipes from the KIC app. I can confirm that these hidden veggie recipes are utterly delicious and will keep all bellies happy (trust me on this, these have gone down a treat and are on high rotation in my household). Hopefully your loved ones love them just as much as mine.

1. Hidden Veggie Pasta

The name says it all. This pasta combines onion, carrot, red capsicum, zucchini and tomatoes alongside your other usual pasta sauce ingredients to create a veggie loaded sauce which is then blended and used to cover the pasta. Even better is that by using the KIC red lentil pasta, you’re packing in a punch of protein too!

By blending the veggies together to create a smooth sauce, you’re removing any chances for complaints about the texture of the veggies. Hopefully this will help to gently introduce some new flavours and boost your child’s daily veggie intake.

2. Super Sausage Rolls

Who can pass up a sausage roll? I know I certainly can’t. In all honesty, little Steph would have never considered these to be a ‘healthy’ meal that could be enjoyed regularly at home, and not just on special occasions! So hopefully by letting your kids know that you’re cooking sausage rolls will get them excited to devour them!

This recipe uses carrot, celery, onion and zucchini which are all finely chopped and mixed with your choice of lean mince and a few spices. They’re utterly delicious. I honestly don’t think anyone will be having any complaints about this meal.

3. Creamy Mac & Cheese

This is an incredibly tasty and nutritious spin on the classic mac and cheese. Using cauliflower and pumpkin alongside ghee, garlic, onion, parsley, stock and coconut cream, you’re able to create a deliciously creamy sauce to coat your favourite type of pasta dish.

To most closely resemble the classic mac and cheese I’d recommend using elbow or macaroni pasta. Otherwise, you could opt for something a little fun like dinosaur or alphabet pasta to help make this dish even more fun, plus hopefully distract even more from the hidden veggies.

4. Cheesy Risotto Fritters

These are great because they work for breakfast, lunch or dinner plus are great for lunchboxes too as they travel well and are totally nut free! They can be made into fun bite sized fritters or larger fritters and used to sandwich some avocado in between.

I have made these for Harvey a few times and what I love is that he can grab them with his hands, feed himself and not make too much of a mess. They also keep really well in an air tight container in the fridge.

5. Beautiful Zucchini Brownies

Brownies with a twist that you nor your little one will be able to detect! This recipe is probably one of my favourites as it’s the hardest to detect the hidden veg. Most kids love chocolate and honestly won’t think twice when you serve up a rich and decadent looking brownie in front of them. Little do they know this brownie is packed with zucchini which is a great source of vitamin A supporting vision and the immune system.