Quick and Easy Hidden Veggie Dinners for Toddlers

Turn your toddlers favorite dinners, breakfasts or desserts into hidden veggie healthy foods with these hidden veggie recipe ideas - It’s as easy as mixing puréed cauliflower or canned butternut squash into the egg mixture when making homemade healthy chicken tenders or fish sticks. Want to make any comfort food, snack or dessert healthy for you or your little one? Hide veggies in your or your kid’s favorite foods with easy, healthy swaps and add-ins. Browse my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook.

You and your pickiest eater can eat more veggies without trying to change your diet. You never have to buy, prep, serve, clean or throw away unwanted food ever again.

Read below and browse my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook for kid-friendly comfort foods, snacks and sweet treats that contain hidden fruits, vegetables and protein. Every recipe is gluten-free, and can be made with dairy-free, sugar-free, nut-free and organic ingredients. I only share recipes with simple steps and ingredients that kids can help prepare in minutes. Add vitamins, minerals, fiber , antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory nutrients to any of your favorite foods.

Eat the Rainbow Starter Recipe

Doctors, nutritionists and social media “experts” tell us kids (and adults) must “eat the rainbow” every day. Steam, blend and freeze the veggies below and simply hide the thawed cubes in your favorite foods. See full "Starter Recipe" and my favorite hidden veggie recipes in my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook.

  • Zucchini

  • Broccoli

  • Spinach

  • Green beans. (haricots verts)

  • Peas (for added protein)

  • Red and orange bell peppers

  • Orange and purple carrots

  • Beets (use in moderation to avoid altering flavor too drastically)

White Diet Starter Recipe

Is your kid averse to any foods with green, orange, red, purple, or anything not the color of bread? For the pickiest eaters, use my “white diet” hidden veggie mix to hide veggies without changing the color or flavor of common kid-favorite foods. My particular picky eater “white-diet” consists of bread, pasta, butter, eggs, turkey meatballs, chicken nuggets and chocolate protein "milkshakes." See full "Starter Recipe" and my favorite hidden veggie recipes in my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook. The white vegetables below contain the same vitamin and antioxidant profile as their colorful counterparts in my “Eat the Rainbow” veggie mix.

  • Yellow peppers

  • White carrots

  • Yellow squash

  • Cauliflower

  • White string beans (haricots verts)

  • Golden beets (use in moderation to avoid altering flavor too drastically)

After you make the “Eat the Rainbow” and/or “White Diet” hidden veggie mix starter recipe and freeze the veggie purée in ice cube trays, simply microwave one or more hidden veggie cubes for 30 seconds each to mix into your child’s favorite foods. With just 30 extra seconds, you and your family can eat the rainbow every day.

Stir Cube(s) into Your Favorite Foods

  • Mix hidden veggie purée into egg mixture when making homemade breaded chicken tenders or fish sticks!

  • Eggs (scrambled, omelet, frittata)

  • Protein "milkshake"

  • French Toast (add to egg/milk mix to dip bread)

  • Tuna fish

  • Chicken salad

  • Barbecue beef, chicken or pork

  • Shredded marinated chicken

  • Ground beef or turkey

  • Mashed potatoes

  • Mac and cheese

  • Buttered noodles

  • Tahini

  • Barbecue sauce

  • Teriyaki sauce

Spread a Thin Layer onto Your Favorite Foods

  • Quesadilla

  • Grilled cheese sandwich

  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

  • Cinnamon toast

  • Cream cheese bagel

Not-From-Scratch Baked Goods

Use your favorite baked good recipe or store-bought mix, and replace all of the water or milk and half of the oil or butter with puréed fruit. You can also microwave one or more hidden veggie cubes (page 3 – 5) for 30 seconds each, and mix them into the recipe. Use hidden veggie cubes sparingly to avoid changing the flavor too drastically. To freeze for later: Double or triple the recipe; Place on a flat surface to freeze; Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag; Re-heat in microwave or toaster oven as needed.

Choose a Baked Good Mix

  • Pancakes

  • Waffles

  • Muffins

  • Cornbread

  • Bread loaf or rolls

  • Brownies

  • Cookies

  • Cake

Choose a Brand

  • Simple Mills (gluten free)

  • Kodiak (added protein)

  • Miss Jones (keto and paleo)

  • Hungry Harry’s (allergen free)

  • Lakanto (sugar free)

Replace all water or milk and half oil or butter with fruit:

  • Applesauce

  • Mashed banana

  • Fruit pouch (any fruit and vegetable combination)

  • Canned pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potato

  • Pureéd Cauliflower

Copyright © 2022 by Lauren Martin. All rights reserved. None of the information on this website may be used, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For all permission requests, write to the author, addressed “Copyright Permissions,” at: Laurenmartinbooks@gmail.com. Lauren Martin’s Website is reader-supported. While I am not paid to promote specific products or brands, I do earn a small commission from Amazon when you click on affiliate links on my site and make a purchase. Therefore, every opinion and product recommendation on my site is completely unbiased, genuine and sincere, based on my personal experience and knowledge gained as a parent and educator.

Want to make any comfort food, snack or dessert healthy for you or your little one? Hide veggies in your or your kid’s favorite foods with easy, healthy swaps and add-ins. Browse my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook.

From my two-minute bread and cookie dough to my ten-minute chicken nuggets, biscuits, crackers, cookies and cakes, it is fun and easy for kids and adults to “eat the rainbow” every day. Say goodbye to meal prep stress. You can feel good about eating and feeding your family healthy, unprocessed, comfort food, snacks and sweet treats that contain hidden fruits, veggies and nutrient-dense whole ingredients. Turn your toddlers favorite dinners, breakfasts or desserts into hidden veggie healthy foods with these hidden veggie recipe ideas - It’s as easy as mixing puréed cauliflower or canned butternut squash into the egg mixture when making homemade hidden veggie chicken tenders or fish sticks.

Previous
Previous

Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Next
Next

Hidden Veggie Muffins