Hidden Veggie Meatballs

Make your favorite meatballs or hamburgers with hidden veggie meatballs with this quick, easy and inexpensive recipe. 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

• 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

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Hiden Veggie Pasta Notes

To add to pasta, pair with high protein chickpea pasta…

• Banza Chickpea Pasta (chickpea, seashell or penne pasta)

• Banza Angel Hair Spaghetti (chickpea spaghetti)

• Barilla Protein+ Farfalle (lentil, chickpea, pea “bowtie” pasta).

Consider creating hamburgers or sliders instead of meatballs:

• Divide 1 lb of meat into 4 - 8 burger patties or small sliders and cook about 3 - 4 minutes per side.

• Use a high fiber or high protein bun like David’s Killer Burger Buns.

For the "Not-from-Scratch” Hidden Veggie Mix:

• Simply add canned organic tomato sauce (not tomato paste) to your recipe.

Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup puréed veggies or 4 hidden veggie cubes

• See “Starter Recipe” above or blend zucchini, carrot, pepper, onion, etc.

• Alternatively, mix organic tomato sauce for quick and easy veggies.

• Consider starting with 1/4 - 1/3 cup (2-3 veggie cubes) for the pickiest eaters.

1 lb ground beef or turkey

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

2 TBLS Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

Directions

1. If necessary, steam or sauté your choice of hidden veggies (see above).

2. Grease large pan on stove

3. In a large bowl, microwave four hidden veggie cubes until thawed or purée your hidden veggie mixture.

4. Add ground meat, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt to veggie bowl and thoroughly combine.

5. Turn stove on high. Cook burgers 4 minutes per side or gently stir meatballs constantly until cooked through (about 8 minutes).

6. Serve on bun or pasta and add cheese, ketchup, tomato sauce, etc.

Not-from-Scratch Version

• Mix with ½ cup organic tomato sauce instead of puréed veggies.

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, and hidden veggie Mac and cheese 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 - start with my hidden veggie meatballs and burger recipe and try my Hidden Veggie Cookbook for more secretly healthy kids recipes.