Any devious ideas for hiding veggies?

Peartree

I'm much better than I was but am by no means a veg lover. I actually do recipes where I hide veg from myself - how sad is that! I follow something I think I picked up on this board from a thread about 'building blocks' for meals that you keep in the freezer. I take a good mix of onions and all sorts other root veg, peppers, etc (whatever is around in the supermarket) and chop it up fine in the processor. Then I freeze it in little blocks - in my case mini muffin cases, then stick the blocks in a bag. Stick as many as you want in as the basis of every casserole and every sauce you cook. You can cook them down with tomato for a pizza sauce.

The way I see it, it means that nearly every dish I do already has one serving of veg before adding any more or serving with side vegetables. And veg haters have no idea they are there - I have no idea they are there and I put them in!

I think it might also be a case of not trying to go too far to fast. Look at it as a project for the whole year. Try changing a couple of things each month without telling him and see how it goes - maybe start with hidden veg in everything and, say, change a product he likes to a lower fat/sugar version and see if he notices.

babyshoes

Soups are really easy to make, just look on the recipe thread for loads of ideas. A veg soup can be whizzed up in a blender to make it smooth, then chunks of veg he does eat and some meat can be added for texture. Even good quality bought soups can include a serving of veg, but do read lables as some are full of nasties.

Does he eat stir fry? You can start with fairly meaty ones, then start adding more veg each time until they are mostly veg with a little leftover meat. Veggies like pak choi (a new discovery for me) and spinach go well in stir fry as they reduce down and take on the flavour of the sauce. Try using a simple sauce made with soy sauce (reduced salt is good), a bit of sugar water or honey and some fresh, grated ginger. Just sprinkle it onto the veg half way through cooking and stir! Simple to do, and soaks well into noodles if you cook them in with the stir fry for a while just before serving.

maltesers_2

I just came across this useful tip:

for a really healthy [URL="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('pizza_id0');"]pizza[/URL], add grated carrots and courgettes to a normal [URL="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('bread_id0');"]bread[/URL] base to create a 50% vegetable base. With tomatoes and other [URL="javascript:zodInfuser.FillDescriptions('vegetables_id0');"]vegetables[/URL] such as red peppers and sweetcorn on top, you have a very healthy dish.

Diannec1985

Hi can anyone help please? My DS is 7 and has been a fussy eater since the age of about 4, he does not eat fruit/veg, mixed foods or food that touches(i.e. beans have to be served in a bowl/sandwiches can only be one ingedient at a time/ he dips plain pasta into ketchup) but despite this I *hope* he has a reasonable diet as he gets fruit juice, beans, spaghetti that counts as 1 of 5 a day and humzingers fruit sticks as a large amount of his diet!

I was able to sneak the pineapple flavour fruit sticks that he doesnt like into my batch of flapjacks and am wondering where else I can sneak good food into!?

I need CLEVER ways as he spots things quite easily as he likes food plain! He does not drink smoothies(he won't even drink flavoured milk) which would always be the first response to this question! I have always hated living on 'freezer food' but have shifted my thoughts on what freezer food actually is (i.e. not from shop freezers ) and aim to have everything homemade - goujons, burgers, fish fingers, meatballs etc.

Some ideas I have and welcome tips/advice:

I am pretty sure I can blend carrot into meatballs and burgers if I cut it really fine.
I have an idea for garlic bread that includes broccoli so fine that it looks like the garlic herbs you would have on shop bought garlic! Maybe white cabbage in with fish fingers?
I am going to make homemade jams as he enjoys jam - at least its real fruit is getting despite the sugar!?!

Any innovative/cunning ideas truly appreciated!

McKneff

Buy yourself a jug blender, best think I ever did, I am exactly the same as your little un and Im old enough to be his nana lol

He drinks orange juice, put it in the blender with some raspberries and a couple of sprouts, I promise he will not taste the sprouts.

you can put a it of anything in with the orange, I have some each day with some fruit, veg, honey and chopped nuts,
the blender is a master of disguise.

Get him to help you make a 'magic' drink now and again.
Hope that helps

Broomstick

HM real fruit juice ice lollies?

Can you experiment with making HM ketchup and hiding other stuff blended into it?

Can you grow anything that he can graze on? When my two were small and we had a veg patch in the back garden, they really liked going to pick and eat cherry tomatoes or fresh peas straight off the plants, or maybe try a Pick Your Own place.

Diannec1985

HM real fruit juice ice lollies? Yep definitely:T

Can you experiment with making HM ketchup and hiding other stuff blended into it? Would like to but was put off by the two weeks 'use by' guide, perhaps it can be frozen and defrosted in smaller portions??

Can you grow anything that he can graze on? When my two were small and we had a veg patch in the back garden, they really liked going to pick and eat cherry tomatoes or fresh peas straight off the plants, or maybe try a Pick Your Own place. I have actively encouraged him to get involved in things like this, he will take part, assemble, cook but not eat, must perservere! Hence this post, he will not 'accept' fruit/veg so I must resort to hiding!!

bluebag

I really feel for you, it's very difficult when they won't eat the good stuff. I got through it with my fussy eater by putting a half a teaspoon of the required food on the plate and said that had to be tasted first before anything else. She grew to like most veg, salad and fruit quite quickly, however It took about two relentless years to get her to eat sweetcorn but she loves it now.

I had misgivings about the hiding the veg in stuff, as I didn't want her to keep those habits throughout her life. It will test you but be patient and gently persistant and don't give in to the whining. Anyone can taste half a teaspoon of anything that's not poison.

kinkyjinks

bluebag wrote: »

I really feel for you, it's very difficult when they won't eat the good stuff. I got through it with my fussy eater by putting a half a teaspoon of the required food on the plate and said that had to be tasted first before anything else. She grew to like most veg, salad and fruit quite quickly, however It took about two relentless years to get her to eat sweetcorn but she loves it now.

I had misgivings about the hiding the veg in stuff, as I didn't want her to keep those habits throughout her life. It will test you but be patient and gently persistant and don't give in to the whining. Anyone can taste half a teaspoon of anything that's not poison.

That is a truly excellent idea. My step son has lived here for 6 years (he's 17 now) and will not eat any visible veg. One of his favourite meals is 'veg free' bolognese/lasagne though, which is just regular hm sauce put through the blender. If I serve the normal version it's picked over like every mouthful really does contain poison which really bugs me.

He is now becoming old enough to realise that his eating habits are different to the majority of people and even though I now plate him up the same meal as us all (at his request) he still leaves the veg. I'm pretty certain that he'll eat a really small portion of veg.

I might eventually confess that I've secretly been trying to poison him for the last 6 years by grating carrot into his food when he has told me on numerous occassions that he is allergic to them and they make him violently ill :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

natlie

Will he eat pizza? I can get 5 veg in a pizza sauce e.g. onion, courgette, carrot, celery, tomatoes whizz in blender this can be used as pasta sauce too and sauce for meatballs etc. Will he eat salad veg? radish and cucumber with a dip maybe? dried fruit is so sweet and preserved I am not sure how good for you it is really, will he eat yogurt you could make fruit puree and stir into natural yogurt or fromage frais? My eldest daughter won't eat green stuff like brocolli and cabbage but the youngest eats all veg growing veg at home I found helps them to eat more - may be an idea for the future, doesn't have to be a huge amount maybe just a small planter and some carrots.

I used to mash a lo of veg too e.g. parsnip and carrot into potato makes it a bit sweeter if he has a sweet tooth

Nat