Here are 17 creative ways to offer more veggies as part of everyday kids’ meals, from smoothies to desserts, ensuring healthy and delicious options.
If you’ve been around for a while, you know how much we love helping kiddos eat more plant foods. But while this is true, we also don’t encourage hiding veggies in recipes just to make sure your child eats them.
We get it – it’s frustrating when we just want our kids to automatically love all the vegetables and choose healthy foods from the get-to. Unfortunately, that’s not typically how it goes.
While all kiddos are different, veggies as a whole often take a little more time for a child’s palate to warm up to. It’s important to continue offering them regardless (it can take 10+ times of being exposed to a food before a child tries it and/or decides whether they like it).
With all that being said, it can be helpful to have a few ideas for boosting the veggie presentation in your household. Here are 17 ways to add vegetables to meals for kids (and adults)!
1. Veggie-Packed Smoothies
You can toss veggies into various types of smoothies, though some work better than others! We like blending greens into either green smoothies (paired with something more tart like pineapple and green apple) or berry smoothies. Another favorite is adding beets to chocolate smoothies. You can even do carrots mixed with citrus-based smoothies or make pumpkin-banana blends.
See this post for smoothie recipes.
2. Boosted Pasta Sauce
You can either make pasta sauce from scratch or lean on storebought favorites here. One of our most frequently used hacks is blending a jar of marinara with things like chopped broccoli and bell peppers until (mostly) smooth and pouring over pasta.
Alternatively, add frozen veggies to cooked pasta.
3. Veggie Nuggets
Make nuggets using a mix of mashed chickpeas, finely chopped broccoli, and carrots, then bread and bake them or toss them in the air fryer.
4. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Add pureed cauliflower to the cheese sauce for a creamy and veggie-filled twist on a classic favorite. Alternatively, try our 10-minute mac recipe using pre-made cheddar “cheese” powder.
5. Zucchini Bread or Muffins
Grate zucchini and mix it into bread or muffin batter. You can also do this with grated carrots! Another option is our Zucchini Bread Oatmeal, a baked casserole that makes for an easy, tasty breakfast.
6. Sweet Potato or Carrot Fries
Cut sweet potatoes into fries, season, and bake for a healthier and tasty alternative to regular fries. Did you know you can also make Carrot Fries in the oven? Try our recipe!
7. Veggie Quesadillas
Fill quesadillas with cheese (or dairy-free cheese) and finely chopped vegetables like spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, or tomatoes. Optionally, slather with some beans or guacamole.
If your kiddo gets overwhelmed by lots of veggies, we suggest combining one they like with just a couple pieces of one they are learning-to-like.
8. Pureed Veggie Pancakes
Add pureed, semi-sweet veggies like carrots or pumpkin to pancake batter for a sweet and veggie-rich breakfast. We like beets, too! Try our Beet Blender Pancakes which also use bananas, plant milk, and vanilla for a nice sweet flavor.
9. Stuffed Mini Peppers
Fill mini bell peppers with a mixture of rice or quinoa, black beans, and finely chopped veggies for a fun and colorful meal. This is a great opportunity for kiddos to help in the kitchen! Top with salsa or serve it on the side.
10. Veggie-Loaded Pizza
Top pizza with a variety of vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach, and let kids help choose and arrange the toppings. We have homemade pizza nights regularly, where everyone gets their own dough and then a variety of toppings to choose from.
11. Vegetable Lasagna
Bump up plain cheese lasagna with a couple of colorful veggies. Layer thinly sliced veggies like zucchini, eggplant, and spinach between lasagna noodles with marinara sauce and cheese.
12. Broccoli Potato Soup
This is a great one for the Instant Pot! Cook broccoli and potatoes with broth and seasonings before blending them into a comforting, satisfying soup. Sprinkle or gently stir in some cheese (or non-dairy cheese) shreds.
Here are some other tasty veg soups to try:
13. Veggie Pizza Rolls
This is a fun take on pizza! Roll pizza dough with your usual faves, including a new veggie or two, then slice into rolls and bake. You could even serve the marinara sauce on the side instead of inside.
14. Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Blend avocado with cocoa powder, soy milk, vanilla, and sweetener of choice for a creamy, chocolatey dessert packed with healthy fats.
15. Veggie-Stuffed Meatballs
Have a favorite homemade meatball recipe? Mix grated carrots, zucchini, diced mushrooms, or spinach into your plant-based meatball mixture before cooking.
16. Cucumber Sushi Rolls
Homemade sushi can be really fun to make, not to mention delicious! Use thinly sliced cucumbers to roll up sticky rice, avocado, and other finely chopped vegetables for a fun, sushi-inspired snack.
17. Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry
Experiment with the flavor of cauliflower rice in a stir-fry! Have your kiddo help choose colorful vegetables like bell peppers, peas, and carrots to add. Serve with a yummy stir fry sauce.
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