Veggie loaded oatmeal. Looking for new ways to serve veggies to kids? Here are 4 ways to make veggie oatmeal recipes for a healthy breakfast.
We’re always looking for new ways to offer veggies to our kiddos. Anybody else?
You probably have a rotation of household meals that you know your kids already like. Why not add some veggies to these? A slight tweak can make a totally different presentation.
So we thought: why not oatmeal??
We know it sounds a little strange, but if veggies like cauliflower can be mashed and used as potatoes, pizza crust, and grain-free rice, we’d argue that it’s a neutral flavor that would work well even in oatmeal.
The same goes for other mild veggies that not only add a non-threatening new taste, but also boost the nutritional makeup – and can even make breakfast a fun new color!
Before we give some of our favorite veggie oatmeal ideas, here’s the basic recipe that you can alter as needed!
Basic Veggie Oatmeal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4-1/2 cup riced, grated, or pureed veggie of choice
- 1/2 cup fresh fruit of choice
Instructions
- Make your base. Mix together 1 cup rolled oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon hemp seeds and 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds.
- Add enough water to cover by an inch. Cook until creamy, then mash in 1 ripe banana (for natural sweetness), 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Stir in veggie of choice, and cook 2-4 minutes.
- Top with your favorite fruits!
Now that you have the basic recipe, here are 4 simple ideas to change up your oatmeal game and incorporate more veggies into a favorite healthy breakfast.
Cauliflower Oatmeal
Like we said before, cauliflower is such a neutral flavor that it can probably work well in just about anything.
It gives oatmeal a subtle change in texture without altering the traditional taste very much.
Plus, cauliflower is full of vitamins C and K, fiber, folate, and an array of minerals, like phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.
To make it:
- Add 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower to oatmeal base.
- Cook 3-4 minutes on stovetop.
- Topping ideas: chopped peaches, raspberries, sliced pears.
Beet Oatmeal
If you’ve ever prepared beets, you’re already aware of how much it can change the aesthetic of things (and the countertops, your skin, clothes, etc…)!
Beets are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, folate, fiber, manganese, potassium, and a little bit of iron and magnesium.
To make it:
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of shredded raw beet to oatmeal base.
- Topping ideas: Pinch of dried ginger, sweet cherries, blueberries, raspberries.
Zucchini Oatmeal
When grated and warmed, zucchini just adds a comforting “zucchini bread” feel to everything. Plus, it has a natural moisture that works well in oatmeal.
Zucchini is a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, fiber, B vitamins, manganese, and copper.
To make it:
- Add 1/2 cup grated zucchini to oatmeal base.
- Cook 2-3 minutes on stovetop.
- Optional: add 1-2 teaspoons sweetener, like maple syrup.
- Topping ideas: crushed walnuts or pecans, raisins.
For a baked casserole-esque version, see our recipe for zucchini bread oatmeal.
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Canned pumpkin isn’t just for the holidays! This is a great canned food to keep in your pantry and super simple to add to oatmeal.
Pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, as well as B vitamins, vitamin K, iron, copper, manganese, and potassium.
To make it:
- Add 1 cup unsweetened canned (or cooked) pumpkin puree to oatmeal base.
- Optional: add 1-2 teaspoons sweetener, like maple syrup.
- Topping ideas: blueberries, blackberries, sliced bananas.
Veggie loaded oatmeal makes a delicious, healthy breakfast for kids. If you’re looking for new ways to serve veggies to kids, try these 4 veggie oatmeal recipes. Or, create your own!
Chime In: Have you ever tried serving a veggie-packed oatmeal to your kids? What did they think?
If you found this post helpful, we think that you’ll enjoy these too:
This is what our daughter eats every morning! We tend to do either zucchini or carrot, with the same combination of the seeds you list. We cook it with soymilk (not fortified, bc of the risk the calcium in fortified soy milk reduces the absorption of iron), and then we stir in pumpkin seed butter for extra iron! Our daughter absolutely loves it and eats the full bowl every morning.
How many servings is this?