Healthy Recipes with Hidden Veggies

August 27, 2019
Got a picky eater or two on your hands? We know the struggle is real when it comes to trying to get your kids (or grown-ups!) to eat their vegetables. But there are some ways you can sneak in veggie servings without them even knowing it. These genius recipes will help you get more veg into family meals.
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Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

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Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.

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EatingWell's Pepperoni Pizza

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Pepperoni pizza gets a healthful makeover with whole-wheat pizza dough and a flavorful tomato sauce that, thanks to the addition of pumpkin puree, provides extra beta carotene and fiber. We've topped the pie with low-fat turkey pepperoni, but if you like, use your favorite sliced vegetables instead.

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Parmesan Cauliflower Tater Tots

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Cauliflower stands in for potato in this taterless cauliflower tot recipe. Cauliflower is mashed, then mixed with cheese and given a crispy breadcrumb coating before being baked. These healthy cauliflower tater tots make a delicious side dish, appetizer or movie-night snack. Dip them in regular ketchup or make a spicy dipping sauce: Combine 1/3 cup ketchup with 2 tablespoons sriracha chile sauce and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

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Hamburger Buddy

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Very finely chopping onion, mushrooms and carrots in the food processor is not only fast--it makes the vegetables hard to detect for picky eaters. They also form the base for the sauce of this ground beef skillet supper. Make it a meal: Serve with a green salad.

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Barbecue Chicken Pizza

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We gave classic barbecue chicken pizza a healthy twist with hidden shredded zucchini in the sauce. It's a great way to sneak extra veggies into both you and your children's diet!

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Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet

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Sneak extra vegetables into your child's day (and yours too!) with this easy one-skillet pasta recipe. Finely chop mushrooms to resemble the texture of ground beef and stir them into a classic meat sauce for an extra-healthy twist on a dinnertime favorite.

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Blueberry-Cabbage Power Juice

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This healthy blueberry-cabbage power juice recipe is loaded with anthocyanins, which give the juice its pretty purple color and pack it with powerful antioxidants to keep your memory sharp. No juicer? No problem. See the juicing variation below to make this power juice recipe in a blender.

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Roasted Beet Hummus

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This vibrant hummus recipe couldn't be easier--just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Roasted beets make this healthy dip extra flavorful. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.

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Saucy Vegetarian Meatballs

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Cauliflower, mushrooms, bulgur and seasonings combine to form the base of this healthy vegetarian meatball recipe. A quick homemade tomato-basil sauce replaces the traditional marinara to save sodium. Serve over whole-wheat spaghetti with a green salad.

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EatingWell Sloppy Joes

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Our updated Sloppy Joe takes lean ground beef and adds chopped cremini mushrooms and diced fresh plum tomatoes, all in a zesty sauce. Served on a whole-wheat bun, it's a hearty dinner sandwich that will please adults and kids alike.

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Spicy Meatloaf with Collards

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Plenty of dark leafy greens deliver the moisture needed to balance lean ground pork and beef in this spicy meatloaf recipe. Serve any leftovers with extra ketchup as meatloaf sandwiches.

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Carrot Cake Smoothie

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Have your cake and eat it too--this smoothie recipe is bursting with flavor, including everything from pineapple to pumpkin pie spice to vanilla. A healthy and delicious treat for any time of day.

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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This vibrant orange hummus recipe couldn't be easier--just toss a few ingredients in the food processor and whir away! Roasted red peppers make this healthy dip extra flavorful. Serve with veggie chips, pita chips or crudités.

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Chilaquiles Casserole

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Our version of this enchilada-style chilaquiles casserole is packed with nutritious beans and vegetables. Canned prepared enchilada sauce has great flavor and keeps the prep time quick. It can vary in heat level so find one that suits your taste. If you want to eliminate the heat altogether, try a green enchilada sauce (which is often milder than red) or substitute two 8-ounce cans of plain tomato sauce.

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Zucchini Bread Breakfast Pancakes

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This zucchini pancake recipe marries the warm-spiced flavors of zucchini bread with the ease of quick and healthy whole-grain pancakes. When topped with maple syrup and pecans, these zucchini bread pancakes make an irresistibly delicious breakfast. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and cloves.

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Jason Mraz's Avocado Green Smoothie

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To make this green smoothie recipe a meal-in-a-glass, musician Mraz adds a tablespoon of coconut oil and some sprouted flax or chia seeds.

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Coconut-Carrot Morning Glory Muffins

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These carrot-flecked, whole-grain morning glory muffins can be made ahead for breakfast or a snack so you can hit the ground running on a busy morning. Add a nonfat latte and your day will be off to a healthy start. Or make this coconut-carrot morning glory muffin recipe for a special brunch. Look for coconut oil, in jars or tubs, near other cooking oils in large supermarkets, in the natural-foods section, or in natural-foods stores.

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Chocolate-Sweet Potato Parfait

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This healthy chocolate mousse recipe gets its body from sweet potato rather than eggs. Both the mousse and the meringue cookies can be made ahead of time, so all you have to do is assemble the parfaits when you're ready for dessert.

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Avocado Fries with Sriracha Aioli

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Creamy avocados are a delicious foil to crunchy breading in this healthy oven-fried avocado fries recipe. Dip into spicy Sriracha dipping sauce for a flavor explosion. Save your ripe avocados for guacamole or toast--only firm ones will do when making these fries.

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Chocolate-Beet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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These healthy chocolate cupcakes get a soft, moist texture from their not-so-secret ingredient: beets. The beets act as a natural red food dye, plus they bump up the fiber. Use red beets to give the cream cheese frosting a vibrant pink hue.

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Chocolate & Banana Sweet Potato Toast

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Don't skip the crispy cereal in this healthy sweet potato toast recipe--it may be only 1 teaspoon but it gives it the most delectable crunch.

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Chocolate Zucchini Brownies

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The batter for this healthy one-bowl brownie recipe is stirred together right in the saucepan used to melt the butter and chocolate--no mixing bowl needed and less cleanup for you. Using shredded zucchini in this healthy dessert recipe creates a tender, moist brownie with about half the amount of butter and sugar found in a classic recipe--and it's virtually undetectable in the baked brownies.

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Cauliflower Tortilla Beef Tacos

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These full-flavor tacos are wrapped up in sneaky lower carb "tortillas" made from cauliflower. The trick is getting as much moisture out of the cauliflower before mixing it with the cheese and eggs.

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Chocolate Avocado Shake

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This rich, healthy chocolate shake recipe is dairy-free and gets its creaminess from avocado instead of ice cream. If you aren't avoiding dairy, you can use regular low-fat milk and any type of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips in place of the nondairy chocolate chips.

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Carrot Cake

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Carrots give carrot cake a health-halo effect--people think it's health food, but it's usually very high in fat and calories. But our version has about 40 percent less calories and 50 percent less fat than most. First, we use less oil in our batter. Then we skip the butter in the frosting (don't worry, it's still light and smooth). To ensure the cake is moist, we add nonfat buttermilk and crushed pineapple.

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Coconut-Blueberry Green Smoothie

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Chia (or hemp) seeds add healthy omega-3 fats, fiber and a little protein for an extra nutritional boost in this healthy smoothie recipe. Look for chia seeds near whole-grain flours and/or nuts and seeds.

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Smoky Meatloaf

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In this lightened-up meatloaf, healthy low-calorie shredded zucchini keeps very lean beef moist but doesn't take away from the meat itself. The flavor gets a boost from a touch of smoked paprika, Worcestershire and a sweet ketchup glaze. We've also included a variation with Italian flavors.

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Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

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Whir cauliflower into a creamy low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. This easy recipe gets a kick of flavor from garlic-infused olive oil, making it a dairy-free (and vegan) vegetable side dish.

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EatingWell Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips

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Here's a super-simple zucchini bread recipe. The addition of chocolate chips makes it more like a dessert than a breakfast, but you can enjoy it anytime. Skip the chocolate and try it with toasted walnuts or raisins if you prefer. Freeze 2-cup portions of shredded zucchini so you can make zucchini bread all year long.

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Strawberry-Cucumber Juice

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This refreshing, healthy strawberry-cucumber juice is also made with an apple and carrots, making it taste like the farmers' market in a glass. No juicer? No problem. See the juicing variation below to make this strawberry-cucumber juice recipe in a blender.

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"Chocomole" Pudding

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Creamy avocados make this dairy-free and vegan chocolate dessert recipe super-rich. Serve as a not-so-sweet dessert or with strawberries for dipping.

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Carrot Smoothie

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This type of drink tends to be pricey in the big city juice bars. Now you can make the recipe at home.

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Pumpkin Spice Pudding

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The key to making this healthy, smooth pudding is constant slow whisking. A staff favorite, this recipe is one you'll want to pin for an easy make-ahead dessert.

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Pumpkin-Apple Smoothie

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This tasty fall blender breakfast gets protein from almond milk and Greek yogurt.

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Quick Stovetop Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

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Precut butternut squash in your grocery store's produce section makes this healthy mac and cheese recipe come together in a flash. For extra flavor, try smoked Gouda cheese.