Comment from Amy W (A.J. Dub)
Time November 14, 2008 at 5:58 am

Your site is great. I stumbled upon you when I stumbled upon a former classmate, Liz Rosenbaum’s site. I am using your plates to help me lose weight as well as help my kisds eat healthier. (At least, I am using the concept, until I can get the plates). Anyway, I have wanted to use this method for a while, but had not really know what ot use or how to use it. So I guess I fall into the latter category for using nutritious add-ins.

Also, I love cheesy potato soup and I can’t wait to try your recipe. And I am sending it to my friend for our soup making day!

& love the idea for putting out the veggie tray for after school.

Thanks!

Comment from Jill
Time November 14, 2008 at 6:39 am

Great recipe! I don’t really “hide” anything either. I want my kids to know that we eat veggies. I hope they get used to the sight of them as well as the taste and texture.

Comment from Betsy
Time November 14, 2008 at 6:45 am

I mix chopped up spinach, oatmeal, beans, whatever I can!

Comment from Heather
Time November 14, 2008 at 6:52 am

I mix ground flax seed into all my baked goods, pancakes, and oatmeal.

Comment from Laura
Time November 14, 2008 at 6:53 am

I love adding beans to my meat dishes. My kids love beans, so we’re good there. I checked out Jessica’s cookbook from the library a while back and tried a bunch of her recipes with sweet potatoes. I especially loved the pancake recipe. I have also used the sweet potatoes as a soup thickener. Yum!

Comment from cathy
Time November 14, 2008 at 7:13 am

That soup looks really good! I mix pureed sweet potato into lots of things – macaroni, chicken spaghetti, tacos, chili, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce. It’s sweetness lends itself to lots of different dishes.

I actually don’t have a problem with hiding vegetables and other good stuff in foods if it will get my kids to eat more, but I also make sure to serve them plenty unhidden so that the can hopefully learn to love their vegetables. I love Jessica Simpson’s book – lots of good recipes in there!

Comment from Blake
Time November 14, 2008 at 7:31 am

I’m a fan of putting chopped up spinach in pasta, on chicken, in eggs, and lots of other places. I also love to add onions to everything. Just noticed — is it weird that I’m the only guy commenter? It’s all good I love to cook and my wife loves that I love to cook also!

Comment from ashley
Time November 14, 2008 at 8:02 am

I keep a bag of wheat germ and ground flax seed on hand to toss into foods.

Comment from eliece
Time November 14, 2008 at 8:09 am

I’m excited about your soup recipe — I’m in such a soup mood lately. I’m not good a sneaking extra veggies in. I need this cookbook so someone can tell me EXACTLY how to do it.

Comment from Maggie
Time November 14, 2008 at 8:17 am

Having a veggie dipping tray for after school snacks is terrific. I used to try to cut my kids off by 4 pm for dinner at six, and it didn’t work for me either. One substitute I love it using applesauce instead of oil in cakes.

Comment from Wendy
Time November 14, 2008 at 8:45 am

I am a “hider of the mix-ins.” My family isn’t big on trying new things so I mix-it-in and tell them later;)
I like to add ground flax seed to cookies and muffins. I have added beans in brownies,burgers,tacos and anything else I can. Pumpkin puree in some baked goods and carrots in any red sauce work well for us. I have one child that doesn’t eat meat and isn’t really big on veggies either so I do what I must:)

Comment from Mark
Time November 14, 2008 at 9:16 am

That soup looks dangerously tasty! Have a nice weekend!

Comment from Carrie
Time November 14, 2008 at 9:18 am

Thank you so much for hosting this give away! I’ve wanted to try out that book for quite a while. I don’t really do much hiding of veggies in my foods, but I would love to learn how to!

Comment from Jessie
Time November 14, 2008 at 9:28 am

Oh I so NEED that book!!! I’m not creative enough to come up with these things. I need to learn how for my daughters nutrition, she is EXTREMELY picky! My boys on the other hand will eat pretty much anything you put in front of them.

Comment from p/f
Time November 14, 2008 at 10:48 am

I’d have to say that I’m not a hider either, but I will switch healthier for not so healthy options anyday. I’ll substitute whole wheat flour for white, ground oatmeal for flour, applesauce, pumpkin, and zucchini for oil/butter in baked goods. I’ll put grated carrot and zucchini in my turkey meatloaf not to hide them, but to make the meatloaf more moist, and to stretch the recipe out a bit. I love using fage yogurt instead of sour cream or a creamy dressing.

I’ve also heard of a cake made with white beans, although I’ve never tried it.

Comment from Fitness Surfer
Time November 14, 2008 at 11:24 am

Sweet! I’ve totally wanted that book. I heard about thru my sister who watches Oprah.

Macaroni Carrots:
I steamed up some carrots and pureed them, and added them to Mac & Cheese the other night. My husband ate the whole thing and never knew carrots were in it. After I told him, and he was shocked. He wondered what other vegetables I had been slipping him.

Vegetable Marinara:
I also make my own marinara. It’s more vegetables then tomatoes, which is perfect for my husband who doesn’t like tomatoes.

I sauté up a bunch of chopped Carrots, Celery, Onions, Garlic, then I add diced tomatoes. Cook just like you would a soup, until the vegetables are tender. Towards the end I take half of it and blend it up in a blender. (you can blend the whole think if you don’t like your sauce chunky). After blending I put it back in the pot and add lemon juice (my substitute for cooking wine) and let it cook down for at least another hour. It makes a brighter sauce, but it’s very tasty & nutritious.

Comment from Tiff
Time November 14, 2008 at 11:56 am

I like to mix in flax with my oatmeal but I need some ideas how to hide veggies into food so my family doesn’t know it. I could definitely use this book!

Comment from Tatiana
Time November 14, 2008 at 12:03 pm

I sneak spinach into smoothies and it doesn’t change the taste very much. Great ideas in all the comments! I have really wanted to try this book!

Comment from Dawn
Time November 14, 2008 at 12:19 pm

I am new to this but, I love to add califlower (cooked and pureed) to mashed potatoes. You can add alot and it doesn’t change the flavor!!! I hope I win!!

Comment from KarenA
Time November 14, 2008 at 12:21 pm

I don’t often hide veggies in my foods, because thankfully my kids love most veggies all on their own. Except for cauliflower. One thing I’d be interested in trying, but don’t know how, is to get more of the vitamin dense things in, like pumpkin (which isn’t loved by the kids), or spinach (which we only use in salads)hidden in my foods. And I just finished a batch of applesauce, that came thicker, chunkier than my kids like, so what can I do with that?? Any way I can use it as a substitute for something/anything? Or what can I sneak it into?

Comment from Whitney
Time November 14, 2008 at 12:24 pm

I’m not a veggie hider. Because 1. I want my kids to learn to like veggies 2. I like to recognize the food I’m eating and 3. I’m lazy and don’t want to go to all the puree trouble. Although I have tasted the macaroni and cheese recipe from this book and it was delicious. Deceptively delicious. Maybe I need to jump on the band wagon. That mac and cheese could be enough to convert me to the ways.

Comment from Terrah
Time November 14, 2008 at 12:57 pm

I add butternut squash puree to mac and cheese, and put a layer of spinach leaves on top of the sauce but under the cheese of the pizzas I make.

Comment from Monica
Time November 14, 2008 at 12:59 pm

I often use ground flax seed in my cookies, muffins, or breads to replace eggs in the recipe. I also have mashed broccoli and cauliflower into my mashed potatoes. My two year old loves veggies, so I don’t usually have problems getting him to eat them, but I like knowing that he is getting an extra boost. I would love to win this book to learn more.

Comment from Meredith
Time November 14, 2008 at 2:06 pm

i don’t hide veggies either, but i do add extra veggies to pretty much everything i make just to pack some extra punch in the meal! i love using whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose, and adding flaxseed to muffins. i love making sauces with pureed white beans!

Comment from Erika
Time November 14, 2008 at 2:42 pm

I don’t hide anything. The most healthy thing I’ve done is add applesauce to jello- it was really tasty.

Comment from Jackie
Time November 14, 2008 at 2:52 pm

I’ve always aspired to hide things, but again – it’s the motivation. I’m always throwing away leftover Tomato Paste. I open a whole can and then end up throwing out the rest because I don’t know what to use it on.

So I finally started separating it into my leftover baby food containers and freezing it. Now whenever we make mac and cheese, I throw one of the cubes of tomato paste in. My daughter now likes it better with the tomato paste and will remind me to get the frozen cube out of the freezer.

I don’t know how healthy tomato paste is, but it makes me feel better because I’m not wasting the paste AND I’m adding something with tomato in the name to their favorite meal.

Comment from Leslie
Time November 14, 2008 at 3:32 pm

I throw flax and bananas in my girls morning oats. I wouldn’t say I hide it though, because my 3 yr old loves to grab it from the fridge !!

Comment from Lara
Time November 14, 2008 at 4:07 pm

I’m always trying new recipes, especially soups in the winter. I can’t wait to try this one!

Comment from Lara
Time November 14, 2008 at 4:11 pm

I’ve been lucky, my kids love veggies. However, there is always room for improvement when it comes to healthy eating. I don’t hide anything.

Comment from Autumn
Time November 14, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Everyone but Taco man eats veggies in my family. I would love to win that book because I’ve looked at it a billion times at the store thinking it would be good to use on the little bugger! I’m not a hider of things healthy…he just goes without…Poor guy! I need intervention!

Comment from Lisa
Time November 14, 2008 at 4:31 pm

Pick me! Pick me! My hubby is a self declared super taster and it’s hard to get anything passed him. I need to be more brave.

I do use applesauce instead of oil in many baked goods, lecithin in place of oil in my bread and add flax seed also. Wheat berries make a great healthy meat extender (or replacer) in spaghetti sauces or casseroles (but that’s not a fruit or veggie!)

Comment from Lori
Time November 14, 2008 at 8:03 pm

that soup sounds awesome.

seriously, use the shortening in brownies and cookies and your kids won’t know the difference.

i posted a new healthy recipe on our exercise blog if you want to check it out: tresasmigasrunning.blogspot.com

yay for a giveaway!

Comment from Stacy
Time November 15, 2008 at 10:08 am

About the only thing I’m doing right now is switching oats for crackers in things like meatloaf and tuna patties. I could really use this book because my kids refuse to eat vegetables.

Comment from Debbi T.
Time November 15, 2008 at 2:18 pm

I could totally use this book. I do put ground flax in place of some of the oil or eggs.

Comment from Vennesa Murray
Time November 15, 2008 at 4:08 pm

I add oats to hamburger whenever a recipe calls for ground beef. I always substitute half of the oil in cakes or muffins with applesauce.

Comment from Megan
Time November 15, 2008 at 9:59 pm

The only thing I do is squirt liquid vitamins in Maggie’s apple juice. I’m sure Mrs. Seinfeld could give me some more ideas. Pick me!

Comment from Carrie
Time November 16, 2008 at 9:42 am

I am not much for hiding vegetables in my foods. I am fortunate that my kids will eat veggies. As for adding nutrition to foods, I don’t use refined flours or sugars in my cooking which in itself adds nutrition. I do give my kids smoothies that have spinach blended in it(with lots of fruit) They know it’s there and will drink it as a great frozen treat. I will also add spirulina or flax to smoothies, or even nutritional yeast.
Nutrtiional yeast is good on popcorn, or added to cheesey recipes to add more flavor without adding all the extra cheese.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway….

Comment from christine
Time November 16, 2008 at 7:30 pm

I love the Jessica Seinfield book. My big hide-in is to puree garlic and onion and saute it along with ground beef for tacos. My son hates the texture of onions but this is a great way to hide them! Yum!

Comment from Hannah
Time November 19, 2008 at 9:40 pm

My new favorite idea is grating an apple (including the skin), into my pancakes. So yummy!

Comment from jenrn
Time November 25, 2008 at 10:19 pm

I would love to have this book. have been trying to change our family habits. however there are somethings i can’t get my kids (or husband) to eat. Not sure how to hide them.

Pingback from Healthy Food Ideas for Super Healthy Kids » Power Puff Pancakes
Time May 10, 2010 at 5:04 am

[...] is one to start us off.  First, to review my stand on “hiding vegetables”, you can read these other [...]