Kids and Veggies 101

[originally posted on www.befitnola.com]
Some of my friends are blessed with children who love to eat fruits and vegetables. I always watch in astonishment while we are at City Park or the Zoo and the children gladly eat an orange or some broccoli. They pull out their little bag of apple slices and munch away. Not my children…no, they are on a constant search for the “man in the wagon with the sticky candy” – yes, Roman candy/taffy is their snack of choice.

Sure, when they were toddlers it was no problem. They didn’t know any other way of eating, but then reality kicked in – pizza at birthday parties! Chicken nuggets with Grandma! Meanwhile, I’m buying organic fruits at the local farmer’s market, serving vegetables with every dinner – and watching the look of horror on my 5-year-old twins’ faces as they realize the cauliflower is actually TOUCHING the wheat pasta on their plate!

I finally bought the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld.


I struggled with deceiving the children just to get nutritious food in their bellies. The premise of the cookbook is to use purees that are added to regular meals…thereby hiding the beets, prunes, carrots, zucchini, etc. in the French Toast, spaghetti or muffins.

We have tried several recipes – and finally hit a home run! We enjoyed shopping at the German Coast Farmers Market in Destrehan this past weekend, and decided to put our vegetables to good use. Unbelievably, this recipe was a favorite for the entire family – I hope it is for your family, too.

Meatball Soup
3 oz. bow tie whole wheat pasta (or more, if pasta is a favorite)
Cooking spray
1 T. Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juice
1 1/2 t. salt
3 c. reduced-fat, low sodium chicken broth

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside. Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When pot is hot, add the oil, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened but not browned. Puree tomatoes and their juice with the carrot puree in a food processor. Add tomatoes to the pot along with the purees and broth. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

Meatballs
3 slices whole-wheat bread, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ c. sweet potato puree
¼ c. skim milk
2 T. grated Parmesan
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. paprika
½ pound lean ground turkey

Put the bread in a large bowl – add the egg, sweet potato puree, milk, parmesan, 1 t. salt, pepper and paprika. Let soak until the bread is very soft. Stir to break up the bread, add the turkey, mix until smooth. Form into mini-meatballs ½ inch in diameter.

Add the meatballs to the pot. Simmer, covered, until the meatballs are no longer pink (12-15 minutes). Stir in the pasta…sprinkle with parmesan – and finally! A dinner the whole family can enjoy.

This recipe is one of many delicious recipes in the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook – as you can see the recipes are not complicated. You can find it on Amazon,.