Veggies for the ultra-picky crowd -- and a recipe to get you started!

Are you having a hard time getting your kid to eat anything grown on a tree or a vine? Try sneaking nutritious veggies into their favorite foods!

• Got a little pasta lover? Puree broccoli or peppers (a great source of vitamin C) and carrots and spinach (full of vitamin A) and add it to a tomato-based pasta sauce for some surprise nutrients. It won’t change the flavor, and you can even use it as pizza sauce! If all they eat is mac’n’cheese, try some steamed cauliflower mushed up into the cheese sauce.

• That cauliflower trick works for mashed potatoes, too: just substitute steamed cauliflower for part or all of the potatoes! Add a little garlic and cheese, and they’ll never notice.

• Mmm…smoothies! Enjoy the rest of summer with fresh (or frozen, in winter) fruit like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango, papaya, and bananas blended into a milk- or yogurt-based smoothie. It’s a perfect way to get them to eat their A, C, potassium, calcium, and folate! Experiment with different combinations of fruit (and maybe a spoonful of peanut or almond butter?) to find your kid’s favorites.

• Chili and meatloaf are already chock full of protein, and there’s no reason why you can’t shred or chop some carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, or onions to add to those or other meat or casserole dishes. We bet they’ll never even notice the change!

This recipe for Crispy Kale has the crunch and salty tang of french fries, but less fat and way more vitamins. It's a good side dish or movie-watching snack.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

* 6-8 cups chopped fresh kale, hard stems removed
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
* 1/2 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

Preparation:

1. Place a rack on the lowest shelf of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread kale out on a sturdy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss to coat completely.

3. Place on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and stir so that kale can get crispy all over.

5. Bake another 8 to 12 minutes or until kale is crispy. It should be just lightly browned and crispy to the touch. If kale still bends, rather than crackles, when you touch it, it isn't done yet. Return it to the oven. Turn down the heat if it is getting too brown. Continue cooking until crispy.

6. Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and serve immediately.

Healthy kids recipe: Disappearing Zucchini Muffins

Are you looking for something healthy that the kids can grab on the way out the door? Try these tasty muffins. And, you don't have to peel the zucchini before shredding it for this recipe. It won't affect the taste and the peel will provide some extra fiber. I've noticed that when my kids help prepare it, it automatically "tastes great" and they get a little math lesson to go along with it!


Prep time: 30 minutes


Ingredients

1½ cups shredded zucchini (about 2 small)
2 cups whole-grain pancake or biscuit mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
2 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice powdered sugar (enough to dust the muffins)


Equipment and supplies
oven
bowls — one large, one medium
grater — a plastic grater is safest for kids
measuring cups and spoons muffin tin and paper liners


Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.


Wash zucchini and remove ends. Shred zucchini using largest holes on grater. Place grated zucchini on paper towels and squeeze to remove water. Measure 1½ cups of squeezed-dry zucchini.


In a large bowl, mix whole-grain pancake mix (or biscuit mix) with spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, and lemon juice. Fold the egg-sugar mixture and shredded zucchini into the pancake-spice mixture; do not overmix.


Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full with batter. Bake 10–15 minutes or until golden. Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle muffins with a dusting of powdered sugar.

How much does this recipe make?About a dozen muffins.

Healthy Kids Recipe: Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars

Are you trying to satisfy a sweet tooth in a healthy way? Try these Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars. The recipe is versatile enough to substitute different types of nuts and fruits. We make them and then use them as a snack when we are out and about. It takes about 30 minutes and makes about 12 bars.

• 1 C quick cooking oats
• ¾ C whole wheat pastry flour
• ¼ C toasted wheat germ
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ C honey
• 1/3 C unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ C canola oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 egg white
• ¾ C dried chopped tart cherries (we love Chukar Cherries)
• ½ C finely chopped walnuts
• cooking spray
• ¼ C “fruit only” apricot preserve

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl whisk together honey, applesauce, oil and eggs. Fold in cherries and walnuts.

Coat an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray and spread the dough out evenly. Bake in center of oven for 30-35 minutes. Or, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Put the preserves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the bars come out of the oven, brush with the preserves. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars, about 4 by1 1/2 inches each.