Diana Savani, RD, LDN

Blog Post Sponsored by Grateful Market®

Picky Eaters

Having picky eaters at home can make keeping your family healthy a major challenge, creating a lot of stress around a situation with good intentions. In an ideal world, it would be great for the whole family to truly enjoy eating their veggies, but this is unrealistic for many. This does not mean it’s impossible to stay healthy, however; it just takes some creativity and planning to keep everyone nourished and happy.

If you have certain family members who love only a select few veggies, it’s okay! Some are better than none, and there’s nothing wrong with eating the same veggies over and over again if you enjoy them. However, there are benefits in eating a variety of veggies each day, especially those that have different colors. “Eating the rainbow” with fruits and veggies daily helps support the body in a variety of ways, due to the different phytonutrients that give these delicious plant foods their colors. Plus, it’s kind of fun to try completing the rainbow each day with different fun foods on our plate! Let’s break down why eating the rainbow with fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables can be so beneficial for your family’s health.

Eat the Rainbow

RED vegetables, like tomatoes and red bell peppers, may reduce the risk of certain cancers and support heart health. 

ORANGE and YELLOW vegetables, like carrots, sweet potatoes, or yellow bell peppers, may support the immune system, eye health, skin, and bones.

GREEN vegetables, like spinach, kale, broccoli, celery, and green peppers, may help support eye health as well, while also potentially preventing certain types of cancers and reducing oxidative stress in the body.

BLUE and PURPLE vegetables may protect against cellular damage, reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, and support brain health. Some delicious dark blue/purple toned veggies include purple cauliflower, eggplant, and purple potatoes.

WHITE and BROWN vegetables may not be as colorful to the eye, but they are just as beneficial as the others! White and brown vegetables may support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels while potentially protecting the heart and brain, and preventing certain types of cancers. Mushrooms, cauliflower, onion, and garlic are just a few of the delicious foods that fall in this category.

Now that you know why this rainbow spectrum of veggies can benefit everyone in your family, let’s figure out how to get everyone to happily enjoy these powerful plant foods.

Skip the Food Fight

Daily “food fights” trying to get your picky eaters to stay at the table until they finish their veggies can lead to some grumpy family dinners, with no success of getting them to eat healthfully. What if it didn’t have to be this way? What if you could stop trying to force-feed your family their veggies, and they could enjoy the foods they love while meeting their body’s nutrition needs?

Yes, it’s possible. The easiest way to work veggies into foods your family already loves is by using “sneaky veggies,” mixing them right into dishes your family will eat happily. Let’s look at some of the top veggies that are perfect for sneaking into meals at home.

“Sneaky Superstars”

“Sneaky superstars” are those simple veggies that have more of a bland flavor profile, making them easy to work into meals your family already eats and loves. Here are the top 5 “sneaky superstar veggies” that work well in a variety of dishes:

• Spinach adds a virtually flavorless nutrient-boost to any smoothie, sauce, or sauteed dish.
• Carrots, when raw or cooked, can be blended into a smoothie, sauce, or creamy dish without much impact on flavor.
• Sweet potatoes are easy to cook and blend into any smooth textured dish, like soup, sauce, or smoothies.
• Broccoli can be chopped up super fine, or even grated, and blended into many dishes, raw or cooked.
• Cauliflower can be treated similar to broccoli, being chopped fine and mixed into dishes or even blended into recipes completely camouflaged. 

Sneaky Veggie Tricks

Here is a simple game plan for sneaking these nutrient-powerhouse “sneaky veggies” into your next family meal: 

1. Add them to a fruity, creamy smoothie. Having a good quality blender is key here, to ensure all ‘sneaky veggies’ are blended up as much as possible so they go unnoticed. Spinach, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, or cauliflower make great ‘sneaky’ smoothie additions, barely impacting color or taste.
2. Mix them into a stir fry. Stir fry typically contains veggies in large chunks, all mixed in with delicious proteins, grains, and sauces. If your family already loves the idea of big pieces of broccoli or bell peppers in a stir fry, move forward with what they already know and love, while sneaking in extra “sneaky veggies”! Very finely chopped or grated veggies, like broccoli or cauliflower, work perfectly for this, blending right in with the pieces of rice or quinoa and going totally unnoticed. 
3. Disguise them in a pasta sauce. Cooked veggies blend into a tomato or cream sauce so nicely, barely changing the texture or flavor. Try blending cooked carrots, sweet potato, cauliflower, or spinach into a tomato sauce, or even blend cooked carrots, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes right into a cheese sauce for mac ‘n cheese! 
4. Add them to taco meat. Any meat that is ground up is an opportunity to work in some veggies. Try mixing finely chopped cauliflower right into the pan with your ground beef, turkey, or chicken, allowing it to steam gently in the pan until it blends in and becomes barely noticeable. You can also try this with very finely chopped broccoli stems, carrots, or spinach.
5. Enjoy them in burgers. Who doesn’t love a good burger right off the grill in the warmer months? A burger can be a great way to fuel your family with protein and be a great ‘sneaky veggie’ vessel! Mixing finely chopped or grated veggies right into the meat can work well, but if you’re not quite ready to try making your own ‘sneaky veggie burgers,’ Grateful Market has you covered! The new Grateful Sliders, made of either beef or chicken, are the perfect option to save the family dinner with a delicious and nutritious meal that everyone will love. Blended with a variety of colorful veggies, these delicious easy-to-cook sliders are easy and convenient last minute dinner options to keep on hand in your freezer, and they come in many different flavors, including:

• Grass-fed Beef with Bacon and Cheddar Sliders blended with mushroom, kale, green onions, and carrots
• Garlic & Herb Chicken Sliders blended with mushrooms, kale, celery, green onions, and carrots
• Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sliders blended with mushrooms, carrots, green onions, and bleu cheese

Grateful Sliders will be a hit at your next family meal and are a big step in the right direction toward helping your picky eaters to enjoy the veggies in their diet. Grab a box today to spoil your loved ones with a healthy and super satisfying summer meal today! You can find the new slider kits at local Hannaford Supermarkets, Whole Foods, Shaw’s, McKinnon’s, Crosby’s Markets, and other local markets. Click here to find your local retailer that carries Grateful Market products, and find your family’s favorite flavor to throw on the grill all summer long!