Can you be a fruit and veggie ninja?

It can be a challenge to get your kids (or yourself and spouse) to eat the recommended 5 servings of veggies and fruits a day. In our house it has to be done in a somewhat sneaky manner. With a blender or food processor you can make delicious meals that are also nutritious and no one has to know, unless you feel like letting them in on the secret.

I don't always have time to steam or roast veggies, puree and then add to the meal. In order to make sure I have purees on hand; I set aside a day every few months and will make 1 cup blend packs to have in the freezer. Picking up in season fruits and veggies either at the grocery store, farmers market, u-pick farms or my own garden, I then steam or roast the items, blend and place one cup in a labeled freezer bag. I lay them flat in my freezer in groups so they can be found quickly when I need them. I try to get them out the night before to thaw but I can also defrost in the microwave if I forget. 

Our easiest way to get a full serving of spinach and fruit is to make a smoothie. We call it the green monster to make it more fun for the boys. My highest recommendation comes from my father who will tell you he HATES vegetables. I gave him a small test of this recipe one day and he had no idea spinach was in it (even though it was completely green). You can add some things like flax, chia seeds and wheat germ to make it even more healthy and no one will know. 

Green Monster Smoothie
1 cup of frozen fruit - I like strawberries but pineapple, bananas, blueberries all work well
1 cup of milk - Soy, Almond, Coconut, Cow all work
3 cups of spinach
Blend smooth and enjoy.

You can also add :
1 TBSP Flax Seed
1 TBSP Wheat Germ
1 TBSP Chia Seeds
Protein Powder
A bit of honey for sweetness 



For some more recipes to try, click on the following links:
carrot cookies
pepper pizza
Sweet Peas Au Gratin
Mac and Cheese (winter squash) 
Carrot Roll Ups 
Baked Zucchini Fries 
Whoopie Pies (Beets) 
Pancakes (sweet potato) 
Sloppy Joe (So many veggies!) 
Homemade Chicken Nuggets (any veggie you like) 

These are great "get you started" recipes but don't be afraid to experiment. Try matching colors (butternut squash and mac and cheese are the same shade of orange), beets and carrots are sweet and go great with dessert, squash can go sweet or savory replacing liquids in many recipes and so much more. Go ahead and be a bit of a ninja in the kitchen, it can be our little secret.