Like most moms I know, I’m always interested in gathering fast recipes and I occasionally I ask my friends what they like to make when time is especially tight or when they’d rather spend time somewhere besides the kitchen. One day I asked my friend Sarah what she makes, and she laughed and said, “Macaroni and Cheese with peas! Does that count?”
YES!!!
Does your family like macaroni and cheese? My kids absolutely love it, and I am the first to say it’s a handy thing to have around, though I use it sparingly. I just bought several boxes on sale at my health food store. (Buying the more expensive, supposedly-higher-quality stuff makes me feel at least a little better about feeding my kids something from a box.) It’s such a stress-reliever because it’s quick, fairly clean, and it’s one meal that ALL my kids actually like – maybe the only one!
Recently I was wondering if I could somehow sneak extra nutrition into mac ‘n cheese or on the side without my kids minding. I do a lot of sneaking or adding mild vegetables into meals, and it provides great peace of mind because I know my kids are getting extra doses of veggies that they wouldn’t have gotten without my sneakiness. So … how to get in more nutrition without spending more time? Here are three ideas:
- Add in some store-bought pureed food that won’t change the color: canned and pureed butternut squash, carrots, or sweet potatoes would be good for that. Canned baby food is perfect here!
- While the noodles are cooking, steam and blend up cauliflower and/or peeled zucchini. Add in what you can without it changing the look too much and then freeze the rest of the puree. This is a great one to add to lots of things: mac ‘n cheese, soups, chilis, stews, or blend it with cashews or nutritional yeast and salt and use it as a veggie dip or even a solo soup.
- Pull out the raw veggies: cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, celery, cherry tomatoes … whatever’s in your fridge. Wash them and cut them up right at the table. If you’ve got the energy, make sure the kids sit down with a smallish portion of mac ‘n cheese with some veggies on the side. If they want more mac ‘n cheese, they get more veggies, too. I explain that this helps when it’s time for the meal to come out the other end, and my kids seem to understand that.
If the idea of sneaking in nutrition appeals to you and you would like more ideas on how to pump up the nutrition in your meals this way, I highly recommend that you check out Missy Chase Lapine’s The Sneaky Chef books and blog.
Happy Home Evenings!
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