Sneaking Veggies

My kids love fruit smoothies and homemade hummus, which are both nutritious as they are, but in an effort to get more veggies into our diets, I've been looking for ways to sneak them into their favorite fun foods. Ok, I haven't really been "sneaking" veggies into the kid's food. They are usually standing right there with their little noses upturned, but in the end they were surprised it all tasted so yummy.


Zucchini Laced Fruit Smoothie

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini with skin
10 ounce bag of frozen fruit (I've used strawberries and raspberries and I think any fruit will actually work just as well)
1 cup vanilla yogurt (If you use plain yogurt you will need to sweeten your smoothie a touch with honey or agave)
1-2 cups unsweetened 100 % fruit juice (if you use fresh fruit you can probably skip the juice altogether)

Blend until smooth. Makes 2 good sized smoothies.


Avocado-Chipotle Hummus

2 cans chickpeas (drain one of the cans but keep the liquid from the other)
1 1/2 avocados
2 cloves garlic
Juice from one lime
1/2 chipotle pepper packed in adobo sauce
2 Tbsp Tahini or 2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil (use 1/4 cup and add more until hummus is the consistency you like)

Process or blend until smooth. Serve with veggie chips, crackers, raw veggies, or multigrain tortilla chips.


Nutritional benefits of zucchini-zero fat or cholesterol; good source of fiber in the skin, high in potassium,manganese, and folate; good source of vitamins C, K, B6, and riboflavin.

Nutritional benefits of avocado-good source of monounsaturated fats, potassium, lutein, and folate. A wonderful heart-smart food.

Comments

Party of Eleven said…
The hummus sounds good. Ryan recently made a roasted red pepper and white bean dip which was garlicky and tasty :)

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