How to hide kale in food?

I find myself reaching for a tasty vegan brownie rather than a carrot stick, so I’m in the same boat.

For health-conscious parents, it’s a challenge to get their kids to eat vegetables. Even if you put it on their plate, they might play with it or ignore it.

Eating vegan doesn’t require you to skip your favorites, such as macaroni and cheese, but it might mean you have to get creative. It’s possible to eat veggies in mac and cheese and brownies!

Below I’ll go over how to hide vegetables in foods, even for picky eaters so you can eat healthily and not fight during mealtimes.

I’ll cover classic foods, smoothies, desserts, dips, sauces, and more. Your child likely enjoys most of these foods already. I’ll show you how you can add extra veggies to the mix.

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Most kinds of boxed pasta are vegan, so you don’t have to substitute anything. Instead of using dairy-filled cheese, you’ll use pureed butternut squash, acorn squash, or pumpkin in the sauce.

The addition of nutritional yeast to the sauce makes it take on that cheesy flavor that kids love. The macaroni ends up being very creamy and only takes 15 minutes total to make. Check out the recipe here.

You can add other vegetables to the sauce like cauliflower. All the veggies get blended up into a smooth sauce so there are no veggie chunks to pick at.

Of course, potatoes are a vegetable already, so you might think you are done with just that. Potatoes are nutritious because they have a lot of Vitamin C and potassium with fiber and complex carbs.

During the mashing process, consider adding some steamed or riced cauliflower to the mixture. This makes them taste better and have more nutritional value.

You can try adding steamed broccoli and leafy greens, but it changes the color of the potato mixture. I find it’s easier to hide similar-colored veggies.

Yellow squash might be another option. Puree it, and it looks like you buttered the mashed potatoes.

You can make a red sauce with just about anything. Of course, it does have tomatoes, but those are technically considered a fruit.

Add carrots, leeks, onions, zucchini, and bell peppers for flavor and to give a healthy kick of vegetable goodness in each bite. I’m giving you some bonus points if you can use zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or chickpea noodles!

You can add vegan proteins to the sauce like tempeh or TVP to make it chunky like ground beef. This is considered a bolognese sauce but is quite delicious.

Related: Protein-Filled Bolognese With Zoodles

Even as a child, my favorite way to eat vegetables was smothered in a cheese sauce. While dairy-filled sauces aren’t the healthiest, this dairy-free version lets you enjoy the classic veggie cheese bake, guilt-free.

A veggie bake works great as a side dish but you can make it your meal if you’d like. Use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand.

For a crunchy crust, top the bake with bread crumbs before putting it in the oven.

You can make delicious veggie burgers using lentils, chickpea flour, black beans, and even ground meat alternative products.

While you’re making the burger patties, blend in some carrots, zucchini, spinach, corn, beets, or whatever vegetable would go well with the flavors.

You can top the burgers with ketchup or avocado slices for extra veggies.

Smoothies are a great source of nutrition and kids like them because they taste sweet. In fact, you can use this to your advantage because you can add vegetables without them realizing it.

Smile wide each time they take a sip, knowing that you threw in some healthy veggies. I find it best to use frozen fruit because it eliminates the need for extra ice.

When making a smoothie with greens, use an overripe spotted banana. Those bananas are sweeter and you won’t taste the greens at all.

Here are some of my favorites:

It’s always a good idea to use green ingredients in your smoothie, such as avocado. This fruit pairs well with many others but it turns the concoction green.

That way, you can easily add green veggies, such as kale, broccoli, and spinach without fuss from your kids.

If your picky child doesn’t want to try it, tell them it’s edible slime or something else that they’re into. This could be the trick to getting them to try it.

Once they taste how delicious it is, they’re going to ask for it time and again.

Pair some bananas and blueberries together for a tasty smoothie. Toss in some spinach and zucchinia.

You’ll never taste it. All you’ll notice is the fruitiness of the blueberries and the thickness of the bananas.

Your kids are going to love this option, and you can toss in some green vegetables to bulk up the veggies.

I use overripe bananas in most of my smoothies because it adds the creamy texture and masks any veggie taste. That way, I don’t need vegan milk or anything else.

But, some kids don’t like the taste of bananas. You can find many recipes without them.

One option is using Medjool dates, avocado, and mango chunks. You get the same creaminess and can add green vegetables without your child noticing.

Make your favorite version of muffins with applesauce in place of the egg. Use your favorite plant-based milk and toss in some grated zucchini.

We love these zucchini banana muffins since they’re quick and easy to make.

Your kids are going to really go nuts over them and you snuck in some healthy vegetables. No one’s going to complain and the whole family is sure to fight over the last one.

These freeze well so it might be best to make a double batch!

I know how it sounds, but the black beans here add a fudgy texture that you don’t find with other brownies. Plus, they’re healthy, have plenty of sweetness, and uses an entire can of black beans. (You can’t taste them, I swear)

This is the recipe I use and my kiddo loves. Even better is that they’ll be ready in 30 minutes so you don’t have to wait long to satiate your chocolate craving.

Once your brownies are baked and have cooled, crush up some walnuts or pecans to sprinkle on top for a health boost and some crunch. Those who prefer even chocolatier treats can add additional dairy-free chocolate chips on top.

Banana bread is the perfect dessert to hide extra veggies in. You don’t need to add extra sugar either.

The bread gets its sweetness from overripe bananas. I like to finely grate zucchini or carrots into the batter. You can’t even taste it.

Here’s my favorite banana bread recipe. It’s not dry like some, can be made oil-free, and only takes 10 minutes to prep.

I already talked about red sauces, but some kids prefer cream sauce. You may decide to make Alfredo with the wider noodles one night for a change of pace.

Regardless, there are plenty of cream sauce recipes out there, and adding vegetables to them isn’t as hard as you think.

Related: 20 Minute Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Most white sauces contain milk or cream, but you can find vegan versions that use coconut milk or cashews instead. It’s entirely possible to make it without the use of vegan butter or cheese.

If you add tons of cauliflower to the mix and a touch of oil, it creates the consistency of a butter- or cream-based sauce. Pour it onto your fettuccini without the guilt.

Watch your kids lick the plate clean and smile, knowing it’s full of healthy vegetable goodness.

Pesto is an excellent way to get your veggies. Most kids eat it because of the pasta, but they find it tastes great, too. Most store-bought pesto products contain pine nuts, garlic, basil, and various cheeses.

While healthy, there is a way to add more vegetables and dump the cheese. Use an avocado for creaminess, and add some baby spinach to the mixture for more vegetables.

Pumpkin or other seeds are great additions, too. I prefer to use nutritional yeast in place of the cheese, but you can use vegan-friendly parmesan.

Veggie-filled nuggets are surprisingly easy to make. You combine all the nugget ingredients together, form them into nugget shapes, and bake them.

The resulting nuggets hold up great for dipping into sauces (that also contain vegetables).

I like these baked quinoa cakes as a base where you can easily add other blended veggies. Kids love dipping them into sauces.

Most kids don’t mind dipping their vegetables in a special dip, but vegans have to be careful. Many store-bought products contain dairy and other non-vegan ingredients.

You can recreate queso and many other children-friendly favorites.

Rather than using various cheeses and cream, make Queso with carrots and potatoes. It’s very creamy, and the entire thing is made of vegetables.

For those kids who just aren’t going to hold a vegetable in their hand, there’s no guilt giving them pita chips or bagel chips for dipping.

If you can, put out some celery sticks, more carrots, and broccoli to see if your little ones are going to take the bait.

Peanut butter is healthy, provides protein, and is usually vegan. You can use straight peanut (or another nut) butter and provide bell peppers, carrot sticks, and celery for dipping.

Most kids enjoy nut butter with vegetables. If that doesn’t work, try mixing the peanut butter with some pureed butternut squash. They’re both the same consistency, and the peanut butter hides the vegetable easily.

Now, let them dip pita or bagel chips into it.

Okay, I’m going a little off-topic here because no child ever is going to dip vegetables into chocolate, or maybe they will. If yours is a bit adventurous, you can try experimenting with that together.

This chocolate hazelnut dip is made by blending hazelnuts, dates, and chocolate. It makes a large enough batch to last your family a week or more.

I’ve been talking primarily about veggies, but kids need enough fruit in their diet, too. Make a vegan-friendly Nutella copy-cat dip and use apples, pears, and other ‘hard’ fruits.

I’m not talking about deep-fried potato chips. Instead, I’m talking about different types of vegetables you can make into a healthy chip through baking or dehydrating.

There are tons of nutritious vegetables out there, so try to mix things up a little.

I really enjoy the taste of kale, but many kids don’t. You can turn it into a child’s favorite when you fry (or bake) it and turn it into nachos.

Most people shy away from anything cheesy. Vegan cheese can be expensive, but it can be a lifesaver when you’re trying to get kids to eat their vegetables.

The best thing here is that you don’t actually use cheese to make cheese sauce! You can use nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, cashews, cayenne pepper, garlic pepper, and salt by pulsing it until it’s well-blended.

Add your kale into the cheese and toss everything to coat it evenly. Put it on a baking sheet and bake it at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about five or 10 minutes.

When it comes out, it looks and tastes cheesy, so your kids aren’t going to notice. While the chips are dark green, they’re sure to enjoy the crunch and forget about the color or what might be in the recipe.

This is a great trick to get your kids to eat leafy greens without the hassle.

You can use other vegetables as chips, too. They include:

Just as you can use tons of vegetables to make ‘chips,’ you can make French fries with other things than a potato or sweet potato. I like baking my ‘fries,’ but you can fry them and create a vegan-friendly batter for coating, as well.

Cut your carrots into fry-like pieces. Toss them with your favorite flour and add black pepper, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and onion powder with a little olive oil (or oil of your choice).

Make sure the carrots are fully coated and lay them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Put them in a 450-degree oven for about 30 minutes.

You might want to flip them over about halfway through cooking so that they brown evenly.

Though carrot fries are quite popular with many kids, you can try many vegetables. If you can cut them into the fry shape, you can have baked ‘fries’ with almost anything.

These are my favorites:

Cauliflower pizza crust has been quite trendy recently. If your kids don’t mind green foods, you can blend in spinach and broccoli as well.

These vegetable crusts are typically thin crust. If you prefer thicker crusts, blend the vegetables into the pizza sauce instead.

Drinking too much fruit juice is a sugar rush and not the healthiest. Instead, I’m talking about green juice.

The majority of the juice will be made up of greens, celery, and carrots. It’s sweetened with a green apple and a shot of lemon or ginger.

Green juice is an acquired taste. I recommend making it slightly sweeter at first and then making it have a higher ratio of veggies over time.

If you’re already making a batch of green juice, save some to make into popsicles. You can pour the juice into reusable popsicle molds to always have a healthy, nutritious treat on hand.

You can significantly change the taste of your popsicles depending on what veggies you use in the juice. For a refreshing summer treat, I recommend a blend of cucumber, lemon, and spinach.

If you dice up some vegetables, you can toss them into a scramble where everything blends together. You can use chickpea flour to make a batter that you cook like traditonal scrambled eggs.

Or you can buy pre-bottled vegan eggs to cook the same way. Chopped peppers, spinach, and mushrooms taste great in a scramble covered with vegan queso.

Chilis and stews can hide a lot of vegetables inside. Use an immersion blender to lightly blend some of them up while still keeping the stew chunky.

Chili is perfect for adding in carrots, peppers, and zucchini. Use the chili as a topping on a baked potato.

As you can see, you’ve got many options to get your children to eat vegetables. Don’t feel bad that you’re ‘hiding’ them in regular foods.

You’re not hurting your child and are actually focused on their well-being and health. When they get a little older, they’re sure to ask you for the recipe, and you can surprise them with the veggie goodness they never knew they loved.

It’s important to have balance, and there might be times where your picky eater just doesn’t want to deal with veggies.

Eating vegetables is important, but you might have to throw caution to the wind and let them eat something else. Keep trying; your children are going to thank you for it when they’re older.

Well, the nutrients in kale are more intact when raw. But if you think the taste is not at all appetizing, you can simply make a nice salad dressing that will cover up the bland taste of kale. To keep it simple, some lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper should make a good seasoning to raw kale.

Trying to incorporate more kale into your salads but just don’t like the taste? Me either! But I’ve eaten a lot of salad lately and successfully snuck kale into almost every one. How did I do it? Simple!! Here are my 3 Easy Ways to Hide Kale in Your Salad!

As a person who genuinely dislikes kale, you may be surprised that I would write about how to hide kale in your salad. It’s not that I’ve started liking it – I’ve started getting good at hiding it!!

I’ve been eating a lot of salads lately because it’s summer and we’re doing a round of Whole30 at the moment. By a lot, I mean 5-6 salads a week!! I just ate back to back salads for dinner two nights in a row. That’s a lot for me because I love bread, casseroles, and pasta very much. Maybe this is what becoming an adult feels like?!

Here are a couple salad pictures to prove it:

Before this month: Add some greens if there’s any room on my plate (rare).

After this month: Eat a bowl of salad before dinner even starts. Room on plate is irrelevant. OR stack everything on top of the salad!

Takeaways:

If you try hard enough, any kind of kale can work in your salad. But my recommendations are to use either common curly kale, or lacinato kale because I’m fairly sure those are the easiest to find.

The common curly kale is what I have pictured. It’s been arriving in our Imperfect Produce box and it works great for salads! It’s super easy to remove the leaves from the ribs.

Another option is lacinato kale, which is the long kind that’s more of a fan blade or wing shape. Try them both and see which one hides in your salads better!

The more questions you ask about kale, the more you inch towards the ‘health’ side of things, which I want to stay away from.

Look, I’m not here to tell you when, why, where, or how much, kale to eat. All I know is that eating some kale is better than not eating any kale at all (which was me before a month ago). Here are some articles I personally enjoyed on kale and the health benefits:

My goal here is to give you a couple ideas for adding an extra, nutritious veggie into you meal routine every once in a while! I DO NOT like kale, but I found it tolerable by combining these three tricks in all my salads. Here are thoughts on how to hide kale in your salad!

It’s cool we’re incorporating kale into our salads, but we don’t have to go all kale crazy now do we? A long time ago, I tried to eat a 100% kale salad. Guess what? Didn’t have a kale salad again for years.

Why don’t we go slow, start with a quarter and then up it to half kale salad, half something else.

If you combine the kale with another green you actually like, they’ll cancel each other out a bit and make it so you can actually enjoy a salad that’s half kale. Trust me! It will help. This is half romaine, half kale.

Do you want to suffer through the kale? Or maybe try to actually enjoy it (by disguising it completely)? By doing a couple particular things when you prepare the kale, you can make it at least 19% more enjoyable (approximate number).

Pictured below: Unprepared kale vs prepared kale

Add your favorite veggies to the salad to literally cover up the taste and sight of the kale. This is not a drill people!! I love this step because it’s totally customizable. Here are some ideas:

• As a Substitute for Spinach. Kale works nicely in recipes that call for spinach, like those for egg dishes, salads or lasagna.
• In a Dip. Cooked kale can be chopped or pureed to make a variety of dips.
• Juiced.
• Sauteed with Veggies.
• In a Salad.
• As Pesto.
• In a Soup.

Most of us know the bright green and leafy vegetable known as kale to be a superfood, high in antioxidants and other healthy benefits. It can be a challenge to get any kids to eat vegetables and kale is no exception. Here are 8 creative ways to sneak some nutritious kale into your kids’ foods with some super yummy ways you may have not thought of (kale fudge pops anybody?).

Kale and Butternut Squash Quesadilla (via Jewhungry) Quesadillas are already a kid-friendly food so you’ve got one hurdle down. Combining kale with the sweet taste of squash might just be the trick to getting kids to try this tasty variation.

Blueberry Kale Pops (via Oh My Veggies) This recipe is extra sneaky because it combines two superfoods into one (blueberries and kale). Chances are your kids won’t be the wiser in figuring out this yummy frozen treat is actually packed with nutrients.

Crispy Kale Chips (via Forks and Kisses) My kids have had kale chips before and actually like them. Something about making kale crispy and well-seasoned takes the bite of bitterness away. Plus, this recipe’s super easy and oven-baked (not fried).

Green Monster Smoothie (via Love and Zest) Blend it up with this tasty smoothie packed with kale, but also filled with fruit to mask the flavor. If that doesn’t convince your kids to try it, just tell them it’s ‘monster’ juice which might just do the trick.

Bacon Mashed Potato and Kale Patties (via The Iron You) Bacon makes everything taste better and patties are a fun and easy way for kids to try anything (hopefully at least once).

Kale Frittata (via Full Fork Ahead) This quiche-like recipe is a hearty, all-in-one meal that’s got the protein and veggie quota you need in one dish.

Chicken and Kale Casserole (via A Zesty Bite) This easy casserole dish is a breeze to put together in the oven and is another hearty and quick way to sneak some kale in.

Chocolate Kale Fudge Pop (via National Kale Day) From the looks of it, you’d never guess this fudgy frozen treat has kale in it! Definitely a sweet dessert you won’t feel too guilty about serving the kids.

For more ideas on how to get your kids to eat vegetables see:

Edamame: 8 Delicious Ways To Get Kids To Try It 5 Veggie Muffins so Good Your Kids Won’t Mind Them6 Fun Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Broccoli

10 Kid-Friendly Ways to Eat Squash

8 Kid-Friendly Ways to Eat Sweet Potatoes.