8 Ways to Sneak Veggies into Meals
- Aly Austin
- Jun 15
- 5 min read
It is virtually impossible to get 5 servings of vegetables per day when most of us barely have time to eat 2 full meals, munching on "pocket snacks" while on the run. Add to that, the issue of not loving some veggies...difficult for sure.
Here are some tricks for you. There are very easy ways of sneaking veggies into meals we already are cooking and eating. We still might not get in 5 servings, but these little tricks will definitely help get that number above where we are now. ENJOY!
Add Red Bell Peppers & (MORE) Carrots to Bolognese
Love a good hearty pasta sauce?? When sautéing the diced onions, celery, and carrots, double the amount of called-for carrots, and add in a super-diced red bell pepper. The flavor profile won't change, and your nutrition profile will improve. I cannot stand carrots unless in a juicing recipe, so I try to be a whole adult and sneak them in at every opportunity. Prefer a sweeter sauce? Try half carrots and half butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Either way, good stuff all day long.
Carrots are a great source of vitamins A & K, potassium and fiber. Red bell peppers provide large amounts of vitamins A & C, along with potassium and antioxidants.
Add Cauliflower and/or Turnips to Mashed Potatoes
Watching your carbs and/or sugars? Just wanting a more varied bunch of nutrients when you eat? Not ready to swap out good old mashed potatoes for other foods? Here you go. Soft boil equal parts cauliflower florets and potato, add a minimally processed oat milk or almond milk and a PURE grass-fed butter, garlic, salt and pepper, mash it all up and PRESTO! Creamy, lower carb, lower glycemic index. You can swap cauliflower for turnips or go half & half.
Cauliflower is a great provider of vitamins C, K, and B6 as well as folate, potassium and magnesium! Turnips give you vitamins A, C, and K along with potassium and calcium and are a good source of fiber!
Add Mushrooms and to Meatloaf and Burgers
Are you a fan of meatloaf, burgers, literally ANY other recipe calling for ground beef, turkey, or chicken...even tofu or tempeh? ADD SHROOMS! There are so many varieties of mushrooms you can choose a stronger flavor to spice up any meal, or a more neutral flavor to simply blend in. The texture is perfection and you won't even notice the color, if trying to sneak it in on the unsuspecting.
Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins (2, 3, 5, 12), contain antioxidants (ergothioneine and glutathione), and possess selenium and potassium!
WHITE BUTTON: mild flavor, commonly seen on pizzas and kebabs or raw in salads
BABY BELLAS (cremini): look like tan buttons, heartier flavor, good for stuffing
PORTOBELLO: earthy flavor, trim out gills, use as 'burger' or meat substitute
SHIITAKE: great in soups, stews, stir-fries, and will fill out any ground protein
Add Some Red Bell Pepper
Red bell peppers bring along vitamins C, B6, A, antioxidants, and fiber! They can bring a sweet taste when raw to salads or as a topping on white fish, and can be stewed down in a chili, lentils, bolognese, or meatloaf as an added nutrient boost without altering the flavor much.
Red bell peppers have a naturally sweet and smoky flavor, which brings out the flavors of spices in a dish. If you're sneaking them in, dice small and sauté with onion (which is usually the first thing you're cooking to make a dish).
My theory: if the meat and sauce are red, red bell peppers go with it.
Add Baby Spinach to Smoothies
Baby spinach has literally no flavor when mixed with smoothies, and 1 cup is a whole serving of your veggies! Also, if you have someone in your home (this means YOU) who just can't stomach green things, put the smoothie in your fav Stanley!
Amazing morning smoothie:
1 cup almond milk
1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)
1 cup baby spinach
2 Tbsp almond or natural peanut butter
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
Add Avocado to a Chocolate Smoothie
Avocados provide vitamins B6, C, E, K and are a natural source of fiber and healthy fats. While great with just a squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt, try this versatile fruit in your next chocolate smoothie! The avocado adds a creaminess to the smoothie texture, and the chocolate makes it virtually impossible to tase the superfood.
Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
1 cup oat milk
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 ripened avocado
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
** can add scoop of chocolate protein powder
If you're really struggling to get your daily servings goal, force the issue and think "what can I sneak into this" with every meal...you'll be surprised. For example, you could add baby spinach to the chocolate avocado smoothie or even half of a banana without totally changing the flavor profile.
When in doubt, go with colors! Sweet potatoes, carrots, and butternut squash can all be interchanged and if you have a meal that calls for one of these ingredients, feel free to add in the other two.
Add Sweet Potatoes and Red Bell Pepper to Chili
Chile can be made 1000 different ways (more if you dig through all of our Grandmothers' recipe boxes). Next time you're in the mood, stir in some diced red bell peppers with the onions for a sauté. They have a natural smokey note, so they go well with the chili flavors. If your family enjoys sweet flavors, add some sweet potato cubes (raw if you're making it in the slow cooker).
Red bell peppers provide large amounts of vitamins A & C, along with potassium and antioxidants, as do sweet potatoes!
Add Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, & Red Bell Peppers to Curry Lentils
Curry lentils are a fantastic dish, in that you can put just about any veggie you want in them! Sweet potatoes and carrots will both lend to a sweeter taste, red bell peppers give it the depth of a smoky-sweet flavor, potatoes add heartiness, and it you will often see the dish with cauliflower, tomatoes, and onion. The curries are interchangeable too!
Red bell peppers and sweet potatoes both contain vitamins A and C, potassium and antioxidants. Potatoes provide vitamin C and potassium, are low in calories, and are fat-free. Carrots give the Feral Foodie vitamin A, fiber, and antioxidants!
Vegetables don't have to be the bane of your existence!
Be creative and sneak those suckers in wherever you can. If you have a dish with tons of veggies already in it, feel free to add a couple more.
Give it a try! You can start with these ideas, and from there you can try some on your own. Start with alike colors. Orange and Red veggies in orange, red, and brown foods. Whites with whites. Greens with Greens. You'd be surprised what you can sneak in there without any protests from the family!
Eat well and stay feral!
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