01/10/2019

Get your kids eating more vegetables with these great recipes

Some kids naturally feel the love for veg but others can be less enthusiastic. While it’s important to develop healthy attitudes to food early on, these recipes will help you get kids to eat and love more veg.

Extra veg sausage rolls

A comfort food favourite for many kids (and adults!), sausage rolls are an easy crowd pleaser. You can boost this family favourite with your veg of choice. We’ve chosen carrots ( beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants), courgettes (vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber) and leeks (dietary fiber, vitamin B6, iron and magnesium) and garlic (manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C)

Ingredients

1 carrot
1 courgette
1 small leek
1 clove garlic, crushed/finely chopped (optional)
350 g sausage meat (from butcher/take the meat out of your favourite brand)
1 sheet of puff pastry
1 egg / milk for glazing

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350℉
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper
Heat a little oil in a large pan and add the garlic and grated veggies. Cook on a low heat until soft, usually about 5 minutes
Add the veg to the sausage meat, mix well and leave to cool
Cut the pastry into two long rectangles (if you have a square sheet just divide this in the middle)
Spoon the cooled sausage mixture in a long line in the middle of each piece of pastry leaving about 1 cm either side
Seal the pastry up, you can press a fork down on the pastry to make sure the pastry is properly sealed
Cut the sausage rolls into your preferred size and apply the egg wash/milk
Cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your sausage rolls, until they’re cooked through and golden brown
Serve on their own or with salad/pickles

Broccoli pesto pasta

A great alternative to shop bought pesto which, whilst it’s a great store cupboard staple, can be high in salt. Make this in advance and freeze in small containers or ice cube trays for a quick mid week fix.

A bit like Marmite, broccoli is often a love it or hate it kind of vegetable. This is a veggie with punch. Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C as well as vitamin A, folate and potassium. All great things for growing children.

This homemade pesto is a great way to get these goodies inside your kids if they don’t feel the love yet!

Ingredients

350 g (about 1 head) broccoli
30 g basil
30 g parmesan cheese
½ garlic clove
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to season

Method

Cut the broccoli into florets
Stream (preferably to retain all the goodness) or boil broccoli until tender, usually about 4-6 minutes
Drain and plunge in ice cold water to retain the vivid green colour (can skip this stage)
Place broccoli, basil, parmesan, garlic, oil and lemon in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste

Easy peasy!

Cauliflower pizza

What better treat than a pizza night?! This is an easy way to get the kids to eat more vegetables. Replace the traditional dough with this alternative cauliflower pizza base.

Ingredients

2 lbs or 1 kg cauliflower
1 egg
45 g goats cheese
1 tsp dried Italian herbs of your choice (oregano is a good choice)
Toppings:
Hidden veg tomato sauce or pesto (see recipe above)
Mozzarella
Sweetcorn, peppers, tomatoes

Method

Preheat oven to 200℃
Prepare a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper
Steam cauliflower if fresh, if using frozen cauliflower there’s no need to cook, just defrost
Place in blender and blitz until it looks like rice
Squeeze out the excess moisture (use strong kitchen roll or a clean tea towel/muslin)
Mix together with the egg and goats cheese and herbs (this won’t produce a dough-like texture that you can roll into a ball)
Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and press into place, about 0.5cm thick
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden then flip over using the baking paper and put back in the oven for 10-15 minutes (you won’t need the baking paper as the bottom is now cooked)
Add your favourite toppings and bake for a further 5 minutes until cooked
Serve with sweet potato wedges

Tip:
Double the mixture, wrap in foil and freeze half the raw ‘dough’ to use later.

Carrot and courgette cake

This is a treat with hidden properties to their bodies too! Not only do the veg create a super moist cake they also include some excellent nutrients: carrots contain beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants, courgettes provide vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber) and oranges are packed with fiber, vitamin C, thiamine, folate, and antioxidants.

Ingredients

250 g butter, softened
200 g caster sugar
3 large eggs
250 g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 oranges (zest)
1 tsp mixed spice
100 g carrots (grated)
100 g courgette (grated)

For the icing
1 orange (zest), plus 2-3 tbsp juice
140 g icing sugar

Method

Heat oven to 160℃
Grease and line 2 x 20” round cake tins
Beat butter, sugar, eggs, flour, bicarbonate of soda, zest and mixed spices together
Stir in the carrot and courgette
Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 20-25 minutes (check with a skewer if it comes out clean after inserting, it’s done!)
Leave to cool whilst making the topping:
Mix the icing sugar and orange juice for a thick and drizzly consistency
Once the cakes are cool drizzle over the icing and top with the orange zest (makes 2 cakes)

We know how important it is to encourage healthy eating patterns in kids from an early age and that this can sometimes be a struggle. If you struggle with packed lunches and snacks take a look at our blog on healthy lunch ideas.