Hidden veggies that actually work (and taste good)

You know that moment when your kid swears they hate zucchini… while happily eating three muffins filled with it? Yeah. That’s the magic of hidden veggies.

It’s not about tricking anyone – it’s about making food that everyone can enjoy without the nightly “just three more bites” negotiation.

Because if you’ve ever spent 40 minutes cooking only to hear “ewww, there’s something green in my food,” you deserve an easier way to feed your people (and that extra glass of bubbles).

Sneaky nutrition for picky eaters

Kids can walk past three pairs of socks on the floor without blinking… but they’ll spot a single chunk of broccoli from ten meters away. It’s a special kind of talent.

Here are a few smart hidden veggie swaps that even the most suspicious eaters won’t notice:

• Blend it in: Add cooked carrots, pumpkin, or zucchini to pasta sauce or mac and cheese. They thicken it up and give that creamy texture kids love.
• Grate and conquer: Finely grated veggies disappear into rissoles, meatballs, muffins, and taco mince. No complaints, no evidence.
• Color match: Spinach in pesto, cauliflower in mashed potatoes, sweet potato in pancakes – matching colors helps keep the peace.
• Bake the Rainbow: Beetroot Chocolate Muffins, Carrot Cake Overnight Oats, Banana Zucchini Bread. All fun, all gone before you can say “it’s healthy.”
• Sauce it up: Add blended veggies into dipping sauce or pizza bases – they’ll never know, and you’ll feel like a stealthy genius.

It’s not deception. It’s strategy.

Family meals your kids will want to help with

Cooking with kids can be… an experience. There’ll be flour on the floor, half the cheese will vanish before it hits the bowl – and somehow, it’s still worth it.

Getting them involved doesn’t just make them more likely to eat the food, it gives you a moment of connection that’s not over a screen or a tantrum.

Here are a few kid-friendly family meals where chaos meets cooperation:

“Power Pasta” with hidden veggies

[Secretly] blend cooked pumpkin, carrots or zucchini into a tomato or cheese sauce. Stir it through pasta, top with grated cheese, and call it “special sauce.” Let the kids sprinkle the cheese or stir the pasta – it’ll end up everywhere, but that’s part of the fun (and it often covers any “green bits”).

Carrot and banana muffins

Mash ripe bananas, grated carrots and a handful of oats. Most recipes will also recommend adding a flour, baking powder, an egg and a dash of maple syrup for sweetness and that “just bought from Coles” look. 

Mix, scoop, bake. They’re sweet, soft, and perfect for breakfast or snacks. Bonus: the kitchen smells amazing for an hour.

Veggie-packed tacos

Mix grated zucchini, corn or carrot into your usual taco filling. Add cheese, salsa, and wrap it up before anyone has time to ask questions. Serve “build-your-own” style so they can assemble their own (and feel like tiny chefs).

DIY pizza night

Use wholemeal pita or wraps as bases. Spread sauce (with hidden blended veggies), then let the kids add toppings. Pineapple, cheese, maybe three olives that look like eyeballs – it’s dinner and craft time in one. Look at you go, #SuperMum!

Pancake Sunday

Blend a handful of spinach into your batter (it’s surprisingly mild). Add banana slices or blueberries and call them “superhero pancakes.” Try topping with yogurt or peanut butter (or stick with your go-to faves). Pretend it’s brunch at a café.

How Hold My Spoon helps when you’re outnumbered

Cooking with kids (or just while parenting) isn’t a straight line. Someone’s yelling, something’s burning, and you forgot what step you were up to.

That’s where Hold My Spoon makes life easier. It keeps things calm – and lets you actually enjoy making food again.

Upload any recipe – from your Nan’s spaghetti to a Pinterest muffin – and we’ll turn it into a step-by-step version your whole household can follow.

Here’s why it works for busy family meals:

• Audio mode reads each step aloud, so you can stir, chase a toddler, and still know what’s next.
• Built-in breaks let you pause without losing your place (and yes, snack time counts as a break).
• Ingredients in each step mean no scrolling up and down mid-cook.

It’s cooking that fits real life – not the kind in parenting books where kids sit quietly and wait for dinner.

Turn family meals into calm cooking

Healthy family meals don’t have to mean fights at the table or wasted food. It’s about meeting your kids where they are – turning “no way” into “can I have more?”

Start with one recipe they already love, add a few hidden veggies, and upload it to Hold My Spoon.

We’ll make it calm, clear, and totally doable – even with extra little hands in the mix.

You’ll be surprised what they’ll eat!