Getting Kids to Eat More Veggies with Pasta #PastaFits #MC
8:59 PM
I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central for the National Pasta Association. I received pasta samples and a stipend to facilitate the creation of pasta recipes as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
You may remember a few weeks ago when I shared a recipe we made from the Pasta Fits website. As a Pasta Fits Ambassador, my family and I are really enjoying making delicious and easy meals from their website, but I love their website for a whole other reason. See, my youngest is a veggiephobe. Yes, I completely made that word up. So what? He would rather die than put most vegetables in his mouth. On the other hand, he loves pasta. So, I have mastered the art of hiding veggies in his pasta meals that we make from PastaFits.org.
Did you know that you can puree vegetables up in a pasta sauce and never even know they are there? The meals on the Pasta Fits website are all healthy and well balanced, meaning they are not all full of heavy sauces and tons of cheese, but instead, incorporate plenty of lean meats and fresh veggies.
Tonight as I made the "Healthy stuffed shells" recipe from the website, I was a little nervous. The recipe called for both frozen spinach and shredded carrots. Not wanting to push my luck, I decided just to put the carrots in this time. The trick worked! My youngest said "Mmm it smells so good I just want to chomp it," and chomp it he did. He finished all his shells and didn't even notice the carrots.
So, next time, I will add the spinach and since he knows he likes the shells, he will actually try it. That is my tip, don't try to do too much too soon when you have a child who hates veggies. Give them a chance to grow to like them.
Healthy Shells Recipe
Mix together all of the filling ingredients in a bowl.
Fill the shells and cover with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
You can find the full Healthy Shells Recipe on the Pasta Fits website. October is National Pasta Month, so head on over to PastaFits.org for he latest nutritional information and tons of great recipes. Get cooking tips, and even check out the fun Pasta Shapes Dictionary that tells you what pasta goes well in what dishes! Be sure to follow Pasta Fits on Facebook for the latest recipes, news and promotions.
28 comments
I am all for sneaking in veggies where I can. Pasta sauce is a big one for me - I can hide a lot in there.
ReplyDeleteI always put spinach in my stuffed shells, but I never tried carrots. That sounds like something I need to do! I just LOVE stuffed shells in general though.
ReplyDeleteMy kids eat most veggies, but this still looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteWe love stuffed shells at our house. Dawn is our stuff shell maker - I am sharing his recipe with her.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves veggies, it's the older kids I have a problem with eating them. This is such a great way for them to get their veggies. Will have to make this and see.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had stuffed shells in forever! This recipe looks absolutely scrumptious! Bookmarking and sharing with my husband - we just might make these later on this week! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI was a veggiephobe as a child and I would have loved these - as long as I wouldn't know that they have carrot or spinach inside them. I still dislike those two vegetables in their pure form but your dish looks amazing and doesn't seem to have a strong carrot taste.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are pretty good eaters but sometimes we have to hide veggies in their foods.
ReplyDeleteThe really enjoy juicing so we can get them to have kale or spinach and they don't even make a fuss.
The stuffed shells look yummy!
I DEFINITELY want to try this recipe. My toddler usually eats his veggies, but sometimes he does balk. This seriously seems foolproof! One thing that has worked well for us is making a cauliflower crust for pizza. My nephews (who don't like veggies) love it, and have no idea they're eating veggies.
ReplyDeleteLove this recipe and i will do anything to sneak a veggie into the kids mouths. thank you for the tip.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to sneak in those vegetables, sneaky momma! I love this recipe.
ReplyDeleteStuffed shells used to be a family favorite! I love that you snuck veggies into it!
ReplyDeleteI love stuffed shells my kids wont eat them, maybe I will make a small batch for me.
ReplyDeleteThankfully my kids are super-easy and love their veggies... but man, add them to stuffed shells and I am totally won over. YUMMY!
ReplyDeleteI remember trying to disguise veggies in food for my picky eater but she usually didn't fall for it. It's hard when you have a veggiephobe
ReplyDeleteI love your take on this recipe. I made the same thing last month and my kids loved it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a nice healthy option and a great way for kids to get kids to eat veggies.
ReplyDeleteWe made the healthy shells too! My kids were a little hesitant at first but then they dug in.
ReplyDeleteI've never thought about doing that. I'm going to tell my best friend. Her daughter is so picky. That is a great idea. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm so lucky that I don't have any problems with my daughter eating her veggies but I'd still love to try this recipe. The Healthy Shells look super tasty!
ReplyDeleteI used to love eating stuffed shells as a kid!
ReplyDeleteSome of my kids are good vggie eaters. Others are not. I like pasta recipes so that I can sneak in ;more veggies like you did here.
ReplyDeleteVeggies in stuffed pasta? That's an amazing idea for parents.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had stuffed shells in awhile. I'm overdue and totally ready for 'em. :)
ReplyDeleteI know I can get my kids to eat their veggies with this delicious meal.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I've never thought to mix veggies into stuffed shells. Yum!
ReplyDeleteOh, yum! These look absolutely delicious... perfect for a warming Fall meal :)
ReplyDeleteThis recipe looks excellent, my kids will eat anything with cheese in it and/or on it. And I love this recipe cause it is so easy to follow and make.
ReplyDelete