Hiding Veggies Is Good For Kids

Posted by Stephanie Gallagher May 15, 2007

Hiding vegetables in spaghetti sauce has long been a favorite way for parents to get kids to eat healthy. But does it really work?

A new study from Penn State University says yes. This stealth approach is not only effective at getting kids to eat more vegetables, it also works to lower their overall calorie consumption, too. That's good news for parents worried about child obesity.

The researchers gave two groups of kids, ages 3-5, spaghetti. One group had pasta sauce with broccoli and cauliflower blended into it. The other group had regular pasta sauce.

The researchers found the kids not only didn't notice a difference in taste with the sauce that included the vegetables, they ate 17% fewer calories and had an overall healthier meal than the group with the regular sauce.

Want to try putting this strategy into practice at your house? Former Eating Well Publisher Missy Chase Lapine has a new book, The Sneaky Chef, that could help. I highly recommend her macaroni and cheese recipe with the orange puree and her brainy brownies with purple puree.

Or whip up a batch of my sweet potato scones. They're a favorite with my kids, and they pack in a whopping 6 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein and 131% of the RDA for Vitamin A.

My chocolate raspberry smoothies make a refreshing snack, and they have 9 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein and 71% of the RDA for Vitamin C.

You can even make dessert healthy with my chocolate strawberry tarts, which are loaded with protein, vitamin C and calcium.