We all know how important a healthy and nutritious diet is for our growing tots, which is why we spend far too long looking for new and inventive ways to make vegetables more exciting and tasty for them. Afterall, nothing’s going to turn them off veggies like a boring boiled sprout or soggy carrots!
That’s why hidden veg recipes for toddlers are a game changer when it comes to making meals for children. Not only are they delicious (great for us if there are any leftovers that need eating), but they also give us the peace of mind that our little ones are getting all the essential nutrients they need. They may also come in handy when you're thinking food puree combinations for weaning.
The best part is, many of these hidden veg meals don’t require you to spend half your day in the kitchen, as many can be cooked in under 30 minutes or even batch cooked ahead of time – trust us, your future self will thank you. From hidden veg pasta sauce for toddlers to chicken nuggets containing hidden veggies (yes, really) here are our favourite hidden veg recipes your toddlers will love.
25 hidden veg recipes
Hidden veg pasta sauce
With a whopping seven different vegetables hidden inside this tasty sauce from The Modern Nonna, they’re getting plenty of plant based power from this dish. The sauce is completely smooth in texture, and you can even add a little cream to make it even creamier in texture.
Hidden veg mac and cheese
We all need a tasty mac and cheese recipe in our repertoire and although you might not think you can get any veg in a mac and cheese, this recipe from What Great Grandma Ate manages to hide both cauliflower and sweet potato inside. They also recommend using chickpea pasta for an extra boost of plant power.
Hidden veg bolognese
When you’re having a spag bol night, you don’t have time to be making two different batches for the grown ups and kids, so why not try this one from My Kids Lick the Bowl that the whole family will love containing mushrooms, carrot, courgette, onion, tomatoes and spinach for a healthy meal.
Hidden veg tomato sauce
We know many kids request pasta with tomato sauce, so having a smooth and healthy tomato sauce to whip together for your kids is a must for parents. Although this recipe from Gathered Nutrition looks like a plain tomato sauce, it actually contains onions, bell peppers, celery, carrots, garlic and of course tomatoes.
Hidden veg curry
For a mild yet tasty curry, we love this one from The Butterfly Kitchen. You don’t have to worry about it being too spicy, as it’s made to be more fragrant and the curry powder used contains no chilli which is a must when making a curry for little ones. It also contains onion, garlic, bell pepper, courgette, tomato and spinach.
Hidden veg lasagne
Lasagne is one of the easiest dishes to hide veg in, and although you might have had a vegetable lasagne before, you can still enjoy a beef lasagne with added veggies thanks to this recipe from Spice Kitchen including carrot, courgette and tomatoes. There’s also ways to incorporate veg into a white sauce which we’ve included further down in this list.
Hidden veg meatballs
Meatballs are delicious served either by themselves with a tomato sauce or with a dish of pasta. This recipe from Kitchen Sanctuary is full of veggies including courgette, mushrooms, onion and parsley. This recipe can also make the basis of a burger too if your tot enjoys them.
Hidden veg satay
If your little one isn’t so keen on curry, but you want to introduce them to the flavours, then why not try this chicken satay dish from My Fussy Eater? Containing carrots, courgette, cauliflower, pepper and mushrooms, this chicken dish is best served with some boiled rice and greens.
Hidden veg sausage rolls
For a tasty snack, try these sausage rolls with a healthier veggie twist from Side Chef. With very well hidden carrots, courgette, onions, garlic, thyme and parsley, your little one won’t be able to tell there’s any veg hidden inside.
Hidden veg chicken nuggets
As well as chicken inside these tasty nuggets from Kidgredients, you’ll also find carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. They’re all blended finely inside a food processor along with chicken mince so hopefully the texture shouldn’t be too dissimilar from the nuggets they love.
Hidden veg smoothie
Smoothies make an excellent breakfast for kids on the go as well as a healthy snack that you can prep in advance and enjoy later. This hidden veg smoothie from Yummy Toddler Food gives you the basic smoothie recipe to add your ingredients into. You may want to add things like spinach, cucumber or avocado to get them to eat the healthy greens they wouldn’t normally try.
Hidden veg katsu
Katsu curry is another great introduction to curry flavours for your tot and you can easily blend different vegetables in there. This recipe from My Fussy Eater blends cauliflower, courgette, carrots and red peppers into the Katsu sauce.
Hidden veg shepherds pie
Shepherd’s pie is a British staple that can be batch cooked in advance in little dishes for your child’s dinner. In the meaty filling from this Arla recipe you’ll also find hidden parsnips, butternut squash, onion, celery, carrots, courgette, chickpeas and tomatoes.
Hidden veg beef burgers
For burger night, you can easily hide some nutritious veg in your child’s beef burgers with this recipe from Hungry Healthy Happy. The recipe mixes together the beef mince and seasoning with shredded carrots and courgette that little ones shouldn’t be able to taste if mixed in well enough.
Hidden veg quesadillas
We love a Mexican night, and for the little ones, these hidden veggie quesadillas are delicious and nutritious. Inside the beefy sauce in this recipe from With The Woodruffs, you’ll find onion, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, kale and peppers. There’s also plenty of gooey cheese in this recipe that your little ones will love!
Hidden veg cheese sauce
Whether you’re making a lasagne and want to pack in even more veggies or your tot likes a cheesy pasta dish, then why not give these hidden veggie cheese sauce from Little Dish a go? Using butternut squash, sweet potato, cauliflower and cannellini beans, it’s much more nutritious than a standard cheese sauce.
Hidden veg risotto
A risotto is a brilliant way of hiding veg and it’s a nice one pot meal the whole family can enjoy. This recipe from Mummy Cooks is creamy and delicious and can be batch cooked and frozen. It uses onions, spinach, tomatoes and courgette, grated or diced as finely as you think your child would like.
Hidden veg rice
If you’re wanting to make a side dish like rice more nutritious, then this green rice from My Fussy Eater is delicious served alongside chicken or fish. It’s made by adding cauliflower, spinach, avocado and lime to cooked rice. You can add an extra layer of goodness by using wholegrain rice.
Hidden veg tuna bake
We love a simple bake we can bang in the oven that’ll last a few days or be frozen, which is why we love this tasty tuna bake from Kidgredients. Depending on how clever your little ones are, you may prefer to use shredded or finely diced veggies or, if they don’t mind bigger pieces of veg, pre-chopped frozen veggies work great for this. This particular recipe uses peas, sweetcorn, carrots and courgette but you really can use any veggies you like that go well with tuna.
Hidden veg chilli con carne
A warming Chilli Con Carne is a staple family dish that you can easily pack with a wide range of different veggies. It’s also easy to cook either in one pot on the stove or in the slow cooker. In this recipe from The Cooks Pyjamas you’ll find onion, garlic, aubergine, carrots, courgette, pinto beans and tomatoes as well as a range of herbs.
Hidden veg egg muffins
For an easy to cook breakfast treat, have a go at making these tasty egg muffins from BBC Good Food. Made using shredded or diced carrots and courgette plus peas for sweetness, these will set your little ones up for the day with some veggie power.
Hidden veg fish cakes
Fish cakes are a brilliant dinner option for little ones, and they’re very easy to sneakily hide different veggies in as well as being surprisingly easy to make. Using sweet potato, carrot, leak, baby sweetcorn, broccoli and peas, there’s six different vegetables in this recipe from Kidspot, all mixed with fresh white fish.
Hidden veg pesto pasta
It’s one of those dishes you make when your cupboards are looking a little bare or if you have no idea what else to cook. This hidden veg version from Thinly Spread requires you to make your own green pesto, which with the right ingredients, is surprisingly easy to make. Using basil, spinach, garlic, lemon, pine nuts and tomatoes, your humble pesto pasta just got a whole lot healthier.
Hidden veg mash
Whether you’re serving it with sausage or a mini Sunday roast, making your mash a little more nutritious with some well hidden veggies is easier than you think. This recipe from Hungry Healthy Happy uses sweet potato, swede, carrott, parsnip and butternut squash, mixed into potato.
Hidden veg chocolate pudding
Yes, you read that right – hidden veggies in your chocolate pudding! This recipe from Yummy Toddler Food uses healthy and creamy ripe avocado to make this delicious and creamy pudding. You can also use frozen avocado to make this, just be sure to leave it to thaw a little before blending.
What happens if a toddler doesn't eat vegetables?
Without enough vegetables in their diet, children could suffer from constipation, which can make them feel very uncomfortable. In more extreme cases, not getting enough nutrients from foods including vegetables could result in issues with physical development, so it's important we do all we can to incorporate vegetables into their diet.
Of course, we as parents know you can't force a child to eat something they don't like or want, so don't get too caught up on them not eating enough greens. We spoke to baby and child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed who put our minds at ease. "First of all, please know it’s very common" Charlotte began. "Although veggies are packed with nutrients, many of the nutrients can be obtained from other foods, especially fruits, so it’s worth while including plenty of fruits your little one does like.
"You can always try adding veggies in different ways, grating them into dishes, mashing them into bakes, but still try to expose them to the whole food at the same time.
"Lots of role modelling from yourselves and familiarity building (letting them see them, play with them, shop for them etc) can also help, but don’t sweat it…"
Lorna White is the Senior Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. After running the Yours magazine website, specialising in content about caring for kids and grandchildren, Lorna brought her expertise to Mother&Baby in 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics from potty training and nutrition to baby names and early development and has a wide range of experienced medical experts and professionals at her fingertips. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sisters, dog walking and enjoying the outdoors with her family.