You say you can’t get your kid to eat any veggies? They just want buttered noodles? They cry at the sight of any color on their plate? They just want beige or brown colored foods?
I feel your pain, even though we are foodies over here! My daughter gobbles sushi and Thai food! But even she gives me a hard time with certain veggie sides.
There are many ways to sneak veggies into your child’s meals. Sometimes, even a baked good can hide a good helping of vegetables. (Try my zucchini chocolate bread-known to be fought over by picky 4 year olds! My whoopie pies even hide pureed spinach!)
As far as lunch and dinner, fritters are an easy way to add a unique veggie side. These carrot fritters are very flavorful and an easy way to add “veggie-color” to your child’s meal, even if you are giving them something simple like chicken nuggets. They will never know they are eating carrots, onions and celery in every bite. I serve these with plain Greek yogurt, but my daughter prefers them plain. I think Ranch dressing would be a great condiment for them as well.
One final note, I based this recipe off of the carrot fritter recipe in “Power Foods” cookbook from Whole Living Magazine. The cookbook is packed with super fresh and healthy recipes. Some of them are a little challenging for younger palates, so I adapt many of these for our family so there is less conflict at the dinner table! It’s a great cookbook! Check it out!
Carrot Fritters
Ingredients
1 3/4 cup grated carrots
2 stalks finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely grated onion, squeezed through cheesecloth until liquid is dispelled and they are “dry”
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded Grana Padano Paremsan Cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 cup low fat plain Greek yogurt or Ranch dressing
Directions
In a bowl, beat your two eggs. Add the carrots, onion, celery and mix to coat. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley and cheese and mix. Add the salt and pepper, and mix again.
In a large non-stick pan, heat the oil over medium heat. With your hands, shape the mixture into a 1 1/2 -2 inch patty and plop it into the pan, Continue until pan is filled, allowing about 2 inches of space between each patty. You will need room for flipping so don’t overcrowd. I let the pan heat up again, then lower to a medium heat. You want to cook them until golden but you want them to cook through. It takes about 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels to drain. Continue until all done! Serve warm with yogurt as a garnish.
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