"You SNEAKY Mom"

If you have not seen this video on YouTube.com, it’s worth 2 minutes of your time. Start it at 2:45 to get to the best part!

 

If you want to be a sneaky mom like the mom in this video, you have got to try this! I have been practicing lately on myself. Not with stealing candy, but by sneaking extra vegetables into my food!

If you have heard of The Sneaky Chef, you know what I’m talking about. This is a mom who has perfected the art of sneaking more vegetables into her kid’s favorite foods, including Kraft© Macaroni and Cheese! 

(See that recipe here: http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_mac_cheese.php)

Before I found out about The Sneaky Chef, I had been trying to get more vegetables into my own diet as an adult. I don’t have to be as sneaky, since I don’t mind seeing shredded carrots in my food. But it is like a competition to see how healthy I can make my meals, without spending too much time on the preparation. I started out one day making cookies, but found that I didn’t have oil. I found out on the handy-dandy internet that any fruit puree can substitute for oil or butter in a recipe! So I use applesauce all the time now in my easy cake-mix cookies:

·1 box of any cake mix (chocolate and funfetti are always favorites)

·2 eggs

· ½ cup applesauce (or enough to moisten all the cake mix)

Stir these three ingredients together, then place spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Before you bake the cookies, you can always add fun things to the mix, like chocolate chips, crushed candy bars, or chopped nuts. You can also make quick pumpkin cookies with just one small can of pumpkin puree (or half of a large can) and a spice cake mix.

I also finally learned how to make meatloaf. I like it because it is basically like a hamburger, but way healthier than anything at a fast food restaurant. It is also easy to make without a recipe, so I just put in anything I have on hand.

Here is the basic recipe:

·         1 lb. ground beef

·         1 cup oatmeal

·         3 raw eggs

Then you can add all sorts of healthy things:

·         Shredded carrots (or pureed in a food processor)

·         Canned tomatoes

·         Tomato paste 

(Did you know that it has recently been deemed a vegetable by the US government?!?)

·         Ketchup

·         Shredded potato

·         Shredded squash/ zucchini

·         Diced onions

·         Chopped green onions

·         Cilantro, Basil, Cumin, Curry, or oregano (fresh or dry)

·         Salsa

·         Chopped spinach

Mix it all together and throw it in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees. The possibilities are endless! 

One last sneaky mom tip:  add wheat germ to your foods. Wheat germ is a powdery substance that is almost tasteless, yet is a great source of fiber. I babysat for a mom who would not let her kids eat popcorn without wheat germ sprinkled on top, and they loved it! According to Dr. Oz, you can also add wheat germ to fruit smoothies, salad dressing, and salmon (http://www.drozfans.com/dr-ozs-advice/dr-oz-wheat-germ-recipes-wheat-germ-popcorn-smoothie-more/). An alternative to wheat germ is flax-seed, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids (brain health) and is also tasteless. 

What are sneaky things you have tried to get your kids to eat more vegetables?

Happy Sneaking!