We all know fruits and vegetable are good for us but it's often a challenge to eat enough of them every day. To top it off, some children are famous for avoiding eating their vegetables, but they aren't the only ones who turn up their noses at the sight of vegetables, many adults do as well.  You just need to employ some clever tactics or even "trick" your family into eating the nutrient and vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables. Following you will find a quite a few ideas on how to get more fruits and vegetables in your diet:  

Hidden Treasures
Use a food processors to mince raw vegetables or fruit within seconds or a blender to puree cooked vegetables. Wash and dry greens, cabbage, broccoli, or carrots, then all you need to do is place them in a food processor and let the metal blade do all the work of creating finely chopped veggies that can be added to all of your family's favorite foods.

The real trick here is to choose dishes that offer a good cover-up, such as soups, stews, mashed potatoes, marinara sauce, pizza, pasta dishes, sloppy Joes, chili, and pasta salads. No one will be able to taste the difference. Overall, the beauty of minced or pureed vegetables is that they are easy to make, and for convenience if you make large batches they'll easily store in the freezer for months.

If chunks of vegetables are out of the question in soups, casseroles and stews it is quite easy to satisfy the recommended daily allowances for vegetables by putting your blender to good use or investing in a decent food processor. Your favorite vegetable, beef, or chicken soup bases make a great start for a variety of ingredients you don't have to see when eating it.

Try mixing some minced or grated vegetables like carrots along with the other ingredients for your hamburgers or meat loaf, it is a great way to increase your daily intake and the meat will be moister.

Dipping Treasures

Fruit Dip
This is favorite fruit dip. Blend first four ingredients using electric mixer. Serve with fresh fruit.

1 package (8 oz/227 g) cream cheese, softened
1/4 to 1/3 cup/60 to 80 mL brown sugar
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Caramel Extract
Fresh fruit cored and sliced, Apples, pears, grapes, etc

Greek Artichoke And Spinach Dip
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate two hours. Serve with lots of cut fresh vegetables.
 
Ingredients
1 package (10 oz/280 mL) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup/250 mL mayonnaise (low fat if desired)
1 cup/250 mL sour cream (low fat if desired)
3 tbsp/45 mL Watkins Cucumber & Dill Snack & Dip Seasoning
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Onion Liquid Spice
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Garlic Granules
1 can (13.75 oz/390 g) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

Sweet Treasures
If your family likes sweet treats like muffins, cookies, cakes, and pies, then you'll love the recipes that use vegetables or fruit as their main ingredients. Some of the more common selections include Apple cake, Zucchini Muffins, fruit crisps, cobblers, Squash Bread, Carrot Cake, Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie. Add more nutrition by using whole grain flour and a small amount of sweeteners, such as honey or reduce the sugar by half. Plus pureed produce is the perfect way of sneaking some extra nutrition into bread, pizza crusts, and rolls.

Buried Treasures
Maybe what a maligned vegetable needs is a little topping? It's common to sprinkle grated or shredded cheese on broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Or try this cheese sauce recipe:

Quick And Easy Cheese Sauce
Combine Cream Soup Base and other ingredients in a medium sauce pan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil for one minute. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. Serve over cooked vegetables.

1/2 cup/125 mL  Watkins Cream Soup Base
3/4 cup/180 mL all-purpose flour
1 cup/250 mL 1% milk
1-1/2 cups/375 mL water
2 tbsp/30 mL Watkins Onion Flakes
1/4 tsp/1.2 mL Watkins Black Pepper
8 ounces/227 g shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Smooth Treasures
Drink your fruits and vegetables! Smoothies are most often made with fruits but vegetables also make a healthy boost for the body. You'll find they make a great snack or on the go breakfast. They're also easy to prepare and best of all delicious.

Try this combination of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, blend 1 1/2 cups of apple juice, 1 apple (sliced), 1/2 a raw sweet potato, 1 sliced carrot, 1/4 cup of chopped kale or cabbage, and 1 banana.

For a more traditional smoothie blend 1 banana, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 teasp. Watkins Vanilla or Vanilla Nut extract, 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup crushed ice. Great with Carmel extract too.

Or this one made with berries, blend 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Extract, 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup crushed ice.

Now, with all these tricks up your sleeve you should have no problem getting enough fruits and vegetables into your family's diet!