Hidden Veggie Spaghetti Sauce

I still remember the day when, as a newlywed, I first read the nutrition label on the back of a can of spaghetti sauce:

Ten grams of sugar in 1/2 a cup!

And, let's be honest. Rarely did I eat just half a cup. I am a drown-your-noodle-spaghetti-sauce-soup, kind of girl. There were some pricey, sophisticated sauce options with lower sugar contents, but I was trying to budget for a move and a house and future children so I barely gave them a glance.

Ten ... errrr, 20 ... grams of sugar for me it was.

Fast forward a few years. Now that we have kids, I just can't justify putting that much sugar on their dinner plates and we still can't afford the pricier brands. Solution? Make my own spaghetti sauce! I set out to come up with a good red sauce recipe with three thoughts in mind:

1. It would need to be mild in taste because garlic wards off toddlers almost as well as it fends off vampires.
2. It should incorporate several vegetables because - again - "O" and his whole "no carrots" deal.
3. Also, could it pack in at least a little protein? Don't get me wrong! Some nights, when the banshees small children have worn me down to a skeleton of who I was 12 hours earlier, "noodles + tomatoes" sounds like a well-balanced meal. But, I could probably give at least a polite nod to protein with this sauce.

Here is the end result! It is thick and creamy with a color resembling vodka sauce. There is a good note of sweetness from carrots, easy on the garlic and pepper, and a few lentils tossed in for good measure. The marjoram is a softer, sweeter alternative to oregano (which some children find to sharp in flavor). And if you needed one more bonus for this awesome sauce - it freezes GREAT!

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes

1 approx. 14 oz can of diced tomatoes and juices

1/4 cup lentils

1 1/4 cups broth
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp tarragon

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp majoram

1/4 tsp fennel

1/8 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Sweat the onion, garlic, and carrots with a drizzle of olive oil + 1/4 teaspoon salt. Once the onions become translucent, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low - the longer the better! I like to make this during nap time when I know we will not be going anywhere while the baby sleeps. When baby is tired, everyone is tired. I simmer for 2 hours then set aside to reheat for dinner.

Makes enough for 1 box of spaghetti.

AB&J Overnight Oats

  I just discovered my favorite to-go breakfast - AB&J Overnight Oats! With three children 3 and under, if I don't make my breakfast ahead of time I invariably end up skipping it altogether. I have been experimenting with several combinations of "cold oatmeal" (as my toddler calls it) and stumbled upon this idea. I love it because it keeps me full until lunch -even when breastfeeding! And with 14 grams of protein per serving, tons of Omega 3's, fiber, a gajillion antioxidants, and a shelf life of 5 days what's not to love?? 

4 cups almond milk

1/4 cup plain almond butter (no sweetener, oil, etc.)

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs chia seeds

2 Tbs maple syrup

1/4 cup orange juice

a good pinch of salt

3 cups berries

     In a blender, combine the wet ingredients (including almond butter) until smooth. Meanwhile, mix all the dry ingredients except berries in a large bowl. Pour milk-mixture over dry ingredients and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour but preferably overnight. After oats have set, stir in berries and divide into 5 pint jars. Monday - Friday breakfast done!

(Makes 5 approx. 1 1/2 cup servings.)

**Many substitutions could be made here! Peanut butter for almond butter, another sweetener for the maple syrup, coconut for almond milk.… The only substitution I would NOT make is regular milk for plant-based milk because the combination of dairy + citrus may not keep well in the fridge for several days.**

The Carrot Crusher! (Smoothie)

     One of my twins, we'll call him "O", most decidedly does NOT like carrots. Not the "crunchy" kind. Not the "soft" kind. He is very clear. Not in a box. Not with a fox. You get the picture.

     However he most decidedly DOES like monster trucks. Therefore, I was able to sneak a whole 1/3 of a cup of grated carrots in him by pairing them with mango and giving them a cool "arena name". Letting him drive his truck over a pile of carrots while I worked didn't hurt either!

2 generous cups frozen mango chunks

1 cup shredded carrot

1 can lite coconut milk
a dozen red grapes for sweetness

1/4 tsp ginger powder

Serves 3

Note: This is a very mild-tasting smoothie that my kids really enjoy. For me -someone who likes exciting food- it's a little bland. Try adding 1/2 a banana for sweetness and/or the juice of half a lime for brightness :)

Green "Monster Truck" Smoothie

     One of the keys to a kid-friendly green monster is CITRUS! Citrus flavor covers a multitude of sins ... or vegetables in this case. This recipe is banana free for those people who just can't warm up to the banana flavor is most smoothies. Half an avocado gives it its silky texture as well. And, as always, be sure to blend on high for at least 3 minutes to avoid a somethings-stuck-in-my-straw toddler meltdown!

2 mandarin oranges, peeled

2 kale leaves, stems removed

1 heaping cup frozen pineapple

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

1/2 avocado, pitted and peeled

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup orange juice (fresh is best)

Serves 3

5 Tips to Get Your Kids Drinking Their Veggies

     If you think passing a Kale and Cucumber Smoothie off on a non-veggie-loving adult is hard, it can be even MORE challenging to make appealing to a non-veggie-loving TODDLER! Here are my 5 Tips to get your toddlers drinking their veggies.

1. Go Slow

It's unlikely that a two or three-year-old will just love a green monster the first time it's presented. In fact, it takes multiple exposures for young children to decide conclusively if they like any new food. Make a smoothie you love and offer a little bit to your child. If they don't like it, don't sweat! Offer it again another day, and another... and another.

2. Name It

Again, the word "Kale" is probably going to send my twin toddlers running! Currently, however, they are BIG into monster trucks and so our smoothies have more suceessful names like "Carrot Crusher", "Nut Butter Mudder", and "Green Monster-Truck".

3. Color Match

Toddlers have a keen, discerning eye for veggie deception. Hide carrots in a mango smoothie, kale in "limeade", and - when in doubt - add blueberries. Blueberries dye anything purple!

4. Blend, baby. Blend

Dare I leave one small carrot nib in a smoothie, my texture-sensitive kid will passionately declare (with drama only a toddler can muster): "I can't drink like this!!" And then there's the lump-stuck-in-my-straw meltdown that must be avoided at all cost. Blend toddler smoothies FOR.E.VER (or at least on high for 3 minutes.)

5. Involve Them

Once my little guys got used to drinking smoothies with hidden veggies, I started involving them in the process. Helping chop, add, or blend produce made them more open to trying new things!