Since becoming a foster parent, I’ve discovered I’m a very sneaky person. But always for a good cause.
When these beautiful children came, they were in very poor nutritional health and not used to eating regular, real meals. I was used to cooking whatever I wanted to cook because my children are healthy and strong.
Times have changed now that we have foster children. Let the sneaking begin!
One of the best ways I have found to sneak in extra nutrition is with carrots and spinach….they can be hidden easily into just about everything!
I take a bag of baby carrots (they were on a SUPER sale and I got bags for .49! So stocked up!) because they are already peeled and require less work on my part, but I’ve used the regular carrots as well, or a bag of fresh, raw spinach. (I don’t have a Sam’s card, but I do have a LOVELY friend that does, and she picks me up a POUND of spinach when she can! I love friends that bless you with spinach! Thanks Jan!)
You take your bag of baby carrots, and put them into your little food processor (I bought mine at WalMart for $20, it’s called a Food Ninja and I LOVE it! I need a big one, but I don’t have a “big one” kind of budget. So I bought what I could afford, and just have to do the bag of carrots in small batches that will fit). Chop them up as finely as you’d like. I like to get them small, but NOT to the point of mush. Mush will change the consistency of the recipe.
Then, I start on my spinach. I used a big tub of fresh spinach from my sweet friend, Jan, who blesses us when she goes to Sam’s. I love Jan. 
After you have it all chopped, to the size and consistency you want, you can either use them immediately in whatever you are cooking, or using a freezer bag, you can freeze it.
After I have put everything in the freezer bags, I flatten the bag out and squeeze out as much air as I can. (Oxygen is the arch-nemesis of frozen foods.) Now, here is the thinking behind flattening the bags out: when it comes time to cook with it, it is so much easier to break it off into the portions I want being thin and flat.
I know, I’m a genius.
I have also made bags of both spinach and carrots mixed together (because I was too lazy to do separate bags) and it works just fine.
Because the veggies are FRESH, they are far more nutritious and I know for sure my babies are getting their vitamins in a healthy form.
AND, the best part is, you can’t taste it.
I put them in almost EVERY dinner I serve (I do occasionally run out sometimes….so I can’t say EVERY dinner without lying. LOL).
Here they are in regular boxed mac & cheese…(I didn’t freeze these, just added them straight in. And I did add more because I really want them to start acquiring a taste for it.)
(I know….look at my poor pots and pans. They are 20 years old though, they were a wedding gift! HAHAAA)
Here they are in a casserole:
And in a whole big ol pot of chili!
(Yes I got strange looks from my family as I was taking all of these pictures…)
So there you have it! A good, easy way to ensure a little extra nutrition!
I realize that this was totally NOT the point but if you want a Sam’s membership I would be glad to add you to our business account. Bonus is that you get to go during business only hours. Much nicer than fighting both crowds and kids!
I may have to try your techniques to sneak veggies into MY diet! Never have liked the things!
spinach in the blender with “smoothie” ingredients changes the color but not the taste..plain greek yogurt, cooked carrots, frozen fruit, bananas