Hi folks! Hope you're having a fantastic week.

Let's take a second and talk about how hard it is to make sure your little one eats enough fruits and vegetables.  

It depends on the child, right? My daughter let me spoon feed her puree'd fruits and veggies all day long, and I felt smugly satisfied that I was able to ensure that she ate a balanced diet. 

Fast forward to my son, and karma swung right back around.  He hates baby food, won't let me spoon feed him, and the more carbs the better for him (he would eat french fries, pancakes and mac & cheese all day long!). 

Anytime I tried to give him fruits or veggies, they would end up on the floor and my dogs got a healthy meal instead. 

The other day, I was desperate to get something green into my son.  I decided to make his favorite dinner (mac & cheese), and sneak some peas into it. 

The result? He ate almost the entire bowl. WIN!   

So I've pulled together some tricks of the trade for adding more veggies into your toddler's diet from other veteran moms. Some of my favorite tips are below! 

• Smoothies, smoothies, smoothies!  This tip is probably king, because you can literally hide the taste of spinach, kale and other veggies with lots of fruit, yogurt or almond milk.  Check out some classic healthy smoothie recipes for kids here.
• Similarly, make frozen popsicles using puree'd fruits and veggies.  This is a big one if your children love popsicles, and especially helpful in dealing with teething. I plan to make several of these recipes soon! 
• Finely grate veggies and include in pastas, spaghetti sauce and more. Shredding vegetables like carrots, broccoli and onions can easily be thrown into spaghetti sauce or cheesy pastas. 
• Three words: Cauliflower pizza crust. If your littles love pizza, use this recipe instead of traditional pizza crusts. Another tip? Sneak small bites of veggies in the cheese before cooking! 
• Switch out regular french fries for zucchini or sweet potato fries.  Is your child a lover of the french fry? Mine are. Switch 'em out - there are plenty of frozen options at the grocery store, or make your own. 
• Bake "healthy" muffins and cookies. The great thing about muffins and/or cookies is that they can usually hide a multitude of healthier ingredients. Try these applesauce zucchini muffins or avocado chocolate chip cookies. 

In the meantime, be sure to check out our recent blog post on whether or not you should spoon feed your child. 

Have a wonderful day and hit me up at Crystal@hugabugg.com with any questions or comments!