Choosing the right recipe for those scrumptious meals can make all the difference. Many of us know that our children won’t eat certain foods. Yet we also are aware that some of these foods hold nutrition that our children need. Those favorite recipes can make all the difference in finding ways to get those finicky eaters to enjoy nutritious and health foods.

There are other ways of to get your family the nutritional balance of certain foods and that can be done with some clever hiding techniques. Depending on what you are trying to hide, there are certain techniques to disguise almost any food. Here are some possibilities:

Most ground meats are begging for some veggies. Mix some shredded carrots or beets into a hamburger or meatball for some added nutrition. It can also male that meat extra moist. It is amazing what a little well-ground vegetable can do to even the driest hamburger.

Almost everyone loves pasta. Why not grate some carrots or finely dice a couple of mushrooms or green peppers into the sauce? The red color will hide any evidence of vegetables and the tomato taste will mask anything that is small enough.

Chili and soups are another great way to hide vegetables. Take a chicken noodle soup and experiment with adding different vegetables to see which one your child likes the best. Chili is a giant mix and match of ingredients, so adding another one to the mix is no big deal.

Pizza is a win-win situation for kids and parents. Kids love to eat it and parents love to hide vegetables within its gooey goodness. Take a little of the tomato sauce described above as well as some finely chopped veggies under a layer of melted cheese and you have a slice of pie that is as nutritionally dense as a full salad, not to mention a winner for everyone.

When all else fails, you will be surprised how far raw veggies with a little dip will get you. There are numerous children, and adults too, who strongly dislike cooked vegetables, but when offered a veggie tray, will devour it in a second. A simple rule is, offer the veggies as-is first to see the initial reaction, then try incorporating them into different foods.

To get some grains into your family, try making grilled cheese with whole grain bread. Another possibility is making toast with wheat bread. The color will be masked when the bread is toasted or grilled and who doesn’t love bread smothered with butter and jelly or with a piece of melted cheese slapped in between.

There is no child that will refuse to eat his or her own baked goods. By letting your little one participates when it comes to baking and throwing in a few whole grains, some unbleached flour and some dried fruit. The kids will have a blast making and then devouring their creation.

Remember to keep the recipes simple. Try different ingredients to see which ones will pass the test. You might those picky eaters eating foods you never would have imagined. The whole idea is to use those valued recipes with a few new ideas. You’ll never until you try and there is no better time to start than now.