Studies have found that calories can be lowered by 200-350 calories in meals by adding vegetable purees. Here are ways you can sneak in more veggies for your meals at home. It is a good idea to get everyone eating more veggies which add more fiber and nutrients.
Follow these tips:
1. Match up the colors:
Orange -carrots, winter squash: add pureed orange veggies to cheesy dishes like cheese dips, macaroni and cheese and casseroles.
Red - tomatoes, beets; add red pureed veggies to chili, pasta, meatloaf, stews and casseroles.
Yellow/white - cauliflower, add pureed cauliflower to mashed potatoes, cream soups.
Green - broccoli, zucchini - add this to pasta sauce or rice dishes.
2. Cook until soft. In order for a puree to be nice and smooth and just slip in to a dish, be sure you cook the vegetables a little softer than you would for serving as a side dish. Puree in a food processor or blender.
3. Use about 25-33% veggies to start.
Chili - add one extra can of tomatoes; add one cup diced or pureed pumpkin/winter squash.
Pasta - use more sauce; add pureed broccoli and chopped spinach - the spinach looks like herbs.
Mashed potatoes - use 2/3 potatoes and 1/3 cauliflower
Macaroni and cheese - add 1 cup pureed carrots.
Casseroles - add 2 cups pureed veggies to most casserole recipes.
Pizza - Put one more cup of chopped veggies on top.
Rice - add one or two cups of veggies to the liquid and puree in the blender. Some good ideas are spinach and herbs.
Meatloaf - 2/3 lean meat, 1/3 pureed stew vegetables.
Half n Half Meat Loaf
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 pound frozen stew veggies
1 can whole tomatoes, no salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
Ketchup, about 2 tablespoons
Directions:
1. Cook the veggies in the microwave for 10 minutes or until really tender.
2. Puree the cooked veggies with the tomatoes in a food processor.
3. Stir the turkey, puree, seasonings and bread crumbs together. Place into oiled loaf pan, top with ketchup and bake at 375 for 1 hour or until done.
4. Allow to sit out for 10 minutes; cut and serve from the pan.
Serves 10, each slice (4 ounces); 100 calories, 1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 21mg cholesterol, 191mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 12 g protein, (Compare to 520 calories and 36 g fat for regular meatloaf).
