Sweet and Sneaky Ways to Eat Your Veggies: Carrots

aka “Earning Desserts as a Five-Year-Old”

 

I always ate my three daily servings of fruit as a kid. I drank my “crazy drink” (OJ + fizzy water) through a straw at breakfast, munched on apple slices at lunch, and popped grapes like candy as an after school snack. But vegetables?

 

Totally different story.  

 

Sure, I’d crunch on a few carrots at dinner if Mom promised me a cookie for dessert. Or I’d stab at a few green beans if she gave me vanilla pudding. But I much preferred my main entrée of fish sticks or grilled cheese over those pesky veggies!

 

I’m a big girl now, and I’ve realized that vegetables are good for me. Still, it’s hard to consciously choose broccoli over brownies or cucumbers over chocolate when my stomach starts rumbling!

 

Instead of forgoing treats in favor of produce, I’ve devised a few clever ways to sneak more veggies into my diet. I’m starting the day off with this carrot cake oatmeal. It’s sweet, spiced, and—dare I say it—even nicer than a slice of the original cake!

 

 

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

serves 1

Feel free to add raisins or walnuts or any other ingredients you like in your carrot cake! Just stir them in along with the spices after cooking the oatmeal.

¼ c. finely shredded carrots (about 3 baby carrots)

⅓ c. old-fashioned oats

2-3 tsp sugar, or to taste (Truvia and Splenda would both work too)

⅔ c. water

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

1. In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, oats, sugar and water. Microwave according to the package’s directions. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg, and let the oatmeal thicken for 1-2 min before eating.

 

Other Sweet and Sneaky Veggie Treats:

caramelized onion breakfast muffins

pumpkin custards

fudgy beet brownies

 

 

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