Veggie Surprise! Veggies Disguised

So I’ve heard quite a bit about pureeing veggies and mixing them into regular food as a way to “sneak” them into children’s diets without them knowing. The technique first came to my knowledge when I heard about Jessica Seinfeld’s (Yes, Jerry’s wife) cookbook Deceptively Delicious (remember that whole lawsuit scandal?). The July/August issue of Women’s Health magazine was the first time I’ve heard it applied to real adult eating. They report that a study at Penn State University uncovered a hidden benefit to hidden veggies. When study subjects unknowingly ate pureed vegetables in three meals a day, they ate almost 360 less calories a day. They came up with some sneaky substitutions to cut back on the calories of some of your favorite summer dishes.

• Swap ½ cup pureed roasted red peppers for ½ cup mayo in your pasta salad
• Save 435 calories

• Swap ½ cup cooked, pureed spinach for ¼ cup sour cream in veggie dip
• Save 79 calories

• Swap ½ cup pureed beets and 1 can pureed black beans for oil in brownie mix
• Save 469 calories

• Swap 2 cups pureed sweet corn for 1 cup cream in chowder
• Save 556 calories

A way to chow down on summer treats and still cut calories? Sold.