Doctored up Mac n' Cheese

My 5 year old, Tanner, loves this stuff.....

I don't want to get into food battles with my kids. I have some of their favorite "food-like substances"on hand and we'll pull them out and make them occasionally (LOVE Michael Pollan....I highly recommend reading some of his books if you've never heard of him, you'll never look at food the same way again). We do need to compromise though. I need to feel good about what I'm feeding them too. So, I doctor it up a bit.

I'm not a big fan of "sneaking" my kids vegetables. Yes, I put spinach in their smoothies, but they watch me do it and know it's in there. I don't see how they're going to ever learn to like vegetables if they never know they're eating them. I used to hate green beans growing up. I wouldn't touch them. I didn't have a green bean all through my youth and up until I was in my mid-twenties. I was served a side of beans in a situation where refusing them would have been rude. Lo-and-behold....I liked green beans....I liked them a lot! I just hadn't had them in so long that I didn't know I liked them. How many years did I miss out on eating green beans because of a remembered child-hood aversion to them? So, my theory is that if I want them to like vegetables I can't always disguise them, they need to know they're eating them. It's what works for me. I'm not saying my kids will eat plates full of vegetables without turning up their little noses.....Caeden won't touch lettuce, tomatoes, squash, and onions, Tanner doesn't like cucumbers, Weston doesn't like brocolli. I still serve all those veggies though, they can pick them out if they'd like, but I'm hoping with enough exposure someday they'll learn to like them. If it's not what works for you, or if you have a really genuinly picky eater that you're desperate to get veggies in their little diets, go ahead and hide or disguise them to your hearts content. All of us just do what we gotta do to keep our little ones healthy!

On to the "recipe"....

While the noodles are boiling I throw in some frozen peas in the water to cook at the same time.While the noodles and peas are cooking I throw a sweet potato in the microwave and cook it for 5-6 min. Then I scoop out the inside and mash it up.

I add the sweet potato to the mac n cheese with a little bit of butter and lowfat milk. My kiddos don't seem to mind the small chunks of sweet potato in there, but if you think your kids might turn their noses up at it, throw it in the blender with the milk and butter before you stir it in....they won't even know they're eating it.

Sometimes I'll do peas and drained can of tuna instead for the added protein.