I know the kid readers of the Kid’s Link probably love getting three servings a day of healthy vegetables and eat them constantly, right? Haha, just kidding. Potato chips or french fries don’t count!
But really, eating veggies is not just about eating some baby carrots once a week or a plain piece of lettuce every other Wednesday, on a hamburger. Did you know it’s a good idea to get lots of colorful, bright vegetables in your diet to keep your eyes and skin healthy? You probably already know that green leafy veggies are great for you, but orange veggies are chock-full of stuff called beta-carotene that’s super-good for growing bodies. Did you know that you can ask your mom to make this recipe for yummy muffins and you will be getting your orange veggies while at the same time eating a delicious dessert? It’s a win-win!
Spice Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 freezer pack of riced butternut squash or any other vegetable your mom and dad want you to eat (cauliflower, carrots, pumpkin or any combination of the above), microwaved or cooked until softened, about 1 and ½ cups
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 and ½ cups canola oil
- 1 and ½ cups honey
- 2 eggs (or the equivalent in egg replacer)
- ½ cup of sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 and ½ cups of white whole wheat flour
Procedure
Puree the cooked, softened vegetables in a food processor or mash them with the applesauce until you have the consistency of applesauce. Combine all of the wet ingredients (the next four) in a stand or hand mixer and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add the dry mixture to the wet, and mix only until everything is well combined.
Spoon the mixture into cupcake paper in cupcake tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Enjoy your veggies!
By Elizabeth Kratz
Elizabeth Kratz works at The Jewish Link and loves writing for the Kid’s Link. Please have your mom and dad email your ideas for articles to [email protected].
