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The weekday veggies wonder-meal with a bit of rainbow pizazz. 

5-a-day Bolognese – the best way to hide veggies in plain sight. 

Are you cash strapped, freezing, flu-riddled and fighting the winter flab? 

This super easy, cheap, and versatile meat-free meal option will give you the right nutrients you need to survive the last stretch of winter and come out swinging in spring. 

One of the trickiest things as a parent is making sure your kids eat a healthy, balanced diet with enough veggies. Apparently, there are children in the world who gladly chomp down on cucumber and broccoli without a fuss. But for the rest of us mere mortal parents out there, we need some help.  

Most kids love pasta, and most adults know how to make it. Add this recipe to your weekday meal arsenal and you can rest assured knowing the whole family has had their helping of veggies for the day. 

The What: 

• 1 Tin tomato puree 
• 1 Stick of celery, finely chopped 
• 5 or 6 Medium carrots, grated
• 1 Punnet of baby marrows, grated 
• 1 Punnet of mushrooms 
• 2 Small onions, chopped 
• Mixed dried herbs 
• Fresh garlic or crushed garlic powder 
• Salt and pepper 
• Vegetable oil for frying 

To serve: 

• Bucatini or Spaghetti (or any pasta of your choice) 
• Food colouring/dye if you want to go the rainbow route… 

How To Hide Veggies (continued)

Kid-friendly tip: making Rainbow pasta is easy – simply add enough food dye to the pasta water to give it a rich, deep colour. Add pasta, cook as usual and drain.  

The sauce will keep for more than a week in the fridge. It can also be frozen for months and be used in many other dishes other than with veggies. It’s a great base for a stew, you can always add meat or a plant-based protein and make it into a lasagne. Or even just spread it on thick slices of bread, cover with grated cheese and bake in the oven. Instant pizza bites!

Thank you to Leandi Archer and the Food Design Agency for the fantastic images.