Up the Veggies and Lower the Calories – Purée!

Seared Scallops over Sweet Potato and Parsnip Puree 

Looking for an easy way to skim some extra calories from the food your family loves?  Add puréed vegetables in place of other ingredients to up your veggie intake while reducing total calories.  This trick is helpful for moms with picky kids or even wives with picky husbands.  But you must puree completely, or you’ll be left with tiny chunks of vegetables that picky eaters can detect.  Carrots, spinach, cauliflower, yams, squash, beans, peas, parsnips, and more; they all easily lend themselves to puréeing.  Try it in mac-n-cheese, lasagna, casseroles, pancakes, cookies and more.  According to a study done at Pennsylvania State University, people will consume the same amount of food whether or not it contains puréed vegetables, and report feeling just as full and satisfied.  So why not give it a try?  You can easily load in up to four times the normal amount of veggies, and see if anyone even notices a difference.