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I Finally Got My Picky Kid to Eat Vegetables Using a Spiralizer
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items My daughter would pick every single vegetable out of her dinner and line them up on the side of her plate like evidence. I tried hiding spinach in smoothies, bribing with dessert, the whole circus. Then I started spiralizing everything into noodle sh...
Sections
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Spiralizers That Actually Work Without Breaking Your Wrist
Vegetables That Fool Kids When They Look Like Pasta
Sauces That Make Veggie Noodles Taste Like the Real Thing
Cookware That Makes Veggie Noodles Actually Good
Seasonings That Get Kids to Actually Finish Their Plate
Kitchen Tools That Make Spiralizing Faster on Busy Nights
Spiralizers That Actually Work Without Breaking Your Wrist
I went through two cheap spiralizers that jammed on every sweet potato before landing on ones that actually crank through hard vegetables. Save your wrists and your sanity.
Grab this if you already own a KitchenAid stand mixer. It attaches right on and spiralizes a whole butternut squash in under a minute. My daughter thought we were making curly fries.
KitchenAid® 5 Blade Spiralizer With Peel Core And Slice
Use this one if you want a countertop model that suctions down and stays put. I spiralized six zucchinis for a dinner party without it budging once. Sturdy enough for beets, which says a lot.
Brieftons 5-Blade Countertop Vegetable Spiralizer
Keep this in a drawer for quick weeknight spiraling. It's handheld so there's nothing to assemble. Perfect for parents who have maybe eleven minutes to get dinner on the table.
Food Chopper with Container, Fruit Slicer
Switch to this if your current spiralizer only does one thickness. Five blade options means you can make thin angel hair zucchini or thick curly sweet potato fries. My kid requests the thick curls specifically.
Mueller Spiral-Ultra Multi-Blade Spiralizer
This was actually the first one I bought that didn't break. Three blades, super simple, and it's been running strong for two years now. Great starter if you're not sure spiralizing is for you yet.
Paderno World Cuisine Folding Tri-Blade Spiralizer
Toss this in your bag for meal prep at someone else's kitchen. I brought it to my mom's house and made zucchini noodles for Thanksgiving. She was skeptical until my daughter cleaned her plate.
Good Grips Handheld Spiralizer, Green
Get this if you spiralize more than twice a week and your hands are tired of cranking. Electric motor does the work. I just feed the zucchini in and catch the noodles on the other side.
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Vegetables That Fool Kids When They Look Like Pasta
Not every vegetable spiralizes well. I learned this the hard way with a head of cabbage that turned into confetti. These are the ones that actually hold their noodle shape and taste good enough to trick a six-year-old.
Start here. Zucchini is the gateway vegetable for picky eaters because it's mild and holds a noodle shape perfectly. My daughter calls these ‘green noodles’ and asks for seconds.
Fresh Organic Zucchini Squash, 2 Count
Pair this with zucchini for a two-tone noodle bowl. Yellow squash is slightly sweeter and my kid thinks it's a different kind of pasta. I'm not correcting her.
Customer reviews for Fresh Yellow Squash, Each
Spiralize these into curly fries and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. My daughter dips them in ketchup and has no idea she's eating a vegetable. Works every single time.
Marketside Fresh Sweet Potato Cubes, 16 oz
Use a sturdy spiralizer for these because carrots are hard. But the ribbons are gorgeous in stir fry and my kid eats them thinking they're orange noodles. Worth the extra elbow grease.
Marketside Organic Fresh Whole Carrots, 2 lb Bag
Try these spiralized and roasted with a little olive oil. They turn this deep purple color that my daughter thinks is magic. She won't eat a chunk of beet but she'll eat beet curls all day.
Fresh Whole Red Beets Bunch, Fresh Produce
Spiralize and fry these for homemade curly fries that blow the fast food version away. My kid literally stopped asking for drive-through fries after I made these twice.
Marketside Fresh Organic Russet Potatoes, 3 lb Bag
Keep these raw after spiralizing and toss with sesame oil and rice vinegar. Cold cucumber noodles are my daughter's favorite summer lunch. She eats the whole cucumber without realizing it.
Walmart Inc. Recalls Marketside Fresh Cut Cucumber
Sauces That Make Veggie Noodles Taste Like the Real Thing
Plain spiralized zucchini tastes like, well, zucchini. The sauce is where the magic happens. These are the ones my daughter actually approves of on her ‘noodles.’
Pour this over zucchini noodles and even adults forget they're not eating real pasta. My daughter specifically requests ‘red noodles’ which is just zucchini with Rao's. I'll take that win.
Rao's Homemade Creamy Marinara Sauce With Mascarpone Cheese
Warm this up and toss it with spiralized sweet potato. Creamy enough that my kid doesn't question anything. Also works great if you're avoiding dairy since it's made with cashew milk.
Primal Kitchen No Dairy Alfredo Sauce 15 oz
Toss a spoonful with warm zucchini noodles and sprinkle parmesan on top. My daughter calls this ‘green sauce noodles’ and it's in our weekly rotation now. Five minute dinner, zero complaints.
Classico Signature Traditional Basil Pesto Sauce & Spread
Drizzle this on spiralized carrot and zucchini stir fry. Add a little garlic and sesame oil and suddenly your picky eater is demolishing a bowl of vegetables. Happened at our house last Tuesday.
Kikkoman Soy Sauce | Waitrose & Partners
Try this one if your kid is sensitive to the acidity in regular marinara. It's smoother and slightly sweet, which my daughter prefers. No added sugar either, which matters when your kid already had juice at school.
Yo Mama's Foods Pasta Sauces for Delicious Italian Meals
Use this as a cold noodle sauce on spiralized cucumber. My daughter eats it like a salad but thinks it's fancy restaurant food. Works great for packed lunches too since it's meant to be cold.
Newman's Own Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing
Grab this for nights when you need something rich and savory. It coats zucchini noodles really well without sliding off. My daughter ate an entire plate and asked if we could have it again tomorrow.
Barilla, Pasta Sauce, Roasted Garlic, 24 oz, No Added Sugar
Cookware That Makes Veggie Noodles Actually Good
Raw spiralized zucchini is soggy and sad. The right pan makes the difference between ‘this is weird’ and ‘can I have more.’ I ruined a lot of zucchini noodles before figuring out the right setup.
Sear veggie noodles in this for about 90 seconds on high heat. The nonstick surface means you don't need much oil, and the wide base lets moisture evaporate fast so nothing gets mushy.
T-fal Easy Care Nonstick Fry Pan, 12 inch, Red
Use this when you want slightly charred edges on your spiralized sweet potato. The heat retention is incredible. My daughter loves the crispy bits and picks them out first.
Lodge 12" Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
Switch to stainless when you want a really good sear without nonstick coating. Takes a minute to learn the technique but the caramelization on zucchini noodles is worth it.
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 12" Skillet with Cover
Spread spiralized sweet potato on this with olive oil and roast at 400. The aluminum heats evenly so nothing burns on the edges while the middle stays raw. Rookie mistake I made with my old dark pan.
Nordic Ware, Half Sheet, 18"x13" Aluminum
Set this inside your sheet pan when roasting spiralized veggies. Air circulates underneath so everything gets crispy instead of steaming in its own moisture. Changed my whole approach.
Wilton Perfect Results Cooling Rack, 3 Tier, Non-Stick
Toss veggie noodles in the pan with this without breaking them into tiny pieces. Regular spatulas chop everything up. This one is flexible enough to fold and turn without destroying the noodle shape.
OXO SoftWorks Silicone Flexible Turner
Pack leftover veggie noodles in these for school lunch the next day. Glass doesn't absorb the garlic smell like plastic does. My daughter's teacher thanked me for not sending stinky containers.
Pyrex Simply Store 4C Glass Food Storage and Baking
Seasonings That Get Kids to Actually Finish Their Plate
Butter and salt only goes so far. These are the seasonings I rotate through so my daughter doesn't get bored of the same veggie noodle flavor every night. Variety is what keeps her eating them.
Sprinkle this on roasted spiralized potatoes and watch your kid inhale them. The sesame and garlic combo is addictive. My daughter licks the seasoning off her fingers, which I consider a parenting victory.
Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Sesame Seasoning
Dust this on zucchini noodles while they're still hot. Simple but effective. My daughter says garlic noodles are her favorite dinner, and she has no idea she's eating two whole zucchinis.
McCormick spices impossible to open. Apparently, it's the glue
Try this as a parmesan substitute on veggie noodles. It's cheesy and slightly nutty. My daughter calls it ‘yellow sprinkles’ and puts it on everything, which means she's accidentally eating B vitamins.
Frontier Co-op Nutritional Yeast, Mini Flakes, 16 oz Bag
Use just a pinch on freshly spiralized cucumber noodles. Good salt makes a surprising difference on raw vegetables. My daughter went from ‘no thank you’ to eating cucumber noodles plain with just this.
Redmond Real Salt Ancient Fine Sea Salt 16 oz
Toss this into olive oil with garlic and warm it up, then pour over zucchini noodles. Smells exactly like an Italian restaurant. My daughter sets the table voluntarily when she smells this cooking.
Simply Organic, Italian Seasoning, 0.95 oz Bottle
Sprinkle this on spiralized jicama or cucumber for a tangy, slightly spicy snack. My daughter is obsessed with the lime flavor. She eats raw vegetables now because of this seasoning. I'm not kidding.
Tajin Clasico Seasoning Chile Lime Powder 400g/15oz
Melt a tablespoon in the pan before adding veggie noodles. Good butter makes zucchini taste like something a kid would actually choose to eat. This brand specifically has a richness that cheaper butter just doesn't match.
Kerrygold Grass-Fed Salted Pure Irish Butter, 8 oz
Kitchen Tools That Make Spiralizing Faster on Busy Nights
Wednesday at 6pm with homework happening and the dog barking is not the time for complicated cooking. These tools shave minutes off the process so I can get veggie noodles on the table before anyone melts down.
Peel zucchini and sweet potatoes in seconds before spiralizing. Sounds basic but a sharp peeler versus a dull one is the difference between a 2-minute prep and a 10-minute wrestling match.
OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
Spiralize directly over the sink with this. The noodles fall into the strainer, you rinse, done. Saved me from washing a separate colander and cutting board every single night.
Customer reviews for Dexas Over-the-Sink Cutting Board
Catch spiralized veggies in the big bowl, mix sauce in the medium one, serve portions in the small ones. They nest inside each other so they don't eat up cabinet space. Practical when your kitchen is tiny.
Customer reviews for Joseph Joseph Nest 9-Piece Food
Use this to trim zucchini ends before they go into the spiralizer. A sharp utility knife is faster and safer than hacking with a big chef's knife when you're rushing. Learned that lesson the hard way.
Kitchenaid Classic Serrated Utility Knife with Blade Cover, 5.5-inch, Black
Drain excess water from zucchini noodles with the medium strainer. Soggy noodles are the number one reason kids reject them. Thirty seconds of draining fixes the texture completely.
Cuisinart Set of 3 Stainless Steel Strainers
Store prepped spiralized veggies in this for up to three days. I spiralize on Sunday and grab handfuls throughout the week. Cuts my weeknight prep time down to basically just heating a pan.
Progressive Prepworks Lettuce Keeper Food Storage
Serve veggie noodles with these instead of a spoon. They grab the noodles without crushing them and my daughter thinks it's fun to twirl them like real spaghetti. Presentation matters with picky eaters, trust me.
Oxo, Food Tongs, 12-inch, Locking Handle Stainless Steel
Books and Resources That Helped Me Stop Fighting About Food
The spiralizer was only part of the puzzle. Understanding why my kid rejected vegetables and how to reframe meals without pressure made the biggest difference. These are the resources I actually read and used.
Grab this for over 100 spiralizer recipes organized by vegetable type. I dog-eared about 30 pages. The sweet potato carbonara recipe is the one that made my daughter say ‘this is my favorite dinner.’
Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals
Read this if mealtime has become a nightly battle. It reframes the whole approach from forcing to exploring. I stopped saying ‘just try one bite’ and weirdly, my daughter started trying things on her own.
The Picky Eater Project: 6 Weeks to Happier
Use this for packing spiralized veggie lunches that actually come home empty. Practical portion ideas and lunchbox layouts. My daughter's lunch used to come back untouched. Now the container is scraped clean.
School lunches
Try the veggie-forward recipes in here when you want something that looks impressive but takes 30 minutes. The kids eat the same dinner as adults, which eliminated cooking two separate meals every night.
Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, Book, Gerard
Pair this with your spiralizer for one-pan veggie noodle meals. Less cleanup means I actually spiralize on tired nights instead of defaulting to boxed mac and cheese. That's the real win.
Dinner then Dessert Cookbook
This book changed how I think about feeding my kid. It's about building healthy habits around food, not tricking them into eating specific things. The spiralizer works better when there's no pressure attached.
It's Not About the Broccoli by Dina Rose
Snag this for creative ways to pack spiralized vegetables so they look fun and appealing in a lunchbox. My daughter started showing her lunch to friends, which meant she actually ate it instead of trading it away.
Weelicious Lunches by Catherine McCord (Review)