Burrito Night: The Hidden Veg Experiment

Yesterday’s dinner turned into a small kitchen experiment.

The idea was simple: make burritos and hide vegetables and beans in the sauce to see if anyone in the house would notice.

Like many parents, I’m always looking for ways to add a bit more real food into meals without turning dinner into a battle about vegetables. Sometimes the easiest way is simply to blend them into something everyone already likes.

This time the experiment was burritos.

The Tortilla Experiment

The first part of the evening involved making tortillas from scratch. This wasn’t exactly planned; it was more of a “let’s see if this works” moment.

From somewhere behind the camera came immediate criticism about the idea of experimenting again.

Apparently my kitchen experiments are deeply concerning to certain members of the household.

The tortillas themselves didn’t behave particularly well at first. They weren’t shaping properly, so at one point I simply picked one up and threw it straight into the pan as it was.

They may not have been perfect circles, but they tasted surprisingly good.

Sometimes cooking at home isn’t about perfection. It’s about trying things, adjusting, and seeing what works.

Hiding the Vegetables

The filling was where the real Keeping It Green trick happened.

The burrito sauce included vegetables and beans blended directly into it. Once cooked with spices, the vegetables disappear into the sauce and simply taste like part of the dish.

No lectures about vegetables. No arguments at the table.

They’re just… in there.

The goal isn’t to trick anyone. It’s simply to make everyday meals a little more nutritious without creating unnecessary resistance.

Filming the Experiment

I also decided to film parts of the process for the Keeping It Green YouTube channel.

That was interesting in itself because I quickly realised I had no idea exactly when I should be recording. Some of the best moments probably happened when the camera wasn’t running.

Still, the general idea of the experiment made it onto video.

You can watch the full experiment here:

The Kitchen Critics

The reviews from the household critics arrived in stages.

The youngest member of the house spent several minutes patting the burrito as if it required a full inspection before taking a bite. His final verdict was that he liked the wrap.

My son also liked the wrap but wasn’t overly impressed with the filling, although he did eat it with a generous amount of cheese added.

My daughter’s review was that the wrap was fine but not really worth waiting for, and she wasn’t particularly keen on the filling either. She did eat the rice though.

Teenage food reviews can be dramatic.

Small Wins Still Count

In reality, not much of the filling was eaten.

But even one mouthful is still a win.

That one mouthful still contains vegetables and nutrients that wouldn’t otherwise have been eaten.

Real family meals are rarely perfect, and progress often comes in small steps rather than dramatic transformations.

Lessons from the Experiment

Every kitchen experiment teaches you something.

In this case the main lesson was that hidden vegetables work, but perhaps beetroot is slightly too suspicious in colour.

Next time the sauce may need a slightly less dramatic shade.

The tortillas, however, were definitely a success.

And in a busy household, if the wraps are eaten and a few vegetables sneak through, that’s already a positive result. The oat milk in the wraps added extra nutrients so either way it was a win