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Sneaking in the Vegetables: Lasagna Hamburger Helper and Tomatoes

Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Tomatoes, for example, are low in sodium and very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The vegetable (or fruit) is also a good source of vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and manganese. Because my husband and I both work at jobs in addition to parenting, boxed meals are sometimes the only way that we eat. In an attempt to get more vegetables into our diets, I have been sneaking vegetables into our favorite easy-to-prepare meals.

In addition to sneaking pumpkin into Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper and Tuna Melt Tuna Helper and peas into Cheesy Pasta Tuna Helper, I also recently experimented with sneaking tomatoes into Lasagna Hamburger Helper. Since tomatoes are often an ingredient in lasagna, I figured that sneaking the vegetables into the Hamburger Helper would be a perfect addition. In order to make the meal even healthier, I also substituted the ground beef for Morning Star Grillers Recipe Crumbles.

Lasagna Hamburger Helper, Tomatoes, and Morning Star Grillers Recipe Crumbles Tomato Juice and Water

To make my healthier Hamburger Helper, I followed the directions on the box with one more alteration. Instead of throwing out the juice from the canned tomatoes, I mixed the juice with the amount of water called for in the directions on the box. Saving the juice meant that I saved some additional nutrients from the tomatoes. I then followed the rest of the directions on the box but used the Morning Star Crumbles instead of the hamburger and added in the drained canned tomatoes. I finally cooked the Hamburger Helper according to the directions.

My Lasagna Hamburger Helper and tomatoes was definitely a huge hit in my house. My husband liked the addition. And my daughter, who absolutely loves tomatoes, really loved the bites that I gave her of my lunch. My concoction also heated up well; I brought the leftovers with me for dinner at work that evening. I will definitely be adding tomatoes to my Lasagna Hamburger Helper again in the future.

Uncooked Lasagna Hamburger Helper and Tomatoes Cooked Lasagna Hamburger Helper and Tomatoes

How do you make sure that your family eats enough vegetables?

Image Credits

Lasagna Hamburger Helper, Tomatoes, and Morning Star Grillers Recipe Crumbles © 2013 Heather Johnson
Tomato Juice and Water © 2013 Heather Johnson
Uncooked Lasagna Hamburger Helper and Tomatoes © 2013 Heather Johnson
Cooked Lasagna Hamburger Helper and Tomatoes © 2013 Heather Johnson

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