The vegetables have been spotted in the deep dark jungles of Central and South America. These fiendish vegetables have disguised themselves inside kids’ favourite chilli dishes such as tacos, fajita, and nachos. Your mission is to help the kids find them, eat them to defeat them and then let out our victory cheer…
Hasta la vista veggies!
Tea-time adventures make meals fun, turning eating into a game. It’s not just about the recipe—it’s about getting kids excited to eat their food. Chilli Quest features chilli or a similar Central/South American dish in any style—Chilli Con Carne, quesadilla, fajitas, tacos, chimichanga, etc. We’ve suggested a simple chilli recipe with cauliflower-infused rice, but feel free to use your own favourite chilii recipe. The key is using chunky vegetables. Avoid hiding or finely chopping the veg—presenting it in larger pieces gives your child control, allowing them to decide when or if they want to eat it. This sense of control encourages them to give it a try.
Join the “Eat Them to Defeat Them” challenge and watch the video together. Get the kids pumped up with the rally cry, “Hasta la vista veggies!” as you prep the meal. Keep it fun and light-hearted—ask the kids if they want to help Chef Andrew to “defeat” the veggies without pressure, maybe throwing in fun phrases like “you’re going down veggies” or “let’s defeat them!”.
After the meal, praise, praise, praise – celebrate every win, big or small, like a sniff, a lick or a nibble, and try to steer away from talking about health or nutrition. Praise their efforts with a “Well done, we defeated the veggies!” and add a sticker to their Eat Them To Defeat Them wall chart (you can download one here). Ask if they’d like to try another challenge, and keep the veggie fun going!
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 45-50 mins
Ingredients:
Chilli:
1 tbsp oil
200g beef or pork mince, or veggie alternative
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
100g butternut squash, diced (frozen pre-diced is fine)
1 red pepper, diced
150ml water
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
400g tomatoes, chopped (or 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes)
100g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen (optional))
1 400g tin kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 x veg stock cube
Cauliflower Vegetable Rice:
1 mug rice (ideally basmati, but you can use others and just check package instructions for how long it takes to cook)
2 mugs water
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ head cauliflower, grated
1 red pepper, diced
100g peas (frozen is fine)
Veg Portions / Serving: 4
The vegetables have been spotted in the deep dark jungles of Central and South America.
These fiendish vegetables have disguised themselves inside favourite chilli dishes such as tacos, fajita, and nachos.
Your mission is to find them, eat them to defeat them and then let out our victory cheer…
HASTA LA VISTA VEGGIES!
Find out more about Eat Them To Defeat Them at eatthemtodefeatthem.com
Method:
Here’s our recommended recipe, or you can simply adapt your own recipe – just keep the veg chunky and serve with a reminder to the children to Eat Them to Defeat Them and say “Hasta la vista veggies!”
Heat a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat and add the oil, then fry the mince, onion, carrot, squash, and red pepper until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 mins. If using veggie mince, add to the pan at the next step.
Add the tomato puree, garlic, tomatoes, sweetcorn if using, kidney beans, chilli powder, water and veg stock cube to the pan (and veggie mince, if using), reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 – 25 mins to allow the chilli to cook out and thicken.
Whilst the chilli is cooking, place the rice, water and turmeric in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 mins, or until the rice is almost completely cooked through. Stir in the grated cauliflower, diced red pepper, and peas. Cover the pan and continue to cook until the rice softens, and the vegetables are cooked through (add a little extra splash of water and give a few more mins if the rice or veg aren’t soft enough). Serve with the chilli.
Have the kids help you measure and weigh ingredients, fill the mug for the rice with rice and water, and stir things together (show them how to safely stir over the heat and keep a close eye on them). For more tips on cooking with kids check out Kids in the Kitchen.
