You’ve heard of “stealth fighters”? How about “stealth vegetables”?

That’s exactly what researchers at Penn State used to get people to eat healthier, and lose weight, in the process.

Here’s what they did: they steamed and pureed different vegetables, then snuck the puree into other food dishes, such as Mac and Cheese or Chicken and Rice. The people in the study had no idea the stealth veggies were present.

But the results were pretty amazing. The people who ate the added-puree dishes ate less than those who ate the non-altered entrees. About 360 calories worth. (And in the study, they did this only once a week.) Do the math, and that 360 calories adds up to one pound of weight loss every 10 days.

So not only did the participants eat less because they filled up more quickly, they took in more fiber and more vitamins than the other group in the study- about double the amount.

The veggies used in the puree included either cauliflower, squash, or carrots- which may sound gross if you hate any of those things  (for me, we’re talking cauliflower, big time. )

 The key, however, was that no one eating these added vegetables even knew they were eating them. There was no change in the taste or in the consistency of the entrees.

Sure, there is extra effort involved in taking a bunch of vegetables, steaming, them, making a puree, then making a dish where you can hide the puree. But think of the health benefits — and think of the pounds. Everyone on this diet was satisfied and happy, especially when they stepped on the scale.

Related Link: Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food