Lie to Your Children—It's Good for Them

The terribly wrong message sent by Jessica Seinfeld and Missy Chase Lapine.
By Mimi Sheraton
Updated Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007, at 4:35 PM ET

While most literary sleuths are busy trying to discern whether and how Jessica (Mrs. Jerry) Seinfeld plagiarized recipes from a similar cookbook by Missy Chase Lapine, I say: a plague on both their houses. Both propose a culinary scheme that is, basically, totally stupid, to say nothing of dishonest. Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious and Lapine's The Sneaky Chef advocate tricking kids into eating their fruits and, mostly, their veggies by pureeing them and oozing them into acknowledged goodies. Think mushes of cauliflower, squash, spinach, and avocado leaked into brownies, chocolate pudding, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Even hot cocoa, to which Seinfeld wants you to add mashed sweet potatoes; Lapine advises cherry juice.

The twin major flaws in this faulty reasoning, are that, first, children get the wrong message that sweets and starches are good for them. After all, if you tell your offspring to stop eating brownies, he might not get enough iron via spinach. With the dangerous rise of childhood obesity and diabetes, do we really want to encourage the eating of sugars and starches? And, ultimately, and more seriously perhaps, lying to children via trickery—even "for their own good"—can feed a lifetime of distrust, as it should. I wonder how these undercover mothers keep their secrets. Are children locked out of the kitchens at cooking time, lest they see Mommy slipping pureed zucchini into their beloved mac 'n' cheese?

A second problem raised by this hide-the-veggies duo is the invisibility of vegetables in their own recognizable forms. As a result, children are not afforded the opportunity to get used to the idea of trying and learning about them. Nor will they consider them necessary for good health. I'll admit that getting a kid to down peas, string beans, or broccoli that he or she hates can be a discouraging chore. In this I speak from experience as the mother of a son who, until about the age of 14, hated all vegetables, except potatoes, corn, and raw carrot sticks and who once declared that the only edible green food was green noodles. Deciding not to turn every meal into a contest, I began only offering him small portions of those he liked, along with peeled, sliced pears, apples, peaches, and other seasonal fruits that he substituted for veggies.

Another great favorite with him—as with most children I know—was authentic (no funny business) olive-oil-based Italian tomato sauce, either with or without meat. Simmered with onion, finely diced carrot, and garlic that disappeared into an amalgam in the cooking, combined with a generous tossing of minced Italian parsley added in the last few seconds, that sauce gave him considerable vegetable credits. And I did not always serve this over starchy pasta, but ladled it over meatballs, chicken, fish, or finally, as it is often served in southern Italy, over broccoli, the first green vegetable I remember him eating—and liking—until one magical day he suddenly seemed to like almost all.

Therein lies a solution no more demanding than what is required in either of these stealth cookbooks—namely, coming up with recipes that don't force vegetables to masquerade as treats, presenting them in forms that appeal to young palates. Instead of compromising lasagna, or tuna fish, or mashed potatoes with strongly flavored cauliflower, why not Japanese tempura or Italian fritto misto versions of cauliflower florets and other cut-up vegetables? Kids seem to love anything fried and crisp; fortunately, careful, quick frying at the right temperature in light vegetable oil minimizes the health dangers of that cooking method. (A thought: Given the overpowering flavor and aroma of cauliflower, any kid who can't tell it lurks in macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes may have a sensory development problem worth looking into.)

Both of these books also suggest what seems to be unnecessary trickery, most notably with sweet potatoes. Never have I fed a child who didn't love them, whether baked and dabbed with butter and salt, or lightly candied with an orange juice-honey glaze, or, since we are talking sweet, under a mantle of melting marshmallows as an annual Thanksgiving treat. Why have them muck up grilled cheese sandwiches, as both authors recommend, or, even worse, add a yuck factor to hot cocoa?

In the end, I suppose one has to ask an even more basic question: Do vegetables treated as prescribed and in the amounts indicated by Seinfeld-the-Deceptive and Lapine-the-Sneak really add enough nutrients to a child's diet to make the plotting and pureeing worthwhile? How valuable can one half-cup of spinach puree and one half-cup of carrot puree be when they are first cooked, then are again subjected to the heat of baking, finally to be divided among 12 brownies? And can there be any meaningful nutrition from a quarter-cup each of carrot and sweet potato puree divided amongst 10 portions of soup?

To answer this, I sought the advice of Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University and the author of What To Eat. "Philosophically and practically, this is not really an effective approach," she said. "It will not develop an appreciation of the flavors, textures, and interests of various vegetables, which is what you should try to do by introducing them over and over again until they catch on."

As to the nutritional worth of such cooked and recooked vegetables, in miniscule amounts, Dr. Nestle first chuckled wildly and then answered, "All you can do is laugh."

Do you agree with this author or the cookbook authors who hide veggies in food?

I feel that children should be offered a varitety from day one. Then there are no issues. I almost never have an issue with my children eating any fruit or veggie. My problems have been very minor. One dd did not like apples but would eat carrots and broccolli like they were water.

However, I have a cousin that was not so stern in the beginning with her son (he is now 6 1/2) and she is now kicking herself. While she does offer things in plain view of what he is eating she also tries to hide a few things so that he is still getting them in his diet if he refuses to eat the other things. After about a year of working with him she can finally tell him that he has to eat his veggies before he gets anything else to eat.

I think parents just need to offer them up front from the beginning to avoid these issues altogether.

A parent is the first teacher and if you teach your kids to love healthy foods they will.

Personally, I agree with both of them. I think kids need to be able to recognize and develop a taste for veggies in their natural form. But at the same time, especially with picky toddlers, I think it's a great idea to "hide" veggies in food they like so they get the nutritional value.

I do both with DD. I give her meals with regular veggies and some meals with them "hidden" in them. I was her to get to know veggies but at the same time, I want her to get her nutrition if she refuses to eat the veggies.

Also, I really don't see anything wrong with making food healthier by adding veggies, even if the recipient doesn't know veggies are in there. As long as kids see veggies in their natural state too, I actually think it's better to put in sweets and things too.

I feel that children should be offered a varitety from day one. Then there are no issues.

That's not necessarily true. DD was introduced first to veggies and was given only veggies until she'd gone through a good variety-so it was a couple months of just formula and veggies. Then I added fruit to her diet. I added meat last. Even when she started eating table food I always gave her veggies. I'd put cooked corn and carrots (NOT pureed) in her grilled cheese sandwiches. She'd take her sandwiches apart and be able to see them. As she got older and was introduced to other foods, she stopped wanting to eat veggies as much. She only eats them sometimes now. Same with meat-she hardly ever touches her meat at her meal (I use turkey instead of beef, we eat chicken). She prefers the startch at the meal (like noodles or bread or rice). So I started taking that out. If I give her only meat and veggies, sometimes she'll refuse to eat any of it and skip the entire meal. She LOVES fruit, but she's not so big on veggies. I give her a variety to choose from too. AND she sees us eating them. We'll even offer her veggies from our plates that she sees us eating and still refuse to eat them.

Personally, I agree with both of them. I think kids need to be able to recognize and develop a taste for veggies in their natural form. But at the same time, especially with picky toddlers, I think it's a great idea to "hide" veggies in food they like so they get the nutritional value.

I do both with DD. I give her meals with regular veggies and some meals with them "hidden" in them. I was her to get to know veggies but at the same time, I want her to get her nutrition if she refuses to eat the veggies.

Also, I really don't see anything wrong with making food healthier by adding veggies, even if the recipient doesn't know veggies are in there. As long as kids see veggies in their natural state too, I actually think it's better to put in sweets and things too.

:yes

I have been thinking about this a lot lately! My kids always ate a ton of veggies & fruits from the time they started eating foods. They still will eat just about every fruit under the sun but now is a fight to get them to eat veggies. They are seriously down to just eating corn & even that is a fight. :reallymad

I have been thinking a lot about hiding their veggies in other things. We don't really eat any sweets around here so they will be added to things like meatloaf, etc. I worry about them not getting enough! I've tried buying stuff like V8 juice to help but neither like that either! They take their vitamins daily but I still worry!

I think hiding veggies at this point is needed! It would be different if my kids were really young & still learning what veggies tasted like. But DS is 8 & DD will be 6 in a few weeks. I definately wouldn't do it if they were infants or toddlers unless they absolutely refused to eat any!

I feel that children should be offered a varitety from day one. Then there are no issues.

I too agree that that is not always the case! My kids used to love veggies! They would eat okra, squash, zucchini, corn, green beans, peas, potatoes (not DS. He never liked them), sweet potatoes, you name it! They ate them up until about a year ago when they both at different times started resisting certain ones! And now I am getting frustrated because we are down to corn & evne getting them to eat that is a battle! I am at my wits end!

I don't need to hide fruits and veggies my kids have been eating them in both their raw and cooked forms since they started to eat table food.

I think that unless your child has sensory issues their is no excuse for being picky. You can train their palettes to prefer fruits & veggies over junk food, just as you can train their palette to prefer water over any other drink.

I was talking nutrition with my ODS's Kinder teacher and she said something I thought was really helpful. In her home they only had water to drink, if they wanted apple juice her parents gave her an apple, same thing with all the other forms. There is not much nutritional value in juice (even the 100% juices) BUT there is a ton in just eating the fruit. Juice also fills the stomach up leaving the child not hungry for their food.

I DO add veggies to foods that I cook but I don't hide them. For example I put carrots chopped fine, along with my onion, celery, & pickles in the tuna salad. I don't hide them though. I don't think it is lying (what the women said to do in their books) I just think kids need to learn to eat the right foods and that they aren't going to do that if you hie it so they can not see it. My kids eat what I make, I am not a short order chief and make only one meal for everyone.

I think that unless your child has sensory issues their is no excuse for being picky. You can train their palettes to prefer fruits & veggies over junk food, just as you can train their palette to prefer water over any other drink.

Again, I have to disagree! See my above message! Though DD was diagnosed with SID when she was younger however she still ate her veggies then!

I seriously want to :hairpull! I don't know what else to do! They very rarely get candy or sweets as treats except at certian holidays or birthdays. So I don't think that has anything to do with it!

Lucky for me my kid loves fruits and veggies. However in the overall scheme of things, the important thing is that she eats them. If I have to hide them then so be it. In that case, what they don't know won't hurt them...actually it's good for them.

I think it's so silly to say that hiding veggies in food is lying to your kids. Come on. Where's the article that says "Ho-ho-ho...lying to the kiddies for another Christmas eve" Or "The tooth fairy? An evil lie." Some people could be SO much more productive with their time :lol

And for the record, I have been wanting that cookbook (Deceptively Delicious) for about a year now. :giggle And my daughter LIKES her veggies! :lol

Well said, Becca! :thumbsup

Something that has helped for me, but my children are younge,r is a one bite rule. Regardless of what we have to eat you must take one bite of everything on your plate. There are no exceptions. Also if my child asks for more food but did not eat their zuchinni I do not give them anything else until the zuchinni is gone.

This has helped me to keep them eating their veggies and such. My oldest two went through bird stages at around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2. I refused to give a snack if they did not eat a decent meal. That way they were hungry for whatever food they got when the meal was served.

These are just ideas that have helped me get my children through tougher phases or nights.

Also sometimes I will just try cooking it differently.

Debra since your children are older maybe they can choose the veggies for the night and help prepare them. That might intice them to want to eat them more. HTH

ETA~ I am not against slipping veggies in to get them in your children as long as they are still seeing them and having the oppurtunity to eat them as seen.

Again, I have to disagree! See my above message! Though DD was diagnosed with SID when she was younger however she still ate her veggies then!

I seriously want to :hairpull! I don't know what else to do! They very rarely get candy or sweets as treats except at certian holidays or birthdays. So I don't think that has anything to do with it!

My kids have to eat them I don't give them a choice is all I am saying. I don't put up with pickiness about food. They do not have to clean their plate and I only give them small portions but they must try a few bites of everything they are given. If they do not eat they get nothing else until the next meal.

Something that has helped for me, but my children are younge,r is a one bite rule. Regardless of what we have to eat you must take one bite of everything on your plate. There are no exceptions. Also if my child asks for more food but did not eat their zuchinni I do not give them anything else until the zuchinni is gone.

This has helped me to keep them eating their veggies and such. My oldest two went through bird stages at around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2. I refused to give a snack if they did not eat a decent meal. That way they were hungry for whatever food they got when the meal was served.

These are just ideas that have helped me get my children through tougher phases or nights.

Also sometimes I will just try cooking it differently.

Debra since your children are older maybe they can choose the veggies for the night and help prepare them. That might intice them to want to eat them more. HTH

ETA~ I am not against slipping veggies in to get them in your children as long as they are still seeing them and having the oppurtunity to eat them as seen.

This is what I am talking about I agree 100%

Well, Jaxon has sensory issues and I'm not kidding when I say he will actually throw up if I insist on him taking even one bite of something. From stovetop stuffing to broccoli, I pretty much leave the foods up to him b/c the textures will give him such a bad gag reflex, his whole dinner will come up if he is forced to eat even one bite of something that he can't handle the texture of. It just so happens that one of the main things that bothers him are most veggies, even corn. So, he's not ever forced to eat anything. In fact, I don't ever force any of my kids to eat anything that they don't want to. I always always always put a small serving of each food on their plate, but I do leave it up to them as far as eating it if they want to. Shelby has picked up some bad habits from him b/c she overhears him saying he doesn't want something, and it's sort of like monkey see monkey do... if he won't eat something, she follows suit. But she's a lot more flexible as far as the foods and textures she can handle, so I do urge her to at least try things but I still never MAKE her eat anything. I don't do the whole "you're not getting up until you eat your broccoli" routine. We just have a rule that if you don't eat what is given to you, you won't get your night time snack or dessert with the rest of the family that did eat their dinner.

I remember my gramma on my dad's side of the family making me sit there and eat my peas when I absolutely DESPISED them and while I think she meant good, it did absolutely nothing as far as making me like veggies. It didn't help me learn to like them, I just learned to like them on my own as I got older. I do think it gave me serious issues with food though. They were really into the whole "clean plate club" thing too, wanting me to finish all of what was on my plate, and I think that was the beginning of me having overeating issues. So, I will NEVER EVER force my kids to eat if they say they are not hungry. We just have that rule that they get nothing else until morning time or whenever the next meal is b/c I'm not going to make a dozen different meals a day.

I do hide veggies b/c I think they are an essential part of daily nutrition and since my kids do not like a wide variety of veggies I just kind of do what I need to do to try to meet those daily requirements. I really don't care if people agree with it or not, I'm more worried about them being healthy than what some random person thinks about how I get my kids to eat foods that are good for them.

I have tried my damnedest to get my kids to eat plain vegetables but they just do not like them so I do not force them. I just find other ways to incorporate them and I figure they will eventually learn to like them when they are ready.

I have no problem with "slipping" veggies into savory meals. Such as lasagna or macaroni cheese. Heck, one of my favorite dishes as a kid was rudabega and carrot mash with just a hint of potato. It was awesome! I knew what it was, but it looked like mashed potato and was served when we would ordinarily have had potatoes. DD doesn't like vegetables right now, but I put it in stew, or in soup and she'll eat it there. I don't really consider that "hiding" it because she can see it and taste the pieces. But I think some of the best recipes have veggies as an intrical part. I worked in an Italian restaurant a few years back and our Marinara sauce had food processed zucchini, mushrooms and other veggies in it. It adds to the flavor.

I guess I have a different opinion because I'm vegetarian, so I'm used to seeing veggies in every dish as a substitute for meat. I don't really consider that "hiding" veggies.

Now, putting them in brownies or other sweet foods I think is wrong. All that does it teach the kid that Mom is fine with me eating lots of brownies and then when they're out at school or the mall, they think it's the same, but it's now the high fat, high sugar, no veggies version. Not a good thing. However, I wouldn't have a problem putting fruit pieces in brownies (like maybe cherries) but they would then be called "Cherry brownies" so the kid knows the difference.

Personally, I agree with both of them. I think kids need to be able to recognize and develop a taste for veggies in their natural form. But at the same time, especially with picky toddlers, I think it's a great idea to "hide" veggies in food they like so they get the nutritional value.

I do both with DD. I give her meals with regular veggies and some meals with them "hidden" in them. I was her to get to know veggies but at the same time, I want her to get her nutrition if she refuses to eat the veggies.

Also, I really don't see anything wrong with making food healthier by adding veggies, even if the recipient doesn't know veggies are in there. As long as kids see veggies in their natural state too, I actually think it's better to put in sweets and things too.

I agree with this. My daughter used to eat everything and we gave her whatever we were eating from the time she could handle table food. Now she is picky. Luckily she likes a few veggies, but i know that isn't the case with all toddlers. Sometimes, they just refuse to eat it. So should she not get proper nutrition so i don't "deceive" her into eating veggies?

My example would be (incase I have confused anyone about what I mean)

If you are making Spaghetti throw in a jar of baby food Carrots in the sauce, no one will know. But still offer the salad or whatever the veggie is in it's true form.

If I use packaged banana bread mix I still throw a banana in the mix.

You can probably even throw in a small jar of baby food to help bind meatloaf.

If your kids like mashed potatos but not cauliflower try mashing the cauliflower. It looks the same.

Just some ideas.

Hell, I want the cookbook just because all of the recipes I saw when Jessica Seinfeld went on Oprah looked totally yummy. I don't think it's lying to your kids. It's changing the recipe. Do you ask your kids if they would like mac & cheese and explain to them what's in it before you added the cauliflower puree? Why would you do that after?

That is our rule as well! They have to eat atleast 1 bite of everything & they do do that! They will eat all of their fruit & their main item but will only take the 1 bite of their veggie.

Brandi~We do a lot of the same here! I do not force DH to eat the foods he doesn't like nor do I force myself to eat them. The kids are old enough now to know the things they like & do not like. I really do not want to force them to choke the veggies down if they don't like them. I tried making DS drink the V8 a few days ago & he threw it up! Yuck! But at the same time, I worry about them not getting those nutrients!

I also do not want them to have the outlook on food that I did growing up! We were forced to eat things even if we didn't like it. My mom made us gag down liver & onions & so many other foods we didn't like. And to this day, when I think about those things, I get sick to my stomach! I don't want my kids to have the bad outlook on food that I did which is why I don't want to force them. And how I was not bulemic growing up is beyond me! I had such a horrible outlook on food because of being forced to choke down stuff! I know I thought many times about making myself throw up after dinner just because I wanted those nasty things out of my body so badly! Thankfully I never did it or I am sure I would have gone a very dangerous path!


I do hide veggies b/c I think they are an essential part of daily nutrition and since my kids do not like a wide variety of veggies I just kind of do what I need to do to try to meet those daily requirements. I really don't care if people agree with it or not, I'm more worried about them being healthy than what some random person thinks about how I get my kids to eat foods that are good for them.


Now, putting them in brownies or other sweet foods I think is wrong. All that does it teach the kid that Mom is fine with me eating lots of brownies and then when they're out at school or the mall, they think it's the same, but it's now the high fat, high sugar, no veggies version. Not a good thing. However, I wouldn't have a problem putting fruit pieces in brownies (like maybe cherries) but they would then be called "Cherry brownies" so the kid knows the difference.

Both of the above are very well said!

My example would be (incase I have confused anyone about what I mean)

If you are making Spaghetti throw in a jar of baby food Carrots in the sauce, no one will know. But still offer the salad or whatever the veggie is in it's true form.

If I use packaged banana bread mix I still throw a banana in the mix.

You can probably even throw in a small jar of baby food to help bind meatloaf.

If your kids like mashed potatos but not cauliflower try mashing the cauliflower. It looks the same.

Just some ideas.

Those are things I am planning on doing though not the baby food thing! ;) I wouldn't desingrate the veggie beyond recognition!

I am making meatloaf today & throwing in some shredded carrots. :) Salad is the one thing my kids love to eat, though!

If you are making Spaghetti throw in a jar of baby food Carrots in the sauce, no one will know. But still offer the salad or whatever the veggie is in it's true form.

I agree with this. I think it's ok to hide veggies in dishes as long as you also keep offering veggies in their true form. I don't think hiding veggies in food should be the ONLY way the kids ever get/see veggies.

I also grew up as part of the clean ur plate club. But it was also, take as much as u can cuz if u only take a little and want more, it was all gone and u were left still hungry. I had a big family and if u only took a little, most of the time there wasn't anything left if u were still hungry after that. So my brothers and I would pile our plates high to make sure we got enough to eat. But then that posed a problem because my parents made us eat everything on their plates. They'd even say, well if u can't eat all of that, u should have taken less. But we knew if we took less we could be left still hungry. Vicious cycle and now I'm still struggling with overeating.

So I never force DD to eat. BUT if she doesn't eat dinner, it's left out for her to finish until bedtime-I refuse to make something else for her or give her a snack. If she wants something to eat, she can finish her dinner that's still available to her.

But I think hiding veggies in food should be in ADDITION to offering veggies in their natural state. I don't think it should be a complete substitution where kids never see veggies.

I agree with this. I think it's ok to hide veggies in dishes as long as you also keep offering veggies in their true form. I don't think hiding veggies in food should be the ONLY way the kids ever get/see veggies.

That's exactly what Jessica Seinfeld was talking about when she went on Oprah. She still offers her kids regular raw or cooked still in veggie form veggies with their meals. All she was talking about was slipping veggie purees into the foods they already eat on top of the veggies she offers them with their meals normally, not INSTEAD of those veggies.

That's exactly what Jessica Seinfeld was talking about when she went on Oprah. She still offers her kids regular raw or cooked still in veggie form veggies with their meals. All she was talking about was slipping veggie purees into the foods they already eat on top of the veggies she offers them with their meals normally, not INSTEAD of those veggies.

I didn't see that show! Thanks for clarifying what she said!

Originally Posted by petsparkle
Now, putting them in brownies or other sweet foods I think is wrong. All that does it teach the kid that Mom is fine with me eating lots of brownies and then when they're out at school or the mall, they think it's the same, but it's now the high fat, high sugar, no veggies version. Not a good thing. However, I wouldn't have a problem putting fruit pieces in brownies (like maybe cherries) but they would then be called "Cherry brownies" so the kid knows the difference.

Even made healthier, I wouldn't let my kids have as many sweets as they want. It'd be like one here and there-the same amount I'd let them have if they weren't healthier. I mean they're still going to be sweets and have unhealthy stuff in them. I'd just feel better about them eating sweets I know are healthier. So they'd still have limits and wouldn't think I'm fine with them eating lots of them. So I don't think kids would go out to public places without the "healthier" treats and think I'm ok with them having as many as they want.

I think after they had enjoyed the treats for a while, I'd let them know that I was giving them a healthier version (may or may not tell them HOW it was healthier). I tell DH after a meal if I've made it differently that made it healthier. But I'm always talking about how I've made something healthier or found out about foods being healthy/unhealthy, so it wouldn't be unusual in my house (I'm really trying to develop a healthy diet for us). So hopefully it'll put our kids in the mindset of wanting to eat healthier and be happy they're enjoying a treat that also has health benefits...

That's exactly what Jessica Seinfeld was talking about when she went on Oprah. She still offers her kids regular raw or cooked still in veggie form veggies with their meals. All she was talking about was slipping veggie purees into the foods they already eat on top of the veggies she offers them with their meals normally, not INSTEAD of those veggies.

I didn't see that either (personally, I can't stand Oprah, so I never watch her show). All I was going on was this article about hiding food.

But if that's what she said, I'm in complete agreement.

U know, another thing about hiding veggies. Who really these days gets all the veggie servings they're supposed to everyday? It's like 5 or 6 servings, I believe. So if in addition to a side of veggies for dinner, u put veggies in the main dish in a way that doesn't really change the taste if it's a dish that veggies don't really go in well, I think it's a good thing. Puts u that much closer to getting the amount of veggies ur supposed to get every day. And it's kind of hard to get all those veggies just having them as side dishes without putting them in main courses as well...

For G I offer AND hide them in her foods. I have been trying for 2 years (she is almost 3) since she was almost a year old to get her to eat veggies! She (L) fruit, but veggies not so much. She like raw baby carrots, but anything cooked- FORGET IT. I do put a tiny bit of everything on her plate and she'll eat her favorite 1st, of course. Then I make her try one piece of the veggies before she'll get s tiny bit more of her favorite (usually this is potatoes). Does she LIKE veggies yet after doing this for 2 years? NO.

Now my boys will eat almost any veggies I put in front of them, cooked or raw. Though K hates bananas. :dunno

I do hide spinach in spaghetti sauce and other more seemingly "normal" foods that you can hide veggies in. Nothing odd like hot cocoa. :screwy I really don't agree with the extent that these cookbook authors have gone to hide veggies in their kid's diets.

Now, after reading a few comments, I believe perhaps the news article author is being a bit biased and only picking and choosing at the recipes and not seeing the recipes as the extra methods the cookbook authors are taking to ADD more healthy foods into their kid's diets. If you are giving your kid a treat of a brownie, then sure- make it as healthy as possible if you want. BUT the premise (how the book is being sold as) is, "If your kids won't eat healthy, hide it, they'll never know." <--- I do not believe in that at all.

I seen the Oprah show about the cookbook...I thought it was a neat idea. I don't feel it's lying to the kids. I try to get my kids to eat veggies as they are but have considered hiding them in different foods as well. Both my kids will eat fruits but as most have said veggies is where the problem lies. I try not to force the issue but like Brandi we do the deal where if you don't at least try it then you don't get your dessert after dinner. My daughter who is now 9 is getting better about trying stuff and actually likeing it...where as my son who is 6 is more hard headed and has gone many a night with no dessert because he won't try a veggie. I feel that eventually kids will eat veggies and until then the most I can do is encourage them with out making it a huge issue.

I don't lie to DS about ANYTHING. NO, there is no Santa...YES, your great grandma was scum, THESE are carrots and you're going to eat them or go to bed hungry. :D

I have yet to find a vegetable he won't happily eat.

I have a real issue with parents who let their kids run the house...including letting them eat whatever they want. THIS is why we have such a high rate of childhood obesity in this country.

Slip them in if you must, but don't let your kids eat crap:no

My brownies example was based on the comments from the article. My DD has never tasted chocolate, and the only sweet stuff she gets is unsweetened fruit. I think that's plenty for her for now. I will not have her eating lots of sweet stuff. It just makes you want more sweets. She will get a cookie or something like that as a treat same as I have them for me. But I use recipes that are healthier, but I don't agree with putting spinach in brownies or whatnot.

Brandi, I think your situation is completely different from everyone elses here. We're dealing with picky eaters. You're dealing with a medical condition. My Mum worked with kids who had sensory aversions and I know how challenging it is. So, for you, I think you've got to do whatever works for you. Getting food into him is the important part and letting him learn what textures he can handle. I don't think anyone can fault you for how you're handling it.

I think it's funny that people call it "hiding" veggies in food. My pasta sauce is chocked full of veggies, but I've never considered it hiding veggies in food before. They're there for flavor and because I like it like that. I think the same is true of most "hidden veggies." Now veggies in cocoa is just plain wrong!

Lucky for me my kid loves fruits and veggies. However in the overall scheme of things, the important thing is that she eats them. If I have to hide them then so be it. In that case, what they don't know won't hurt them...actually it's good for them.

I think it's so silly to say that hiding veggies in food is lying to your kids. Come on. Where's the article that says "Ho-ho-ho...lying to the kiddies for another Christmas eve" Or "The tooth fairy? An evil lie." Some people could be SO much more productive with their time :lol

I agree with Becca. My girls like a lot of fruits and veggies so it's not a problem for us. There are certain ones that they don't like and I'm fine with it b/c I myself don't like a few.