Sneaky Vegetables: Helpful or Harmful?
January 16, 2010 by thepranamama
Filed under Food for Thought, The PranaMama's Recipes
Tonight was leftover night in my house.  Because Sundays are usually my menu-planning and grocery shopping day, we try to wing it on Saturdays, cleaning out the refrigerator and making the meal more laid back.  Since I had some leftover macaroni and cheese (which by the way is the easiest thing on earth to make from scratch — I will never buy another purple box again!), I knew it would be a hit with the kids.  As the hearty noodles warmed up, I went foraging for a vegetables.  I quickly discovered two yellow squash in my crisper drawer, and given their yellow color, I decided to saute them in a bit of olive oil, then finely chop and mix them into the macaroni and cheese.
As I stood at the stove, stirring the squash slices as they softened and browned, I thought about the best-selling author Jessica Seinfeld, who made a fortune with her cookbook “Deceptively Delicious.” Â Before her, there was “The Sneaky Chef” and probably countless others who knew simple ways to sneak vegetables into children’s food so they can’t protest and push it to the edge of their plate.
I never bought any of these cookbooks, because I was blessed with two children who loved most vegetables on their own. Â However, recently the terrible two’s have hit this household hard, and suddenly one of these kids will barely eat a thing.
So I have succumbed to the trick of hiding squash in my son’s “noo-noos,” and feeling half proud, half ashamed, I wondered…by playing the part of “The Sneaky Chef,” are we doing our children a favor or neglecting to teach them what healthy foods should look, feel, smell and taste like in their unique form?
Have you used tricks to get your kids to eat healthy? Â What else can work for moms who want kids to grow up to appreciate and love their vegetables?
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When they are younger it is a lot harder but, we have never really used tricks to get them to eat their veggies. We have two children Ryan 13 & Emma 11. My wife Pam and I (mostly Pam) have always tried to instill in the kids the importance of good nutrition and exercise. We have a small home gym downstairs and the kids come down to work out with us from time to time. We also try to lead by example and talk about and acknowledge the “healthy choices” they make when they do make them. It’s funny my daughter Emma said to me the other day as I was eating an apple “Dad, that’s a health choice”.
I have always wondered about that too. I think that if your children are not eating vegetables it is OK to “hide” them in dishes as the cookbooks you mentioned promote while at the same meal serving vegetables in their true form. That way they can see your example of eating veggies while getting the nutrition they need unknowingly.
Great advice, Cliff – it’s good to hear that some of these things actually stick with the older kids! I love that, “healthy choice” comment from Emma. Must have made you give yourself a pat on the back, eh?
Jennifer, that is so funny. I actually did cook all the squash, and then served half as a side dish to my husband and I, while chopping up the rest for the kids in their pasta. I wonder if they noticed our plates had something extra. Next time I will make a point to offer it first, rather than just assume they don’t want it.
I always sneak stuff in – even into their cookies (prune puree). As they get older and help out in the kitchen they are at first surprised, then realise it’s the same good tasting food as always. They still pick out the celery and green peppers and I remember doing the same until I was a teen. Now I eat every vegetable I can, so hope my children will continue to eat healthily and become more adventuresome with their food as they get older.
We also have a three bite rule – they have to take 3 bites of everything served. If they still don’t like it, that’s fine, at least they tried it. My son, now 12, is beginning to like brocolli (finally). Some kids take a little longer to come around than others.