Book Review: Deceptively Delicious and The Sneaky Chef

Can't get your kids to eat vegetables?


Well, now you can just sneak it into their food!

Jessica Seinfeld and Missy Chase Lapine both seem to agree that hiding vegetables in traditional recipes is the best way to get children to eat them.

Raise your hand if you agree that hiding vegetables in unsuspecting dishes will help your child develop the taste and desire to eat them.

Raise your hand if you agree that this teaches children how to delight in plant foods.

Raise your hand if you agree that sneaky behaviors such as this might reinforce your child's own sneaky behaviors in the future.

Oh, you don't plan on telling them that their favorite cookies have kale in them?

While I have to admit that I actually did not acquire a taste for a number of vegetables, like okra, kale and Brussels sprouts, until I started to prepare them myself, I don't think I would have appreciated my mother making me eat them by 'hiding' them in my favorite foods as a child. That would have just been added to the list of things she'd lied to me about previously, like the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. She was probably more upset when I started when I started pulling my loose teeth out shamelessly handing them to her.

The things we do for money.

I fail to see how these books advocate healthy eating, when you'll be encouraged to buy any brand of a processed, pre-packaged box of whatever as an ingredient in say, Mac and Cheese, or worse, suggesting you use baby food past its usage. WHAT?!

Getting children to eat well is a very tedious undertaking. It should not be trivialized further by undermining the benefits of plant foods.

Want to get your kids to eat more vegetables?

Here are a few things to try:

1. Stop overcooking them. Seriously. Limp broccoli never appeals to anyone. Instead, try blanching or sauteeing veggies for a few minutes, until the color pops. It's important that vegetables retain their crunchiness.
   
2. Let your kids help with the meals. Kids want to help, so encourage them to eat their vegetables by allowing them time in the kitchen. They can help wash veggies, tear vegetables like kale, collards, and other leafy greens, and older kids can cut and chop other types.
   
3. Make green smoothies. You're not deceiving them by hiding anything, so throw a few spinach leaves in the blender with blueberries, banana and water for a refreshing alternative. (See Green for Life for Green Smoothie recipes)
4. See how Jinjee and Storm Talifero of The Garden Diet have no problem getting their kids to eat vegetables.

These books are just another attempt to capitalize on the diet book/obesity cure craze, with our children paying dearly for it.

Is anyone else insulted?