A recent posting from a mom on my local mother’s club group asked for advice on which cookbook was better for getting kids to eat their veggies - Deceptively Delicious or The Sneaky Chef.
I just couldn’t let this one go by.
I wrote, and rewrote my response, as I didn’t want to offend anyone, since I knew that these cookbooks have been saviors for many moms.
I don’t have either cookbook, and that is not to say that I haven’t opted to hide a bit of carrots, onions or peppers in a tomato sauce before, but I really have a problem with the whole concept of ‘deception’ when it comes to eating. When it comes to children, we’re trying to introduce them to a variety of foods. If we hid them in foods, they have no idea what it is they are eating. What happens when you’ve been hiding carrots in muffins, cauliflower in mac and cheese or carrots in meatloaf, and the time comes when you finally put a carrot (raw or steamed) on the plate. Do you tell them they’ve been eating carrots for years hidden in lots of food, and they should eat it?
It is my belief that the entire family – from babies to adults – must connect with the foods they eat and learn to enjoy a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and even different spices. If we become dependent upon using recipes that hide grains, vegetables, etc. in certain foods, our family will not have the opportunity to make a connection with that food, to learn about the various ways it can be prepared, and to truly make their own decision on whether it is something they like or don’t.

Last year, when Nicole was 2, I was extremely frustrated with her eating patterns. She wanted bread, crackers and pasta. I couldn’t get her to eat a vegetable, even with a bribe. She used to eat celery, peas, corn, broccoli, carrots, etc. without a problem, but now, nothing, not even a bite could get past her clenched teeth. It just so happened I was at the pediatrician’s office, and asked him about it. He confirmed that all was OK. She was not deprived of food, and she was a growing girl. And growing girls (and boys) need carbs. She was asking for what she needed. He assured me that when she needed a veggie, she would gravitate back to them, so I should simply continue to offer them to her – without forcing her to eat them. She left them on the plate time and again, but eventually she began to eat them again.

There are a lot of baby, toddler and kids food cookbooks out there, and I have several in my repertoire. But the cookbooks I use more frequently are actually the ones I have always used – The Joy of Cooking, Williams-Sonoma Chicken, Everyday Epicurean, and the pile of recipes I have pulled from Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Gourmet through the years. Sure, they eat peanut Butter Sandwiches, or hot dogs for lunch, on occasion (OK, Nicole gets PB&J quite frequently), but when it comes to dinner, our kids get what we get. We want the entire family to eat one meal, not separate meals for each of us.
They dip their bread in olive oil, scoop up rissotto with chicken and peas, partake in steamed broccoli and roasted brussel sprouts, or devour a white bean and kale soup with sausage.
Some days, they don’t like what we’ve offered (and let us know vehemently), but we use our nightly dinner experiences as a learning experience. The kids are offered a healthful range of foods, and they pick and choose what they feel like eating. We make note of meals the kids have enjoyed, as well as those that have totally bombed. Although, we do venture back to the bombed meals at a later date, to see if they’re more appealing the second, or third time around.
Get a variety of foods in front of the family – in their whole form. Prepare it differently from time to time – a different dipping sauce, grill the veggies rather than steaming them . . . and if you need to disguise it on occasion, let them know, that it is a carrot muffin they’re eating.

My Mantra – don’t deceive – delight!