I have no problem deceiving my children

October 12, 2007

I will admit to being skeptical when it came to an offer of yet another book about feeding your kids healthy foods and by sneaking them in. First? A cookbook? I hate cooking. Mainly because I am not so great when it comes to the kitchen. But more than that, there is a sure shot that at least two of my kids will turn their nose up at whatever may even resemble healthy. So, spending time in the kitchen making a healthy meal that no one is going to eat? No thanks. Unless it comes in a bag or has the word “nugget” in it, they are skeptical of this “healthy food” business.

When it comes to feeding my kids healthy foods, I have read many, many books on how to try to “trick” them into eating these foods and telling them that they are not healthy but yummy and oh so good. Many of these recommend things like “Put the broccoi into an ice cream cone and tell them it is a special treat!” Well, unless my kids were stupid (and they are not), they are not going to fall for this. Most of the “tricks” I tried failed miserably.

But I decided to check this one out? Why? Because this book puts it right out there. Deceptively Delicious. There it is right in your face. Deception. I like it! Written by Jessica Seinfeld and given the seal of approval by her kids and Jerry Seinfeld, I thought, “Why not try again?” But this book is different from the get-go. For the record, I did not see one recommendation to put broccoli in an ice cream cone. (Thank you, Jessica!)

“The trick to all of this is hiding vegetable purees in your children’s foods,” she says. “You can match the color of the puree to the color of the food that your kid is used to eating.”

I can do that! I can hide pureed food into main meals and trick these kids into eating it. (Or at least I was sure going to try it!) I decided to give it a go and use the recipe for chicken nuggets. (See previous sentence stating that nugget is a major part of my kids’ personal food pyramid.)

Then something miraculous happened. They ate it. No, really! They ate all of it. And liked it.

Deceptively Delicious is more than just a book about recipes. It has practical advice and tips on dealing with and conquering childhood obesity

By solving problems on a practical level for parents, Seinfeld addresses the big picture issues that surround childhood obesity and its long–term (and ruinous) effects on the body. With the help of a prominent nutritionist, her book provides parents with an arsenal of information related to kids’ nutrition so parents understand why it’s important to throw in a little avocado puree into their quesadillas. She discusses the critical importance of portion size, and the specific elements kids simply must have (as opposed to adults) in order to flourish now and in the future: protein, calcium, vitamins, and Omega 3 and 6 fats.

I think this just may be a first for me, but I most definitely going to recommend a cookbook to you. If you are a parent, this really is a must have for you. In fact, you can register to win one here. Go. Win it. Try it out. Realize that sometimes deceiving your kids (in this case into eating healthier foods and staying healthy as children) is a good thing.

I love this book and will use it for as long as I can. (Until they go to college is my guess.) Now, I am off to find other ways to deceive my kids. Does anyone know if there is a book about getting them to clean their room and making them think it is Big Fun?

(recipe after the jump)

You can find sample recipes here. This is the one they have posted for the chicken nuggets the kids ate. (And asked for more of!)

Watch Jessica make them here.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup whole-wheat, white or panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup broccoli or spinach or sweet potato or beet puree
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders, rinsed, dried and cut into small chunks
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan, paprika, garlic and onion powder on the paper or foil and mix well with your fingers.

In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumb mixture.

Sprinkle the chicken chunks with the salt. Dip the chunks into the egg mixture and then toss them in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crisp all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. (Cut through a piece to check that it’s cooked through.) Serve warm.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
http://www.mommyneedscoffee.com/freshbrewed/2007/10/12/i-have-no-problem-deceiving-my-children/trackback/