"Sneaky" Cooking

My sister gave me a great cookbook for Christmas, The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine. Perhaps some of you have heard of it? It's pretty new and I think it's gotten some media attention because of its somewhat-controversial approach to healthy eating. The basic idea is that you (as a parent) hide healthy ingredients in the foods your kids like. The book is full of recipes for typical kid favorites like pancakes, macaroni and cheese, chicken strips, spaghetti, and of course desserts.

Now I don't really agree with the author that it's a good idea to use deception in order to get your kids eating healthier. (I won't try to explain her whole philosophy, which is basically the first half of the book. Suffice it to say that mealtime is not where she chooses to pick her battles with her children.) However, it's hard to argue with the fact that eating more vegetables and whole grains is a good thing and this book gives lots of fun ways to do that.

One strategy that is used really often is using small amounts of fruit/vegetable purees in recipes. I have tried two so far: Orange Puree, which is made of carrots and sweet potatoes, and Purple Puree, which is blueberries and spinach. (Recipes for both are on the Sneaky Chef website if you'd like to try them, along with a few ways to use the purees.) We have tried the Orange Puree in several dishes this week with great results every time: in French toast batter (believe it or not), mixed in with store-bought pasta sauce, in macaroni and cheese (both homemade and from a box), and in grilled cheese sandwiches. The food still tastes great; in most cases you don't even realize there is anything extra there but it's nice to know you are getting a health benefit.

I just made Purple Puree today. I have tried it in two recipes so far and I think they both turned out pretty well.

The raw ingredients of Purple Puree

The finished puree

Purple Puree Recipe #1: mixed into our meat/bean/taco sauce mixture for taco salad

Purple Puree Recipe #2: "Health by Chocolate" Cookies. Besides the puree, these are made with wheat germ, whole wheat flour, and less sugar than most cookies. Still tasted good, though.

I would love to hear if anyone else has used this cookbook or has any similar strategies. I may be an adult but I still find it challenging to eat enough veggies sometimes. The Sneaky Chef is making it more fun to "sneak" healthy stuff into my own diet!