One might imagine that dinnertime at the home of Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld would be a barrel of laughs. But when meals turned into a battleground because the three Seinfeld kids wouldn’t eat their vegetables, it became very difficult for health-conscious Jessica to sit back and let the good times roll. Rather than force-feed the kids, Jessica developed a few recipes that use vegetable purées to sneak healthy food into her children’s favorite dishes.
Now, she’s sharing her creations in her first cookbook, Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, and she made an appearance on Oprah Monday to talk about her sneaky recipes—like mac ’n’ cheese laced with butternut-squash purée, chicken nuggets enhanced with broccoli, spinach- and carrot-infused brownies, and a chocolate cake that’s fortified with beets. (Granted, there’s only half a cup of beets in the whole nine-inch cake—and the purées are spread rather thin in the other recipes, too—but a little bit of vegetable goodness is better than none at all.)
The most interesting part of the show was when Oprah’s resident doctor explained the biological basis behind most kids’ dislike of vegetables:
Dr. Oz says when our prehistoric ancestors searched for food, their children were most susceptible to poisons, which often taste bitter. So instead of liking something bitter—like broccoli—children tend to crave sweet and bland foods like dairy or chicken nuggets.
He says that the same reasoning applies to kids who’ll only eat white foods such as white bread, white rice, and plain pasta: “[W]hite foods are seen as being safe to them visually, emotionally, from a taste perspective.”
Seriously. I have to disagree with the whole “kids don’t eat veggies because they taste like poison” thing. I feel that if you begin offering vegetables at a young age, they will accept them. My kids (now aged 10 and 11) have always been veggie eaters- I think mainly because we didn’t buy into the myth that they wouldn’t like them. Now they ASK for veggies- “mom, can we have a big salad?” “mom, we’re out of broccoli and I really want some!”. Maybe they’re unique, but I think if veggies are introduced as a desirable food, kids will eat them.
Just my opinion, FYI. Maybe there are kids that just don’t have the taste buds for veggies…
Kara,
Thanks for mentioning the book on CHOW :)
If you’d like a copy for potential review, feel free to drop me a line at: felicia DOT sullivan AT harpercollins DOT com
Cheers, Felicia
gotta agree with kayke, can’t believe dr.oz on this one. it think it has more to do with kids having sensitive taste buds (and probably mushy flavorless veggies) than it does with evolution. how much bitterness is really found in your average produce isle these days anyway?
I wonder if folks know that this exact same cookbook concept was released in March 2007 by Missy Chase Lapin – it’s called The Sneaky Chef, and it’s all about adding purees to brownies and mac ‘n cheese. I was super psyched about that cookbook, and now it makes me sad that her idea is getting co-opted by a more “connected” author who has an easier time getting her name out there b/c of her husband.
here’s is a delima. what if your child only eats, already processed food and nothing homemade. then, how do you get the vegetables in? my son only eats hot dogs, chicken fingers/fries/nuggets, french fries, hash browns, sausage, pizza and etc.. i try making real food for him all the time and he knows the difference just by looking at it. he always has since he began eating solid food. the only way i get fruits, vegetables and vitamins in him is by one adays and v8 splash juice. this for me is very frustrating since i am one year away from being a registered dietician.