I get a perverse thrill from deceiving my children, at least when it comes to food. I’ve been a bit cautious in writing about their eating for fear that if I do they will stop eating altogether. But I can’t help myself.
I’m a maniac these days. I started out using the techniques of others : Annabel Karmel, the Seinfeld lady, and the “Sneaky Chef,” gal- all great cookbooks, all very useful. I’ve taken their tips about hiding veggies in kids foods and run with them. I am getting away with murder, and pleased as punch.
BUT
It occurs to me that one day my children will realize they’ve been had. One day they will realize that other peoples meatballs aren’t forest green from copious amounts of pureed broccoli. That other peoples pancakes aren’t florescent orange from unbelievable amounts of sweet potato. That other peoples mac and cheese isn’t pink and green from mashed up salmon and peas. That meatloaf isn’t the color of carrots from…you guessed it, carrots. When that day comes, I best head for the hills 
Oh well! LOL By the time they figure it out, maybe you will be able to reason with them to some degree. Maybe tell them that since they liked sweet potatoes in their pancakes, they will LOVE them by their self!
Ok so maybe that’s a real far stretch. But you could put it on their plate one night and give it a really fun name and tell them it’s candy!!!! The deception lives on!!!!!!
You might be surprised. My kids cook with me, so they see the pumpkin going into the pancake batter, the apple and zuchinni in the chicken burgers (yep, a Karmel recipe!), and the pureed cauliflower in the mac and cheese. They eat it anyway.
Plus, I always offer a recognizable fruit and/or veggie with every meal. Even if they don’t touch it, I figure I’m wiring them to know what a balanced meal looks like. Plus, what they say about 15 exposures is true, at least with my Jessie. After months of raw baby spinach sitting untouched on her plate, she now asks for it. With ketchup. Pick your battles, right?
Yay you and keeping your kids healthy!
I should get that book. Penny only eats carbs and I haven’t been able to get a veggie into her in months!
I used to do that too but as the kids have gotten older, they now realize what I’m doing! But one thing that has helped is letting them help me shred the veggies (like grating the zucchini and carrots for the meatloaf, pureeing butternut squash to put in the mac-n-cheese). They take such pride in their “work” that they love eating what they’ve made. I think by the time it’s served to them on a plate, they’ve forgotten about the veggies we put inside the meal!
Don’ t think of it as “Sneaky” or “Deception” despite the books’ titles…you make use of healthier recipes, that’s all!
You still have a few years before they figure out they’ve been had. I was in college before I discovered no one else puts shredded carrots on their tacos. Genius idea on my moms part… but imagine making tacos with a bunch of 20-somethings and asking why no one had shredded the carrots yet!!!
Ha! Don’t let any kids ever read this post! I still hide vegies in my step kids food – and they’re teenagers…