Deceptively Delicious Recipes To Get Your Children To Eat Vegetables

My 18mth old daughter LOVES fruit and crackers and occassionaly meat but can I get her to eat a floret of broccoli, a leaf of lettuce or even a pea? She is so bad that she will suck all the sauce or gravy off the vege's, including potato, and then spit out the vegetable itself.

I thought I had tried everything, until oneday I sat down to watch Oprah and found Jessica Seinfelds amazing book "Deceptively Delicious". I wasted no time phoning every bookstore in town to find a copy and raced out that very minute. I did wonder if I was impulse buying and thought it will probably end up in the bookshelf with all my other cookbooks. However when I sat down and started flicking through I knew that this one was different.

The recipes are clearly laid out, simple and beautifully presented with mouthwatering colour photographs. They are everyday recipes that we all cook for ourselves and our children but hidden inside is the extra nutrition of vegetables and occassionaly fruit. Jessica outlines the nutritional information for most commonplace fruit and vegetables and includes instructions on the preperation of the purees. Most of the recipes are "health concious" encouraging you to use less fat, more healthy oils and of course, lots of vegetables!

I have already made up a bunch of purees, tried a couple of recipes and tonight I wowed my husband with the Tofu Chunks (with pea and broccoli). Not only did he happily wolf down his meal but so did his daughter! I am still giving her other vegetables as side dished to encourage her to get used to them, try them and hopefully learn to love them but even if she spits out her carrot I know that I got the nutrition she needs to her in her main dish, even if I had to be a little sly! Finally I have found something that works. Tomorrow I am making Brownies (with spinach and carrot) and Blueberry Oat Slice, yum!

P.S Jessica's parenting tips and suggestions included in the book were non confrontational, helpful suggestions. It was so refreshing to come across someone who doesn't believe that their way is the only way, that every household, parent and child are different and that real life is more complex then most parenting books give credit to!