Parents will do almost anything to get their kids to eat healthier, but unfortunately, they’ve found that begging, pleading, threatening, and bribing don’t work. With their patience wearing thin, parents will “give in” for the sake of family peace, and reach for “kiddie” favorites-often nutritionally inferior choices such as fried fish sticks, mac n’ cheese, Pop-sicles, and cookies. Missy Chase Lapine, former publisher of Eating Well magazine, faced the same challenges with her two young daughters, and she sought a solution. Now in The Sneaky Chef, Lapine presents over 75 recipes that ingeniously disguise the most important superfoods inside kids’ favorite meals. With the addition of a few simple make-ahead purees or clever replacements, (some may surprise you!) parents can pack more fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants in their kids’ foods. Examples of “Sneaky” recipes include: No Harm Chicken Parm Power Pizza Incognito Burritos Guerilla Grilled Cheese Brainy Brownies Health-by-Chocolate Cookies Quick fixes for Jell-O(R)
What Others Say
the make-ahead recipes
The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals is simple, practical and contains great ideas, but I personally don't like the constant need for the "make-ahead recipes" (mostly purees and juices). If you have the time and freezer space to prepare and store 13 varieties of prepared half-meals, fabulous! But if you are looking for recipes that ask for ingredients you always have in your pantry or fridge, The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals is not for you.
Great Idea for Dieters!
basically, Missy tells us how we can puree fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants and add them to basic recipes so that they're undetectable. the purees are a little time-consuming to prepare, but once you have a stockpile of them, you can use them in virtually everything. (i freeze mine in ice cube trays, then store them in airtight freezer containers - usually 3 large cubes are enough for a recipe).
once you learn how much, or how little puree you can get away with, the possibilities are endless. the best part is if you're dieting, this is a great way to get extra nutrition (and fiber) without adding a lot of calories. i've even come up with my own veggie/fruit combos to puree.
The Recipes I've Tried are Tasty. The Fixes are Fabulous
This cookbook is for those who want to eat healthier and still eat the classic/standard American diet. Though it takes a little planning ahead and thinking about the details these are fairly easy steps toward better eating. Lapine includes helps for store bought items that make it easy to improve standard meals. All the purees can be made ahead and frozen for later use. Most if not all the recipes have more than one healthy addition or change. I love the Brainy Brownies and the Triple Stuffed Potatoes. My family raved about them, too. (I didn't hide the ingredients as much as play a guessing game with them after they ate them, of course.) I plan to prepare more recipes and continue to make the ones we've already claimed as ours. ... Read More
I'm a new sneaky mum (chef)
The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals is terrific. My two children refuse to eat vegetables and one refuses to eat fruit. I've used many of the recipes to hide nutritious food and the kids are loving it, and have no idea what they are really eating! Like many parents, I was sick of the food fight. Now we're all happy at the dinner table.
I've been looking for a cookbook like this for years
I've long looked for a cookbook that took favorite dishes and made them more nutritious. My children eat nearly any vegetable I put before them -- but what they really love are foods like macaroni & cheese, buttered noodles, white bread, mashed potatoes, etc. This cookbook has completely changed the way I cook. When I made the chicken nuggets (which had an unbelievable amount of pureed vegetables hidden underneath the whole-grain breading), my husband & children said, and this is a direct quote, "These are the best chicken nuggets you've ever cooked!" I am now adding vegetables purees to everything -- beef stew, chicken noodle soup, tacos, spaghetti, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes .... I think that every mother in America ought ... Read More
