September 13, 2007

Puree and Conquer

In the war against kids' bad eating habits, parents now have "stealth vegetables," which researchers say increase children's overall vegetable consumption. These secret veggies are blended in so they're virtually undetectable by discriminating little tongues.

Missy Chase Lapine, author of "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals," shows parents how to pack white beans into pizza and tuck cauliflower into macaroni and cheese. Her tips include:

•	Puree healthy items that won't change the taste or texture of the dish.
•	Instead of using veggies like regular spinach, which can taste raw and earthy, go for baby spinach.
•	As an alternative, try using baby food, like sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, zucchini and broccoli.
•	When in doubt, go for a crowd pleaser like Brainy Brownies (with hidden spinach and blueberries).

After all, the extra 30 seconds it takes to prepare a "sneaky" meal is well worth the peace at the dinner table.

Available online at sneakychef.com.

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