Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food

by Jessica Seinfeld

Overview

It has become common knowledge that childhood obesity rates are increasing every year. But the rates continue to rise. And between busy work schedules and the inconvenient truth that kids simply refuse to eat vegetables and other healthy foods, how can average parents ensure their kids are getting the proper nutrition and avoiding bad eating habits?

As a mother of three, Jessica Seinfeld can speak for all parents who struggle to feed their kids right and deal nightly with dinnertime fiascos. As she wages a personal war against sugars, packaged foods, and other nutritional saboteurs, she offers appetizing alternatives for parents who find themselves succumbing to the fastest and easiest (and least healthy) choices available to them. Her modus operandi? Her book is filled with traditional recipes that kids love, except they're stealthily packed with veggies hidden in them so kids don't even know! With the help of a nutritionist and a professional chef, Seinfeld has developed a month's worth of meals for kids of all ages that includes, for example, pureed cauliflower in mac and cheese, and kale in spaghetti and meatballs. She also provides revealing and humorous personal anecdotes, tear–out shopping guides to help parents zoom through the supermarket, and tips on how to deal with the kid that "must have" the latest sugar bomb cereal.

But this book also contains much more than recipes and tips. By solving problems on a practical level for parents, Seinfeld addresses the big picture issues that surround childhood obesity and its long–term (and ruinous) effects on the body. With the help of a prominent nutritionist, her book provides parents with an arsenal of information related to kids' nutrition so parents understand why it's important to throw in a little avocado puree into their quesadillas. She discusses the critical importance of portion size, and the specific elements kids simply must have (as opposed to adults) in order to flourish now and in the future: protein, calcium, vitamins, and Omega 3 and 6 fats.

Jessica Seinfeld's book is practical, easy–to–read, and a godsend for any parent that wants their kids to be healthy for a long time to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061767937
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	10/14/2008
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	151,847
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jessica Seinfeld is the founder and president of Baby Buggy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clothing and equipment to New York's families in need. She is the wife of Jerry Seinfeld, with whom she has three children. This is her first book.

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Jessica Seinfeld es la fundadora y presidenta de Baby Buggy, una organización sin fines de lucro que provee ropa y equipamiento a familias necesitadas de Nueva York. Es la esposa de Jerry Seinfeld, con quien tiene tres hijos. Este es su primer libro.

Read an Excerpt

Brownies
(WI T H CARROT AND SPINACH)
These brownies fool everyone! You won’t believe how scrumptious they are (or how good they are for you) until you make them yourself. Just don’t serve them warm—it’s not until they’re completely cool that the spinach flavor totally disappears.

Prep: 15 minutes • Total: 55 minutes • Makes 12 brownies • Packable

Nonstick cooking spray
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup carrot puree (After peeling and trimming the ends, steam for 10-12 minutes and then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)
1/2 cup spinach puree (Steam for 30 to seconds, then puree in a food processor for 2 minutes)
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame.
3. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They’re also packed with 3 grams of fiber (which is just crazy for a brownie!), while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids’ eyes stay healthy.

Editorial Reviews

Just when you’d abandoned all hope of ever convincing your kids to eat their carrots, here comes Jessica Seinfeld.

Redbook Magazine

Seinfeld’s recipes were written with determined simplicity.

Cookie magazine

"Seinfeld’s recipes were written with determined simplicity."

Cookie Magazine

Seinfeld, mother of three and wife of comedian Jerry, devised an elegant plan: puree fruits and vegetables and incorporate them into kid friendly dishes like Mac & Cheese (cauliflower or beans); Chicken Nuggets (broccoli); Chocolate Cake (beets). The recipes blend nutrition into a meal and harmony into mealtime. Seinfeld writes that mealtime should be about "happiness and conversation" not about "power struggles and strife," and her plan diminishes nagging. Although her program is easy, Seinfeld is honest about the need for shortcuts and offers some good ones. The nutritional breakdown of each vegetable/fruit featured in the recipes is valuable. While some parts smack of self-promotion (she encourages parents to share her recipes with other parents), Seinfeld does supplement her recipes with sound tips for learning to say no to junk when kids ask, encouraging conversation, getting children to participate in prep and cleaning, and developing age-appropriate eating habits. (Oct.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly