Food Fight
When a book called Deceptively Delicious was recently published, it prompted a double-barreled debate about ethics—those of its author and that of its premise.
Surprisingly, “Deceptively Delicious” is a cookbook.
Subtitled “Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food”, the book extols the strategy of deceiving finicky young eaters by hiding veggies in the few foods they deign to down. Pureed spinach in the brownies. Pureed cauliflower in the mac and cheese.
The book’s author, Jessica Seinfeld—aka, Mrs. Jerry Seinfeld—was soon accused of plagiarism by the writer of a competing cookbook who claimed to have camouflaged carrots long before Ms. Seinfeld buried beets in chocolate cake. The writer sued the Seinfelds after noting “uncanny similarities” between the two books.
Denying the charges, Ms. Seinfeld’s book shot to the top spot in its category on The New York Times best sellers list. But at the same time, an even more intense debate was being stirred by professionals and parents who claim that hiding the truth about vegetables from kids is an unethical and irresponsible form of deception.
“Lying to children via trickery—even ‘for their own good’—can feed a lifetime of distrust, as it should,” declared a famous food critic. A well-known nutritionist concurred: “It will not develop an appreciation of the flavors, textures, and interests of various vegetables.”
All of which prompted Ms. Seinfeld to put down her spoon and take to her website, asking these questions about food—if not life: “Does a hidden vegetable in a child’s food amount to lying? Is it ever okay to deceive children or do we owe them the whole truth—and the whole vegetables? Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, for instance, are outright fictions…with which the vast majority of parents in this country routinely choose to deceive their children. Is that wrong? I don’t think so.”
What do you think?
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dont hide it
Two out of my three kids help make suppers at my house so it is kind of hard to hide it. Since I don’t hide it, my kids have learned to experiment with the food til they come up with something they like the vegetables in. By doing this we have come up with some pretty interesting recipes. I am able to spend more time with my kids this way and who knows, one could become a cook or even take their imagination further, and become some type of inventor.
Renee | 1 year ago
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I’ve already raised one group of kids, 2 of whom became chefs. I fed them a constant variety of foods, which they enjoyed. However, my 2 step-children weren’t quite so receptive when I first met them.
Now I’m cooking for another group of young children who have very narrow & unhealthy tastes. I’m working on remembering how to get finicky children to eat healthier foods. But I know from experience that it CAN be done, with or without hiding the veggies.
If you’ve got to hide the veggies to keep the kids healthy, then by all means! Hide them!!
Cait | 12 months ago
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I always want'ted to be a cook
i love this web pg.
aubriel | 1 year ago
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Great grandmother
My opinion is we should not let this topic of how to get a child to eat well become a debate between us adults. We should all have the child’s best interests in our hearts. We all agree about that. Many of us remember the tastes we did not like as a child and never thought it possible we would eat that horrible cooked carrot or pea or string bean. To my surprise I learned to at an older age.
Tastes are acquired as we all know. It takes time. I am pleased we can mix vegetables and fruit in juices and children enjoy them with the right amount of sweetness added, be it natural or sugar.
I will add peas to chocolate cookies in my next recipe and have my granddaughter assist me. She is three, and she will get a bang out of messing up the peas and pouring chocolate, raw egg and milk over them. Raising a child can be difficult and we must stick together as parents and grandparents. We must be one step ahead of them in unison for sure. We can be honest and up front with them also, for they are innocent and honest little people. We don’t have to hide the truth from them, just make their food yummy and fun to make. Their love is unconditional as is ours.
Marilyn Henson | 12 months ago
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this thing
There was a food fight! Wow! Cool!
Stephanie | 11 months, 3 weeks ago
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Oh jeez
Okay, here is the thing. Kids don’t ask what is in their food. They don’t care. If it tastes good, they will eat it. Then, when they do get older and they ask what is in something, tell them the truth. You aren’t lying to your child by “hiding” veggies in their food. You just aren’t giving them a list of ingredients, do you ever? Probably not. I doubt you give your child chicken nuggets and tell them that the farmer raised the chicken in a cage, and cage them medicine to make them bigger, then killed them, cut them up, and made them chicken. I am right, aren’t I? So, really, what is the difference?
If the question comes up, be honest. Tell your kids what is in the food. If you lie to them and leave out that there are veggies in it, then yes, you are lying. Other than that, so what? Life goes on, and it isn’t the end of the world. They don’t care. Goodness gracious.
Katie Freeman | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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You should ask your child
When, I was a small child my grandmother would grind up everything, I ate the whole meal in a grinder usually without telling me I remember crying even begging for her not to and had a little less trust in her. I think if she had ask me if I thought using that tactic for giving me a balanced diet I would have felt more comfortable and maybe even accepted the grinder. I think parents should ask their child’s opinions if they are at least 3 yo. If the child does not mind then do it, if they do, then don’t, but continually ask their opinion and explain why you’re asking them.
karissa | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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chef Devon
I really like how you are helping kids eat the right foods because today, it’s very hard to get children to eat the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and also the right foods. God bless you and good luck. I would like to be a chef after this school year. Next school year, I would like to be a pastry chef because I heard they make excellent money. I also ant to open my own bakery and make people proud of med, and help out the homeless and people that cannot afford expensive prices. What I mean is making and designing cakes and charging the highest price, which would be about $40 for a wedding cake.
Devon Hinnant | 11 months, 1 week ago
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My cooking
I love my cooking and my family loves it too.
Alexaly Ivette Rivera Arroyo | 11 months ago
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I don't get why ...
I don’t get why people tell people how to parent.
liz fesenmaier | 11 months ago
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