kid eating spaghetti

Photo by Nervousmommy04

This morning in my inbox I received some free "Sneak-It-In Recipes" to help me creatively "sneak in nutrition" for my family. Several of the recipes looked yummy, (particularly one for Sweet Potato Pancakes with Honey-Cinnamon Butter, which I'll include at the end of the post). However, I am a little uncomfortable with the attitude that I should deceive my family in order to get them to eat healthy food...

This so-called "sneak attack" is certainly nothing new. Since the beginning of time, moms have been dealing with picky eaters by hiding nutritious ingredients in their food. And recently, people like Jessica Seinfeld and Missy Chase Lapine have made this method famous with their best-selling books, (respectively) Deceptively Delicious and The Sneaky Chef.

But many nutrition experts advise against food deception because they argue that although it is completely well-intentioned, it may prevent kids from learning how to make healthy choices in the future. I tend to think this way, too. Yet, I can understand the other side as well: If your picky eater refuses to eat all fruits and veggies, is there any other way to get these nutrients into their bodies?


What do you think? Do you think sneaking food is a good way to get kids to eat healthy or do you have another method?


And now, the recipe I promised...

Sweet Potato Pancakes With Honey-Cinnamon Butter From CookieMag.com

(For the pancakes)

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk, plus more if necessary

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup store-bought pancake mix

1 small pinch ground nutmeg

1 small sweet potato, boiled, peeled, and mashed (about 1/2 cup)

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Stir in the pancake mix and nutmeg until just combined. Fold in the sweet potato. If the batter seems too thick, add more buttermilk until it reaches the desired consistency (it should be thick but still able to pour). Place a large, greased griddle or pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, spoon the batter onto it and cook until the surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more.


(For the butter)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp.

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat together the butter, honey, and cinnamon until smooth. Serve on top of pancakes with maple syrup.