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Chef's Recipe

Michael Smith's Hidden Vegetable Tomato Sauce

MICHAEL SMITH

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:32 AM EDT 28/05/08

Children will always eat noodles with tomato sauce – the trick is to sneak in some healthy stuff, too ...Read the full article

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  1. Lori R from KITCHENER, Canada writes: Or you could raise your kid eating fruits and veggies, and that's what they'll want. Actually, I'm sure that Mr. Smith did that. Curious...did things change when his son started school and began seeing junk/processed food in other kids lunches? Our daughter is 4, a great eater, but next year starting school will be a real test.
  2. whatevah D from Canada writes: Lori R from KITCHENER, Canada writes: Or you could raise your kid eating fruits and veggies, and that's what they'll want. Actually, I'm sure that Mr. Smith did that. Curious...did things change when his son started school and began seeing junk/processed food in other kids lunches? Our daughter is 4, a great eater, but next year starting school will be a real test.

    I disagree. I've raised my son on fruits and veggies, but he suddenly refuses to eat veggies. I'm sure it's just a stage, however, he's only 16 months. Yesterday I made mashed potatoes with cauliflower and spinach mashed up too and he ate it all up. So how does a 16 month old who has never had junk food or processed food (i prepare all fresh food for breakfast/dinner/lunch) suddenly stop eating vegetables?
  3. MJ Patchouli from Regina, Canada writes: Hi, Whatevah -- my daughter did the same thing when she was little -- she ate everything and I was a granola type who made all her baby food from fresh veggies. When she started feeding herself, she became very fussy -- and it continued, I hate to tell you, for years and years. She wielded powerful influence over her little brother too, so they both opted out of many wonderful foods as kids. As young adults, they both eat a good diet of nutritious foods. My daughter was 22 and living in England and emailing me that she had "tried mushrooms and quite liked them," and "had a stirfry of sweet potato and peppers and it was great." Yes, at that age alerting her mother to new foods she had tried. After a few years of fighting at the table, I gave up -- the good food was served each mealtime; the kids ate what they wanted (usually a lot of meat as I recall), and they grew up. I still feel like a bad mum when I think about it, but you cannot force a person to eat. Just like you can lead a horse to water...oh and the hiding veggies in other foods didn't work either. I remember them picking strands of grated carrot out of their tuna salad, and at one point, I understand they put perogies from their plates into their pockts and planted them in the garden after supper.
  4. whatevah D from Canada writes: Hi MJ: LOL. Yes, my little guy picks the veggies out of his pasta sauce... or he'll bite into a mushroom and spit it out. I'm taking the same approach as you. He gets what's for dinner and he eats what he'll eat... many times the veggies wind up on the floor (and some of them the dog won't even touch)! He eats tons of fruit, so that's good at least.

    Anyway, thanks for the advice!
  5. MJ Patchouli from Regina, Canada writes: whateveh, one thing that did work: they didn't mind "spices" as they called them -- little green flecks of oregano, savoury, etc in sauces. So finely chop spinach and add to soups and sauces -- it cooks down andlooks just like oregano and as you know, no strong flavour -- that worked. Otherwise -- yes lots of fruits and real juices, and not so much junk around. Your little guy will be okay -- after all, he's got you looking after him!
    MJ
    PS: don't announce that you successfully tricked him until he's about 20 and won't rebel further. Have a good one.
  6. Crystal Glass from Canada writes: Wow Lori R. I really wish my kids were as black and white as yours (ah, but I just re-read: yours is only 4). I have two. Both were raised in the same household, offered the same foods. My older child eats EVERYTHING. The only things she doesn't like are tomatoes and spinach, and I can get her to eat spinach if she doesn't know that she's eating it (hidden in a salad works). My son, who is now 7, will not eat a vegetable--barring raw baby carrots--if his life depended on it; he'd rather starve. Now I know that starving my children is probably frowned upon, so I do the naughty thing: I serve him his spaghetti plain. No sauce. He will have some carrots with dressing to go with it, and a glass of milk. The rest of the family will have a lovely dinner...he'll get a grilled cheese sandwich and an apple. It's really not a huge deal and not a battle I choose to fight. Processed foods in lunches do happen, but even then it's pretty quick and easy to assemble mostly healthy bag lunches: today's was ham and cheese sandwiches on whole wheat (crusts cut off of my son's), applesauce, a granola bar, juice, 2 cookies, chunks of cheddar cheese, and a yogurt.
  7. Donald Thom from Ottawa, writes: Our two children were raised on 3 food rules (and given good food to eat):
    1. You can't say you don't like it until you have tasted it.
    2. If you have tasted it (and you have to taste it each time I serve it because your likes and dislikes will probably change over time) and don't like it, or if there is too much, then leave it. Insisting on a clean plate will do nothing to help the starving multitudes and only promotes obesity in later life.
    3. Every time you taste something new and delicious you add 75 days to your life.
    That last rule has made them very adventuresome adult eaters!
  8. J S from Canada writes: keep in mind that lots of fruit and juices = lots of sugar.
  9. Kay Ay from Canada writes: Hungry kids eat. So part of the problem could just be "snacking" too close to meal times (who isn't hungry at 4 o'clock?) Getting in the habit of handing them some fishy crackers & cheese for the late afternoon snack is healthy but then gets in the way of a 5:30 supper appetite. Use smaller plates (salad/dessert size) because a big pile of food on a plate can be intimidating to small children ,and lastly, check out the actual serving sizes kids are required to eat: half a sandwich is a serving for a 5 year old so sometimes we just expect them to eat too much. Personally having the kids eat veggies & fruit has not been a big challenge. They definitely go through phases but you have to be consistent. We have a two-tier steamer that is used at least 5 nights a week and my kids (6 & almost 11) eat steamed carrots, broccoli, green beans, peas, turnip, corn without a blink. I have always thought it was because the steamed vegetables were more flavourful and easier to chew. I don't push what they tend not to like (sauces, mushrooms, or tomatoes and the youngest isn't keen on garden salad yet.) But I still cook with these ingredients and they are allowed to leave them on their plate. Really, do a few mushrooms pushed aside matter when they've chomped through a serving of broccoli? And try new things. We added cauliflower to the mix a couple of years ago (I don't like it but too bad for me) and occasionally they get a brussel sprout on their plate  which they may or may not suffer through. It's just a really nice feeling when your 10 yr old asks if you can buy a squash (and we do even though I don't like those either!).
  10. Barb Wilson from Canada writes: I couldn't agree with Mr. Smith more. We did that for several years with our own son and now hide veggies when the grandkids visit. In fact, last summer, one of the grandkids told me that hidden vegetables are his favourite kind.
    Funny note: My husband and I often used the term "stealth vegtables' when we were planning meals for kids!
  11. S weetie from Canada writes: Terrific recipe, just what I needed this weekend.

    What a gorgeous little boy.
  12. Jeremy Debling from Canada writes: Great article, hopefully it will work on our newborn, when the time comes. Now if only I could use "stealth vegetables" on my wife!
  13. carol c from Canada writes: I remember having dinner at my friend's place with her 4 and 7 year olds. They ate pizza with vegetables on it. Then for dessert they got a 'milkshake' which consisted of strawberries, vegetable juice, milk and a tiny bit of icecream. They loved it, and I was secretly howling at the stealth nutrition.
  14. Sharon Graham from Canada writes: Mr. Smith recommends an inversion blender, but you can also use a potato masher with really soft veggies (make sure there's a little less water in the sauce). A ricer or a food mill, which you can find in old hardware stores or at garage sales, will also work. I'd hate to think of people not trying the recipe just because they don't have or can't afford the equipment.
  15. The Work Farce from Canada writes: The wealthy get stealthy in the store, the poor get the door. Who can afford the money and space required for a fancy blender - let alone organic veggies? A low-income dad providing five to ten servings a day of organic fruit and vegetables? Could end up serving five to ten in the pen. The produce section of the supermarket is three-tiered - the good, the bad and the contaminated. Elitism at it's worst. And they call it democracy.
  16. Valerie Spentzos from Vancouver, Canada writes: Generally speaking, from what I see, a lot of children nowadays are given too much food, healthy or otherwise. Hunger is the best incentive to healthy eating, and it's better to have them asking for seconds than rejecting what's on their plates. Also, I found that raw veggies e.g. carrots, peas and peppers were much more popular than cooked ones. Maybe there's just too much emphasis on particular foods and these become an unnecessary battleground. My stepfather lived to a healthy 94 years of age, but had little time for vegetables.
  17. stand up mimi from Vancouver, Canada writes: Kay Ay - I think you're on the right track with steamed vegetables tasting better.

    As a kid, I hated the overcooked vegetables we had for dinner night after night. Like Crystal Glass's son, I would rather have starved than eat them. Overcooking destroys the flavour of veggies, and causes some, like broccoli and Brussels sprouts to take on a nasty, bitter taste that some adults (like my parents) don't seem to notice. I think kids are very sensitive to bitter flavours, so steaming veggies is the way to go. Or even letting them eat raw vegetables. It was such a relief when my mom let me eat raw carrots instead of cooked peas (which literally made me gag). Dinnertime shouldn't be a nightmare, but there are a lot of parents out there that don't understand that certain foods really are vile to some kids. It's often not just a matter of being "picky" - it's torture!

    By the way, I love my veggies now. But I still hate cooked peas, possibly because of the dinnertime trauma associated with them.
  18. Stefanie Higney from Toronto, Canada writes: I should consider myself lucky. My 3 year old, though the pickiest eater of my 2 kids, will eat carrots and broccoli and be very excited about it. I still hide spinach and mushrooms in pasta sauce, but I'm not worried. If he sees a leaf vegetable though he announces his disgust rather dramatically. My 19 month old is an eating machine and will eat pretty much anything you give him, including raw baby spinach as long as it has a bit of salad dressing on it. I hope he never changes :) They're healthy, I'm not going to panic.
  19. whatevah D from Canada writes: Stefanie Higney from Toronto, Canada writes: I should consider myself lucky. My 3 year old, though the pickiest eater of my 2 kids, will eat carrots and broccoli and be very excited about it. I still hide spinach and mushrooms in pasta sauce, but I'm not worried. If he sees a leaf vegetable though he announces his disgust rather dramatically. My 19 month old is an eating machine and will eat pretty much anything you give him, including raw baby spinach as long as it has a bit of salad dressing on it. I hope he never changes :) They're healthy, I'm not going to panic.

    You have no reason to panic. You are lucky they eat all that. My little guy refuses to eat carrots and brocoli; he spits them out. And forget salad... he just sucks on the leaves to get off the salad dressing and then tosses it aside. In any case, I'm not going to panic or worry either. I will continue to try to get him to eat as healthy as possible; even if I have to be stealth. And hope for the best.
  20. Lori R from Kitchener, Canada writes: What a fun conversation. I wish I could say our daughter was a great eater (I said good, not great). I agree with so many of the comments here. We use a smaller plate to ensure she has a serving size that is fair, we rarely cook her something different (although we adore spicy food, and my hubby will spoon hers out before spicing ours up) and she participates in the cooking (e.g., go pick veggies for the sauce). She goes through phases, to be sure, but we do fight the battle (stealthily, by continuing to serve the right foods every day) and by telling her that "this food is a treat, it has no energy for your brain" for treat foods. That way, she is a participant in the decision. Our next goal is for her to start liking salad!
  21. Jacques Shellac from Montreal, Canada writes: My son (2.5 years) loves broccoli and green beans but doesn't really go for tomatoes ... any recipes to hide tomatoes in a broccoli sauce? My only successes so far have involved pizza.
  22. Blind InTheSun from Canada writes: Here's a revolutionary idea: kids will eat what there is to eat when they get hungry (enough). I don't cook for my kids. I cook for a large family. Frequently over-heard in my kitchen "Eat it or don't eat it. I don't want to hear any whining." Even the rejected food gets eaten (within the next hour or two) when no alternative is provided.

    My siblings and I rolled our eyes so many times at the rice and stewed meats my parents routinely served. Now we go home to visit and beg for them. We learned about good food from our "square" parents and we really appreciate it now.
  23. Blind InTheSun from Canada writes: I also wonder how it is that the fattest society in the world is so paranoid about a little hunger. Kids will not starve themselves. Only offer them quality food and (eventually) that's all they'll eat. A little hunger in the process won't do anything but get them to appreciate the satisfaction of proper nutrition.
  24. MJ Patchouli from Regina, Canada writes: Confession time: as a kid, and I can remember doing it so I wasn't that young, I would vomit on my plate if I so much as smelled an onion. Yuppers, just upchuck right in front of everyone. It's hard for a mum to make her kid eat vomit...

    I would eat salads and cooked carrots, but this was the sixties and I don't know about you, but my mum and mother in law to this day boil vegetables into oblivion.

    Beans that bend limply in surrender over the fork. Peas that are not pea green, but more of an olive colour. Really well cooked.

    The beef tends to be quite well done too...

    Now I eat too much, and my kids didn't eat enough vegetables, but they're grown up took and they're fine.

    So try to panic about something else. There are bigger issues than kids who reject certain foods. We should all be thankful for such small problems.
  25. CD W from Canada writes: My uncle always said,"eat it and like it". Where else were you going to go for food? My kids and I only have one real dislike, eggplant. Everything else is great. If your kid is picky, only have the food they hate in the house, no pop, no snacks, just lots of carrot sticks, celery, stuff like that. Until the little wretches start paying for food, tell them to suck it up buttercup.
  26. Hart Oldenburg from Canada writes: Why are kids the smartest eaters? They can't read the food guides! They live by instinct, which defines a mass of greens as substandard grub. They want and need protein, shorten all carbs, watch them stay slim and active------
  27. Kay Ay from Canada writes: Blind InTheSun: too funny! When my kids say they don't like something my reply is always, "That's okay, you can eat it anyway."
    And eventually they do.
  28. whatevah D from Canada writes: CD W from Canada writes: My uncle always said,"eat it and like it". Where else were you going to go for food? My kids and I only have one real dislike, eggplant. Everything else is great. If your kid is picky, only have the food they hate in the house, no pop, no snacks, just lots of carrot sticks, celery, stuff like that. Until the little wretches start paying for food, tell them to suck it up buttercup.

    I'm of that mindset too. I never have pop or chips in the house. My parents were the same. I remember being in my 20s and being at mom's and there being diet soda in the fridge! I asked if I could have one... her response was that I didn't have to ask for it... but I was so used to not being allowed to have any except for special occasions, I thought that rule still applied. LOL
  29. A Canadian Girl from Toronto, Canada writes: The sauce is a great idea....for my almost 30-year old BOYFRIEND! He STILL won't eat his vegetables.

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