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 sa"rs?? 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 "e" 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 longterm (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 easytoread and a godsend for any parent that wants their kids to be healthy for a long time to come.

As a mother of three?? Jessica Seinfeld can speak for all parents who struggle to feed "eir 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 " 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.

Bob Greene?? author of The Best Life Diet:
"he techniques for adding vegetables to meals extremely creative and the recipes fantastic! Deceptively Delicious is a must have for your healthy kitchen."

Questions for Jessica Seinfeld

Amazon.com: My seven-year-old inspects the food on his plate like a hawk (if there was a hawk that only ate bagels and macaroni). Anything with the least bit of color goes untouched. What's a mom or dad to do?

Seinfeld: Two of my three children were exactly the same way. The vegetables?? which I worked hard to prepare?? not only went untouched?? they were often insulted ("www...!"). And the harder I pushed them to eat good food?? the harder they pushed back. We were literally ruining each other's meals.

That conflict was the inspiration for the book. I realized I wasn't going to win the power struggle?? so I decided to join them on their turf. I started with the foods they"uld eat (chicken nuggets?? tacos?? macaroni and cheese) and I added a pureed vegetable of the same color. So if your child only eats macaroni and cheese (or noodles and butter)?? you should add cauliflower or yellow squash puree?? which utterly disappears. Everyone wins: they get the nutrition they need and you get the satisfaction of doing a better job as a parent.

Amazon.com: That same picky second-grader will often try something new one time and declare he likes it?? but the next time we serve it?? he seems to have lost his spirit of adventure and won't eat it again. Any advice?

Seinfeld: First and foremost?? remember that not every meal you prepare for a child will be a success. Kids at this age are naturally testing preferences?? pushing boundaries?? and changing their minds. That's part of their development and those are urges not worth battling. As I learned the hard way?? the more pressure you apply?? the more kids will "in foods. And?? while it would be nice if kids had a "pirit of adventure" when it comes to food?? I've found it's best to eliminate adventure and stick to the basics--foods they already love?? laden with added nutrition they don't know is there. Fin