Tricking kids to eat veggies

Fruit is no problem. Master R devours half a punnet of strawberries on the way home from the supermarket and stands screaming and pointing at the fridge for blueberries. But veggies are another story. He loves meat (really loves meat!), rice, pasta, bread, oats you name it but I do struggle to get him to eat even a cherry tomato. I worry that he's not getting enough vitamins and minerals and constantly think of ways to add veggies to things without him knowing.

For example his favourite meal is penne bolognaise. He scoffs down the mince like he was starving. So last time I made it as well as the onion, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes I normally add I also grated a couple carrots and finely chopped a capsicum/pepper. The carrot was incredible. It just disintegrates down to nothing and you can't taste it. The capsicum/pepper made it a bit sour so I won't add that in the future.

I was thinking of other ideas today when I remembered this old favorite my mother used to make for us kids - corn fritters. We loved them and would smother them in tomato sauce/ketchup and gobble them up. The corn is so nice and sweet that your kiddies will think they're eating sweets. They're rather healthy too if you cook them in just a little oil in a non-stick pan.

Corn Fritters
1 cup unbleached flour (you could also use wholewheat)
1tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1tsp vegetable oil
1 cup corn kernels (I just cooked some frozen corn)

Mix all ingredients except corn until smooth, add corn. Heat non stick pan with a little oil or butter. Fry in batches.

Yum, yum. I made up a batch this afternoon (shown above) and ate a couple for an afternoon snack.

Now the issue of hiding veggies in your cooking is hotly contested. I discovered this when I nearly bought Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. A few dieticians/nutritionists (can't find the links now) were saying how bad it was to hide vegetables in food because kids don't learn to eat them. Instead you should allow them to see what they're eating and learn to love them. I wonder how many of them were just jealous of Jessica's success? Her book was bound to be a success given who she is! Of course Oprah would endorse it. She's Mrs Jerry Seinfeld afterall.

I can see the point though. If they don't like carrots and don't know they're actually eating them in my bolognaise how will they know they're eating them? So I didn't buy Jessica's book but I think I have my own solution. I'll hide veggies in things half the time and give them to him openly the other half. Eventually he'll learn to love them as much as I do - well that's the plan anyway.