The sneaky approach to getting kids to eat well

You say you have nothing to hide from your kids? That you’re not the kind of parent who would sneak powdered kale into their macaroni and cheese?

The wisdom of feeding children this way was a topic of a recent New York Times story. It told of companies that use vegetable powders and other means to enhance the nutrients in pizza, cookies and other not-so-healthy foods.

Advocates see it as a way to provide nutrients that children often miss. They include parents who are at their wits’ end about getting them to eat well.

Critics don’t like the idea of misleading young people, nor the suggestion that fruits and veggies are a “chore to be avoided,” as one expert told the Times. Another noted that the water removed in the drying process actually helps people feel full during a meal, so they don’t overeat.

We parents try and try again to have healthy stuff in the kitchen (especially on farmers market days in our bountiful region). But force-feeding was still illegal at last check, and the standoff goes on.

So the hide-the-veggies ruse might have limited use (a kid can sniff out a cauliflower molecule with the same skill as a search dog seeking a lost hiker). But at least the food industry has made progress on the other end – taking some of the bad things out. We can buy a lot of lower-sugar and lower-fat products, some of them from the canneries and dairy plants in our area.

Kraft started phasing out the synthetic coloring that gave its mac and cheese such a vibrant glow (though you might ask where your children will now get their recommended daily amount of neon).

We should be especially glad they took the trans fat out of Goldfish crackers, even while we miss the adorable greasy sheen they left on the faces of toddlers.

Hey! Here’s an idea. Let’s sneak real goldfish into Goldfish crackers – an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.

This story was originally published November 4, 2016 at 7:07 PM with the headline "The sneaky approach to getting kids to eat well."