Looking for " Sneaky Chef" Recipes

I put mashed califlower and/or scrambled eggs in mac n cheese and mashed potatoes...I also put wheat germ in waffles and pancakes.

I don't have any Sneaky Chef recipes per se, but I did make up a few of my own that seemed to help. I would make cookies and add up to 1/4 cup of protein powder to them and only use egg whites. I did the same with all baking goods actually.

To chocolate brownies, I would add the protein and pureed beets, no one was the wiser, not even my husband. It works with cake too, and following the egg white rule, I didn't feel so bad about them having cake or brownies.

Good luck!

I do not have that book but I do have some high cal food suggestions from a nutritionist at Childrens with some great recipes if you are interested let me know. My son was 2 lbs at birth and we have been trying to fatten him up since. L.

I don't know about Sneaky Chef - but I know there are lots of sources of good fats that people often don't think about. I don't know if he will eat smoothies or milkshakes, but you can put coconut oil or flax oil or even avocado in those - it blends right in, not much taste, and is full of good fats. Just a thought...

Hi L.
I don't have any recipes but was wondering why he's not gaining weight. My youngest son was always in the lowest percentile for weight and height from about 8 months thru 13 months or so until I discovered that he was/is allergic to dairy. Once I cut that out of his diet he gained like crazy and caught up to where he was supposed to be. Wheat and gluten allergies are also things that could contribute to slow weight gain.

here are a few of the purees you can to so many things!
J.
www.jenwarr.mywildtree.com

Purple Puree

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves (or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, or frozen chopped collard greens)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no syrup or sugar added)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 - 2 tablespoons water

If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says “prewashed.” Bring spinach or collards and water to boil in a medium pot. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain.

Fill the bowl of your food processor with the blueberries and cooked spinach, (or collards) along with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water, and puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push top contents to bottom. If necessary, use a second tablespoon of water to make a fairly smooth puree.

This amount of spinach and blueberries makes only about 1 cup of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store another cup of the puree. It will store in the refrigerator up to 2 days, or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

*****
orange puree

1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and rough chopped;
3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks;
2-3 tablespoons water

In a medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes until yams, and especially the carrots, are very tender. If the carrots aren't thoroughly cooked, they'll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables, which will reveal their presence (a gigantic NO-NO for the sneaky chef).

Drain the potatoes and carrots and put them in the bowl of food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth; no pieces of carrots or potatoes should remain. Stop occasionally to push the contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the third tablespoon of water to make a smooth puree, but the less water the better.

This makes about 2 cups of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store another cup of puree. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze one-quarter cup portions in sealed baggies or small plastic containers.

Orange Puree is used in the following recipes:
* Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins
* Power Pizza

*****
white puree

2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and rough chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary

Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly-covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl , cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender.

While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point). Drain the cooked cauliflower.

Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with one tablespoon of water. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the second tablespoon of water to make a smooth (but not wet) puree.

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Double recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or the small plastic containers.

White Puree is used in the following recipes:
* Quick Fixes for Boxed Macaroni and Cheese
* Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce

sneaky chef's theory is basically throw stuff in that's the same color.. what I do a lot is put applesauce or baby food carrots in pancakes. the kids never even notice a difference. You can put baby food sweet potato in with the egg when breading chicken.. gives it a sweet taste - my family loves this (even hubby!).. so just play around with it. puree stuff and throw it in food in small amounts and keep adding to taste as you go. It is worth buying though - so is the other book by Jessica Seinfeld. There's one more on sneaking stuff by your husband too, but I haven't invested in that one since my husband will try things (complain about it, but he'll eat)

Hi L.....

Try the brownies made with spinach and carrots and the french toast with sweet potatoe ( I also add banana). My 2 1/2 (picky) daughter loves both! Good luck!

Hi L.,
This isn't from the Sneaky Chef - just something I do...I boil my pasta in chicken broth rather than water (one cup of broth for one can). It doesn't change the taste much, but provides a nice amount of protien (compared to water). As well, I melt some American cheese into it, for some fat and calcium. Good luck!

Hi L.
There is a new book, I don't remember the name of it, but if you look it up on amazon, you may find it. type in something "how to hide food"...... If I can remember it I'll email back.
Here it is!!
http://www.amazon.com/Sneaky-Chef-Strategies-Healthy-Favo...

My kids are old, so I never had a resource like "The Sneaky Chef", but when my 8 year old was about your son's age, he was very light. We had him on whole milk until he was about 3. When he was younger, I had asked the pediatrician if I should supliment his milk with pediasure. He said that nutrition wasn't the issue, it was the fat and the calories. He then suggested putting heavy cream in his milk for the added fat and calories. To be honest, he's still a string bean, but it was cheaper then buying pediasure.

As for foods for kids to eat, try sweet potatoe fries, fish sticks, avodados and black olives are also high fat foods. It isn't always the nutrition content, but the fat and/or calorie content when trying to get a child to gain weight.

If you haven't already, ask your peditrician to recommend a nutritionist who can help you put together a diet that will help your son gain some more weight.

Hi L.,

My daughter was born with a hole in her heart, was a month premature and ranked in the 20% for weight. At 3 mos. she had a double hernia. Surgery and recovery put her in "the upper" ;-) 2% for weight. I was nursing her exclusively. The nutritionist gave me a medela http://www.medela.com/ISBD/breastfeeding/products/nursing...
to supplement my milk with formula. She practically stopped nursing all together.

When she started to eat solids she still had failure to thrive and the nutritionist suggested we add butter to the vegetables and cereals. She would eat them plain but not with the butter. I made her pancakes with the pediasure and polycose powder. That was the only thing she would eat on a regular basis that had the higher calories. My mother-in-law would come over with a jar of baby pudding which she would devour and then skip a meal or two. She did like vanilla ice cream with daddy in the evening.

When she started kindergarten she was the smallest in her class. She had open heart surgery that fall to close the hole as it was damaging the valve. She finally began to put on weight about 3 years later. Now she is 16 yo, still the shortest in her class but not as skinny.

If your son is eating a varied diet and there are no other health issues I would not worry overly much. Were you or your husband skinny kids? We were and so were our kids. Do talk to your pediatrician if your son's diet is not well balanced to get the name of a nutritionist. Otherwise keep lots of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand with dips made with sour cream or yogurt and sweet or savory seasonings. Dips are easy ways to sneek in a few extra calories. Don't forget to encourage exercise too. Muscle weighs more that fat.

Good luck.
D. C