Celebrities Struggle To Get Their Kids To Eat Vegetables Too

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

18 Aug 2007 01:13 PM

You see them in pictures on the set of their dad's latest movie or walking hand in hand with their pop princess mom down Rodeo Drive. But what is life like for the kids of celebrity parents when the cameras aren't around?

According to comedian Jerry Seinfeld it's not all that exciting. Unless you count trying to get young children to eat vegetables exciting. Jerry and his wife Jessica Seinfeld say they spent so much time trying to get the kids (Sascha, 6, Julian, 4, and Shepherd, 2) to eat healthy it wore them out.

"We tried bribing them, begging them, whining at them," Jessica says. "I wanted to take the conflict out of mealtime."

Out of their struggles an idea was born. The mom of three decided to make it her mission to sneak veggies into her kids' meals. Jessica says she spends Sunday afternoons making purees out of the vegetables her kids despise the most. Then, during the week she incorporates the purees into family favorites, including sweet potatoes hidden in pancakes and cauliflower in mashed potatoes.

Her next brilliant idea--write a book about her experiences. Hence, the creation of Deceptively Delicious. The book includes some of the Seinfeld children's favorite recipes and other tips on how to get children to eat balanced meals. Jessica says another plus about her book is that it was written with busy moms in mind.

"I have three kids crawling around my kitchen while I'm cooking dinner, and it drives me crazy," the celebrity mom says." I'm afraid one is going to stick his hand in the oven while the other is trying to get ice out of the freezer and the third is about to fall out of a chair."

It's the reason Jessica says she only included recipes in the new book that could be put together in less than 20 minutes--regardless of if she is the one cooking. Meaning, even if her TV star husband is the one in charge of putting together the family's dinner it can be done in less time than it takes to watch an episode of "Seinfeld."

The book also touches on the importance of making mealtime a family affair. Jessica says, despite the hectic schedule she maintains outside her home, she makes sure she is back at in her kitchen for dinner at least four times a week.

"My three kids always eat together, whether it's with me and Jerry, my mother, or our babysitter," Jessica says.

However, the nutrition-minded mom admits there are times when her husband doesn't always adhere to the healthy menus Jessica designs for their kids. There have been occasions, she reveals, that 53-year-old actor takes matters into his own hands on dinner-with-dad nights. The end result: "cereal, cereal, cereal."

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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