Sometimes, parents have to be sneaky or creative when it comes to feeding their families.

While we all understand how important it is to instill healthy eating habits in our children, members of the “Parents of Picky Eaters” club know just how difficult that can be. Although we don’t set out with the intention of turning the meal table into a battlefield, we still end up cajoling, bribing, negotiating and pleading – with little or no success.

You know you’re a member in the PPE club if:

• You instantly hear “I don’t like that!” as soon as you put a new dish on the table, even one the cookbook swears kids adore.

• You have ever made a pizza with a face only to see the veggie eyes, nose and mouth discarded on the side of the plate after your child is “finished.”

• Following your pediatrician’s advice, you allow your child to feel more in control by letting him choose between healthy item A and healthy item B. Your child throws a tantrum for junk food item C.

• You’ve ever wondered if four garden peas qualifies as a small portion.

Perhaps it’s time to resort to one of the most effective weapons in the parent’s armory: subterfuge. While your kids are in the basement playing dress-up in their pirate and princess costumes, give some thought to your own game of disguise. It’s all a matter of covering the unpopular ingredients with the popular ones.

Here are a few of my favorite undercover ploys:

• Add mashed-up beans or lentils to ground beef recipes

• When baking, substitute bran for a proportion of flour, or flax seed for fat

• Make popsicles out of fruit juice or yogurt

If you want to take your subterfuge to a whole new level, The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine and Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld will show you the way. These books teach you how to prepare vegetable and fruit purees you can freeze in small ready-to-use quantities. The concoctions can be slipped into a variety of entrees and even desserts.

Reviews for both books have been mixed, most likely because some kids do have very sensitive taste buds that are not easily fooled. While not all the recipes will work for your child, the methods will certainly help you become a master of culinary disguise. It just requires planning and organization...and maybe a little luck.

~ CAROLINE KENT

Tips from Club Focus

In Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook Deceptively Delicious, she uses pureed veggies to “secretly” mix into all kinds of foods including soups, casseroles and baked goods -- even cakes! These are great recipes and YUMMY, too! I use these recipes just for the health of it - and we are all non-picky adults! Check out her cookbook! I’ve even seen them at Dillons! ~ LISA P

I have done this with both of my girls; they scream and fuss about trying anything new, so I ask “are you a big girl” and the response is always “yes.” Then I tell them that since they are big they need to take as many bites as the age that they are. They think it is so cool and fun to eat “how old they are!” Works like a charm! ~ STACY W

The best tip for toddlers ever is the “no thank you bite” trick. Regardless of the type of food it is, they at least have to take one bite every meal and say “no thank you” in order to be excused from eating it. Studies have shown that it takes 10-12 bites of something new to determine whether or not you like it and in the meantime, the kids are getting bites everyday of healthy things like vegetables. At the end of the week, those bites add up. It’s a win-win situation! ~ HEATHER P

I have a couple picky eaters in my household: my 9-year-old, Amanda and my 5-year-old, Ethan. Some days I want to pull my hair out trying to think of WHAT they would want to eat for dinner. Two things I have found to be a mainstay are ranch dressing and cheese. If you have these, you can get your kids to eat pretty much anything. Ethan will not eat any steamed veggies but loves raw ones dipped in ranch dressing. Melting cheese on cauliflower or broccoli always makes it yummy as well.

We also have a one bite rule for something new. You have to try at least one bite before you decide if you like it or not. I like to make casseroles because you can hide a lot of nutritious things in them. One word of advice, though - if you have a little chef that likes to hang around the kitchen while you are cooking, don’t let him see what you put in the casserole. LOL ~ JAN S

Grandchildren love smoothies at my house when they come to visit. They can make them with my supervision. I keep frozen blueberries and strawberries on hand. Even fresh pineapple and peaches are great. We always add a half of a banana, a handful of their favorite fruit, three heaping tablespoons of yogurt, one tablespoon of flaxseed, four ice cubes and 3/4 cup of skim milk per serving and mix it in a blender. Serve it in a fancy glass with a straw and watch them smile!

I like to serve them a lowfat salad dressing in a little fancy serving dish of their own and cut the vegetables ready for dipping per child. You may have a few extra dishes to wash, but the presentation pays off. ~ MARY JANE