Why sneak in vegetables for the kids?

I've always wondered this when people talk about hiding vegetables in other foods?....like put some extra bell peppers in with spaghetti sauce, or ground some up with fruit as a smoothie.

If the kids don't like vegetables, they won't even understand that we're feeding them veggies. I feel it won't lead to healthy eating habits when they make their own choices. Won't they still avoid veggies? Just curious...I don't have kids so I haven't had to deal with this yet. I'm hoping if I start them out young and set a good example, they'll like veggies.

Original Post by susiecue:

Original Post by emilyd22222:

What I REALLY don't understand is the people that have to hide veggies and other good-for-you things in their husband's food. I read recipes that say, "don't let your husband in the kitchen while cooking, or he may not eat dinner!" Or the men that won't eat it if it's not meat and potatoes. I think that rigidity says a lot about them as a person.

 Heh.  My dad won't eat a veggie that isn't peas, carrots or tomatoes.  (Okay, maybe onion cooked into stews/soups/sauces, but that's it.)  We don't hide veggies from him though.  Way too much work.  We just make them for us and he cooks his own peas/carrots. 

 I met a guy once who had never tried tofu, and refused to ever try it. Why? "Because it's tofu!" Ugh.

Original Post by michaelduff:

To the OP - only someone who doesn't live with a fussy eater asks this (and I know as I thought I'd be king of the kitchen).

 Yeah.....I'm not trying to be a jerk...Just curious, ignorant and with high hopes if I ever have kids.

I know my sis used to say to her little ones "Do you want A or do you want B?" Like "Do you want asparagus or do you want broccoli?" It worked for her and yeah, sometimes they didn't always want everything on their plate but giving them a choice was easiest for her.

My family had nicknames for lots of veggies (we called broccoli "little trees").  I think it made the food fun for me, and also, when classmates complained about broccoli, I didn't really connect it with "little trees," so I didn't pick up on the stigma of the vegetable.