Jessica Seinfeld's first book, Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, taught parents tricks such as how to sneak kale into spaghetti and meatballs. Her new book, Double Delicious: Good, Simple Food for Busy, Complicated Lives (which Morrow will publish October 26), features more recipes with surprisingly healthy ingredients, such as Orange-Glazed Pork (with carrot puree) and Whoopie Pies (with spinach puree). Here, she talks about why she wanted to write another book, and why parents shouldn't feel bad about slipping cauliflower into their kids' egg salad.

PW: What made you want to write a follow-up to 2007’s Deceptively Delicious?

JS: After I wrote Deceptively Delicious, I kept compiling more recipes. My kids, husband, friends, and family would say, ‘Can I have that recipe?’ and, ‘If you do another book, you should put this in that book.’ My husband travels, doing stand-up all over the country, and is always meeting people, and they all say, ‘We we're waiting for more recipes for your wife!’ So I slowly started to put another book together. HarperCollins was so supportive and excited to know I'd consider doing another.

PW: There are a lot of books out there on cooking for kids. Are there any in particular that have inspired you?

JS: I learned to cook from The Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls and think it's one of the best cookbooks ever. I sort of modeled my first book on that feel.

PW: What about general cookbooks?

JS: I love Alice Waters, and love her cookbooks. I try to take her philosophy into the way I cook. I love Mark Bittman. These days, because my kids are getting older [they are four, seven, and nine], I try not to cook children's food anymore. I don't think this book is as focused on kids' food as maybe the first one was. My life is evolving a little bit. My kids are unbelievable eaters. At home every night I cook regular, everyday American food that is not just macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets.

PW: So you don’t have to hide nutritious food in your kids’ meals anymore?

JS: Now my kids know [about] everything [that’s in their food], and they think it's hilarious that butternut squash is the same color as macaroni and cheese [Seinfeld’s first book has a recipe for macaroni and cheese with butternut squash puree]. They're fully aware of everything and don't have the slightest issue with how I prepare their meals. They'll even throw extra carrots into the meatloaf.

PW: What do you say to detractors who think it's wrong to trick kids?

JS: It's the same thing people do when they tell their children there's a Tooth Fairy. We tell our children things to make scary things seem sweet and fun. You always try to do the best for your children, and as far as the lies I know people tell their children, this is one I find fairly inoffensive. [Sneaking healthy ingredients into meals] has changed my family's life and has gotten my family from A to B in terms of how nutritionally well they are. I started in a very dark place with them but we've really come around.

For more cookbook coverage from PW, check out our cookbooks page.