I used this technique a few times in the past couple weeks. This is usually my last resort. Now, you may not want to do this in public, unless you don't get embarrassed easily.
A couple weeks ago we had a picnic and made a black bean salad with sardines. The kids weren't trying it, so I pretended to be the voice of the little fish. I started talking to the kids in a little funny voice. "Hi, I'm the sardine on your spoon. I just wanted to ask that you not eat me. I'm very very nice and want to be your friend. So please don't eat me." OK, that's about as far as I got since the kids took the bite with gusto. It's a little bit of reverse psychology and a little bit of play, but it seems to never fail. Try it the next time you are stuck with a food.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
The name game
It's zucchini season and we've gotten quite a bit of it at the farmer's markets and in our CSA share this week. So of course, I tried experimenting with the zucchini again tonight. I asked the kids to make up a new name for the zucchini. My son suggested "kiwi's friend." He had a couple of kiwis yesterday and very much enjoyed them. I'm assuming that he was trying to project the kiwi's delicious taste on the zucchini. It must have worked since he ate his share without any other comments. My youngest played along too and suggested "pear" and "apple" as her names. She ate quite a bit of her zucchini, also. My oldest daughter didn't give a name, but she still ate her share and asked for seconds. Now these are the same three kids that refused to eat the zucchini (prepared the same way) a week ago.
Making up a name gives the child a little more control over the veggies they are eating. Try it next time you are stumped when the kids refuse to eat the vegetable.
Making up a name gives the child a little more control over the veggies they are eating. Try it next time you are stumped when the kids refuse to eat the vegetable.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Toothpicks
The other night I was in a hurry to get dinner on the table, so rather than serve a warm vegetable I served some raw vegetables. I cut up a zucchini into discs and served them with some cherry tomatoes and pea pods. I knew the tomatoes and pea pods would be a hit, but I didn't think much would be eaten of the zucchini. Well I was wrong. One of the kids asked for a toothpick. And once one kid wants something, they all want the same thing. So they all got a toothpick. The kids proceeded to eat the zucchini with the toothpicks. There was some variation. My daughters stabbed the zucchini and ate it like lollipops. My son started to build towers of zucchini disks and then tried to get the whole tower in his month.
Since that evening, I've had varying success with zucchini. I cut it in bite-size wedges and sauteed it. No luck. But tonight I cut it in 2 inch by 1/2 inch sticks and sauteed it (same method as before) and the kids loved it. So it seems depending on how I cut up the zucchini the kids may or may not like it. I'll keep experimenting and let you know how it goes.
Warning: toothpicks should only be used by older kids and make sure you keep your eye on the kids while they are using them.
Since that evening, I've had varying success with zucchini. I cut it in bite-size wedges and sauteed it. No luck. But tonight I cut it in 2 inch by 1/2 inch sticks and sauteed it (same method as before) and the kids loved it. So it seems depending on how I cut up the zucchini the kids may or may not like it. I'll keep experimenting and let you know how it goes.
Warning: toothpicks should only be used by older kids and make sure you keep your eye on the kids while they are using them.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
How to get started
Most of this blog is geared towards toddlers and pre-schoolers. But I wanted to give some tips for those of you just starting the solid food journey. I started feeding my kids based on the Super Baby Food book by Ruth Yaron. This book is awesome! I still reference it because it is a very comprehensive tome on fruits and vegetables. It describes how to tell when the vegetable or fruit is fresh and how to cook and freeze it. This book walks you through which foods to start your baby out on and which ones should be avoided until a certain age.
If your child is a beginner (at eating), you can still follow a lot of my recommendations. For instance, you may need to feed your child spinach 10 times before they eat it. Or combine a favorite food with a not so favorite one. I put kale in bananas to get my son to start trying it.
Please remember, the earlier you start feeding your child a variety of vegetables, the easier it will be getting them to eat vegetables later on in life. But it is never too late to start.
If your child is a beginner (at eating), you can still follow a lot of my recommendations. For instance, you may need to feed your child spinach 10 times before they eat it. Or combine a favorite food with a not so favorite one. I put kale in bananas to get my son to start trying it.
Please remember, the earlier you start feeding your child a variety of vegetables, the easier it will be getting them to eat vegetables later on in life. But it is never too late to start.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Feed me
Tonight we had sauteed spinach for our vegetable. This is not the kids' favorite vegetable, but I still try it every couple weeks. So tonight, I was prepared that no one would eat it. I asked that every one try a bite. Well, my son ate his with no problem or coaxing needed. My oldest daughter touched her tongue to it and said "ewee, I don't like it." My youngest about the same. But then, our neighbor, who was eating dinner with us, asked our youngest if she wanted her to feed her. My youngest ate the rest of her food without any complaint. My oldest daughter still struggled with her quinoa, but she ate all the spinach.
I'm not sure what the recommendation is here. If I try to feed my kids their food, it never goes well. Maybe it is a good cop/bad cop situation. I'm usually the one that makes everyone try "one bite" of each food on their plate. Who knows?
I'll continue to observe the behavior and let you know if I figure it out. But in the meantime, if you have a neighbor that can come over and feed your kids, that may be a good solution. Just kidding...maybe.
I'm not sure what the recommendation is here. If I try to feed my kids their food, it never goes well. Maybe it is a good cop/bad cop situation. I'm usually the one that makes everyone try "one bite" of each food on their plate. Who knows?
I'll continue to observe the behavior and let you know if I figure it out. But in the meantime, if you have a neighbor that can come over and feed your kids, that may be a good solution. Just kidding...maybe.
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Monday, May 31, 2010
Motivation
Alright, now that you have read this blog you may be saying: “This seems like a lot of work. I don’t eat that many vegetables and I’m healthy. It won’t kill my kids if they don’t eat their veggies.” You may be correct that it won’t kill your children, but it will likely shorten their lives. Here are some scary statistics.
Your child’s life expectancy is shorter than yours. Yes, read that again. Your child is not expected to live as many years as you will. The cause is childhood obesity.
"An American born in 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes in his lifetime…A diagnosis of diabetes subtracts roughly twelve years from one’s life…" That’s a quote from In Defense of Food, an Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan.
So, are you motivated? I am.
Now you may say how does eating vegetables prevent obesity or diabetes. Well, if your child begins to eat more vegetables, then under normal circumstances, he will eat less of another food. If it is processed non-nutrient food he is replacing, then he is ahead of the game. Vegetables also provide many of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your child needs. This will make your child feel more satiated when he eats. Try it yourself. I recently have been taking on the “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan and have noticed that I feel much more satisfied by following his motto “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” Your child will too.
Your child’s life expectancy is shorter than yours. Yes, read that again. Your child is not expected to live as many years as you will. The cause is childhood obesity.
"An American born in 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes in his lifetime…A diagnosis of diabetes subtracts roughly twelve years from one’s life…" That’s a quote from In Defense of Food, an Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan.
So, are you motivated? I am.
Now you may say how does eating vegetables prevent obesity or diabetes. Well, if your child begins to eat more vegetables, then under normal circumstances, he will eat less of another food. If it is processed non-nutrient food he is replacing, then he is ahead of the game. Vegetables also provide many of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your child needs. This will make your child feel more satiated when he eats. Try it yourself. I recently have been taking on the “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan and have noticed that I feel much more satisfied by following his motto “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” Your child will too.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Spin Doctor
Getting your kids to eat vegetables is mostly how you spin it. Last week my kids had their annual checkups. It’s not that big of a deal for my oldest kids, but my youngest doesn’t particularly care for the doctor, or the doctor’s office, or the doctor’s parking lot. Last fall, when she was about 2.5 years old, we went for flu shots. As soon as we got to the parking lot, she asked if we could go home. I thought that was unusual, and then figured out that she must remember when she was there at her 2 year old appointment and got a shot. She kept her hysteria under control until they called our name and started begging me to take her home rather than to the room. Needless to say, she got her flu shot. Then a month later we needed to go back for her 2.5 year old check up. She was so scared she started screaming as soon as we got to the examination room (yes that was us next to you). She wouldn’t let me take off her clothes. The nurse and the doctor just did the exam with her fully clothed while she screamed the whole entire time.
Fast forward 6 months, I thought there has got to be something I can do to make this check up go smoother. So I thought I would try a little “dinosaur leaves” methodology. My daughter loves super heroes and was super girl for Halloween. So I explained to her that she was going to the doctor and would get a shot. Then I asked her if she could be super girl because super girl is brave and tough. Every night we talked about the doctor’s appointment and how she’d be super girl. The shot will still hurt, but she will be brave.
At the appointment, she was great. She still wanted her brother and sister to go first, but there was no screaming. She let the doctor examine her. She got weighed. When the shot came, she was nervous, but again no screaming. She did cry when she got the shot, but I easily comforted her. She was all smiles by time she got the “treasure” from the treasure chest.
Wow, that was so much easier than the last time. It reinforced for me that it is all how you position the task at hand. If it is going to the doctor or eating vegetables, it is all how you spin it.
Fast forward 6 months, I thought there has got to be something I can do to make this check up go smoother. So I thought I would try a little “dinosaur leaves” methodology. My daughter loves super heroes and was super girl for Halloween. So I explained to her that she was going to the doctor and would get a shot. Then I asked her if she could be super girl because super girl is brave and tough. Every night we talked about the doctor’s appointment and how she’d be super girl. The shot will still hurt, but she will be brave.
At the appointment, she was great. She still wanted her brother and sister to go first, but there was no screaming. She let the doctor examine her. She got weighed. When the shot came, she was nervous, but again no screaming. She did cry when she got the shot, but I easily comforted her. She was all smiles by time she got the “treasure” from the treasure chest.
Wow, that was so much easier than the last time. It reinforced for me that it is all how you position the task at hand. If it is going to the doctor or eating vegetables, it is all how you spin it.
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Thursday, May 13, 2010
Carrots - the fun vegetable
One day last summer we were heading out for a morning walk. All I could find in the refrigerator for a snack was shredded carrots. What my son really wanted for his snack were raisins. I had the bright idea to hide the raisins in the middle of the shredded carrots. I told him it was a treasure hunt and he needed to find the treasure. He ended up eating all the carrots and all the raisins. I've also used this technique at dinner time. I'll let the kids know there is a special treat hidden on their plate and they need to find it. You can hide whatever you want in the carrot haystack, but the rule is they must eat their way to the treasure. They cannot just dig through the carrots for the prize.
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Basic Recipes
Half the battle of serving vegetables is knowing how to cook them. As I stated in my profile, I work full time. I normally get home at 5:45 (or sometimes a little later). I like to have dinner on the table by 6:30. So that doesn’t leave a lot of time. Most of my recipes can be made in 20 minutes or less. It helps if you wash the vegetables the night before (but I know that doesn’t always happen). So here are some of my stand-bys for a quick vegetable.
Brussels Sprouts
Trim brown leaves (kids can help pull these off) from brussels sprouts and cut an “X” in the stem of each sprout. If the sprouts are large, cut them in half or quarters. Steam for 8-10 minutes. Do not over-steam. The sprouts will become bitter. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a pan. Sauté sprouts for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Kale with soy and sesame
Tear leaves of kale (little helper alert) from the thick stem. Steam for 7-10 minutes. Kale should still be bright green. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a sauté pan. Toss kale in sauté pan for a minute. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and sesame seeds to Kale. Serve warm.
Kale Chips
Tear leaves of kale from the think stem. Toss kale with a tablespoon of sesame oil and soy sauce. Lay flat on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Chips can also be dehydrated.
Swiss Chard
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Sauté ½ onion until it starts to caramelize (about 15 minutes). Add 1 clove of garlic minced and sauté for a minute. Chop swiss chard including stems into bite size pieces and add to skillet in batches. After the chard is slightly wilted, stir in the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/3 cup of raisins, and ¼ cup pine nuts.
Brussels Sprouts
Trim brown leaves (kids can help pull these off) from brussels sprouts and cut an “X” in the stem of each sprout. If the sprouts are large, cut them in half or quarters. Steam for 8-10 minutes. Do not over-steam. The sprouts will become bitter. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a pan. Sauté sprouts for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Kale with soy and sesame
Tear leaves of kale (little helper alert) from the thick stem. Steam for 7-10 minutes. Kale should still be bright green. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a sauté pan. Toss kale in sauté pan for a minute. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and sesame seeds to Kale. Serve warm.
Kale Chips
Tear leaves of kale from the think stem. Toss kale with a tablespoon of sesame oil and soy sauce. Lay flat on a cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Chips can also be dehydrated.
Swiss Chard
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Sauté ½ onion until it starts to caramelize (about 15 minutes). Add 1 clove of garlic minced and sauté for a minute. Chop swiss chard including stems into bite size pieces and add to skillet in batches. After the chard is slightly wilted, stir in the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/3 cup of raisins, and ¼ cup pine nuts.
I'm full.
I sometimes hear this phrase 30 seconds after sitting down to dinner. My immediate reaction is, “No you are not. Eat what’s on your plate.” This can be a recipe for disaster (pun intended). One of your goals as a parent should be to let your child self-regulate his/her food intake. As long as you give your kids good healthy food options, this should not be a problem. The problem arises when your child fills up on non-healthy food/snacks and then won’t eat the healthy food you prepare for a meal. If they fill up on healthy food/snacks, you shouldn’t worry. See my post about putting veggies on the table before dinner.
When your child is a baby, pay attention to hunger and satiated signals. Don’t force more food/formula just because you don’t want to waste any. Obviously if you have direction from your pediatrician different from this advice, please listen to them. But absent that, encourage your child’s self-regulation of their food intake. If they say/indicate they are full, listen.
There will be times when your child is going through a growth spurt and will require more food than normal. There will also be times when your child is not going through a growth spurt, they will not need as much food. Don’t expect your child to eat the same amount of food each day of their life.
Word of caution: “I’m full” can also mean that your child would rather play with a toy or just get away from the dinner table. In order to avoid the I’m-full-now- but-later-I-want-my dinner routine, I tell my kids that once they get up from the dinner table there’s no coming back. You may need to enforce this rule in order for your child to know you mean business. There have been a few nights when my son has gone to bed hungry. But it only took a few and now he doesn’t play that game anymore. By the by, he didn’t die of starvation over night. Remember this when you are telling your child they can’t have their dinner. Now my son either eats at dinner time or he doesn’t. No bedtime snack (or reheating the food for later).
By encouraging your child to listen to their hunger cues, they will not be prone to overeating. They are more likely to view food as a way to satisfy their hunger rather than believe they must clear their plate so they don’t waste food.
When your child is a baby, pay attention to hunger and satiated signals. Don’t force more food/formula just because you don’t want to waste any. Obviously if you have direction from your pediatrician different from this advice, please listen to them. But absent that, encourage your child’s self-regulation of their food intake. If they say/indicate they are full, listen.
There will be times when your child is going through a growth spurt and will require more food than normal. There will also be times when your child is not going through a growth spurt, they will not need as much food. Don’t expect your child to eat the same amount of food each day of their life.
Word of caution: “I’m full” can also mean that your child would rather play with a toy or just get away from the dinner table. In order to avoid the I’m-full-now- but-later-I-want-my dinner routine, I tell my kids that once they get up from the dinner table there’s no coming back. You may need to enforce this rule in order for your child to know you mean business. There have been a few nights when my son has gone to bed hungry. But it only took a few and now he doesn’t play that game anymore. By the by, he didn’t die of starvation over night. Remember this when you are telling your child they can’t have their dinner. Now my son either eats at dinner time or he doesn’t. No bedtime snack (or reheating the food for later).
By encouraging your child to listen to their hunger cues, they will not be prone to overeating. They are more likely to view food as a way to satisfy their hunger rather than believe they must clear their plate so they don’t waste food.
Bribery - Does it work?
It may, but it will get expensive after a while. The bribery I refer to is both monetary and food consumption. I'm not great at this, yet. I think it has to do with a lifetime of dessert bribery from my parents (and myself). If I eat a meal, I can have the cookie. I can't just eat the cookies for dinner - that would be wrong. (I recently had to fess up to my doctor that I had ice cream for lunch - very embarrassing). I know that none of you have ever had that conversation in your head.
Anyway, if you tell kids if they eat their veggies, they can have dessert. It makes the vegetables the enemy and the reward for conquering them is dessert. First of all, you don't want to make dessert the reward. Just Google "Dessert as reward" and you'll get an earful (or eyeful) on why you don't want to do that. Second, you don't want to make the vegetable out as the bad guy.
What we do in our family is allow everyone to have dessert no matter how much of their dinner they eat. However, we do regulate the amount of dessert. There are no seconds. If they are still hungry after dessert, they have the option to eat more dinner or a piece of fruit.
Bribing with food causes all types of psychological food issues. Most of us probably grew up with those issues, so it is hard to see the problem. But it is there. Please don't use dessert as a reward for eating your vegetables.
Anyway, if you tell kids if they eat their veggies, they can have dessert. It makes the vegetables the enemy and the reward for conquering them is dessert. First of all, you don't want to make dessert the reward. Just Google "Dessert as reward" and you'll get an earful (or eyeful) on why you don't want to do that. Second, you don't want to make the vegetable out as the bad guy.
What we do in our family is allow everyone to have dessert no matter how much of their dinner they eat. However, we do regulate the amount of dessert. There are no seconds. If they are still hungry after dessert, they have the option to eat more dinner or a piece of fruit.
Bribing with food causes all types of psychological food issues. Most of us probably grew up with those issues, so it is hard to see the problem. But it is there. Please don't use dessert as a reward for eating your vegetables.
If all else fails, try these techniques.
You’ve tried all the other things in my blog and your kids still are not eating their vegetables. It time to pull out all the stops.
My 5-year-old and 3-year-olds love the song “Sailing, Sailing, over the bounding main…” If you Google it, you can get all the lyrics. Although we only sing/know the chorus, the kids love it. We make it a story. The spoon or fork is the boat. Because there are rough waters, the sailors are looking for shelter. Oh, look ahead; there is a cave with white rocks. Let’s go into the cave. Wait a second, this isn’t a cave, it’s a mouth and those rocks are teeth. Let’s get out of here. That’s when the mouth closes to trap the boat. I know, it is a little sinister. But it gets the kids to eat. We also pretend that the fork or spoon is a helicopter or plane with sound effects.
If that fails, I usually ask who will be the first to eat all their vegetables. Or eat the most vegetables. My kids must be very competitive because I don’t even offer a prize (being first is prize enough, or second, or third).
If that fails, I ask if their brother or sister can have their vegetables. This will only work if the brother or sister is willing to take it. It will back fire if the bro/sis doesn’t want it. Most of the times that I offer to give the vegetables to a sibling, the non-eater wants them back and gobbles them up. It goes under the theory of "I want anything my bro/sis has" OR "I won't give my bro/sis anything that they want."
Next up: should I bribe them?
My 5-year-old and 3-year-olds love the song “Sailing, Sailing, over the bounding main…” If you Google it, you can get all the lyrics. Although we only sing/know the chorus, the kids love it. We make it a story. The spoon or fork is the boat. Because there are rough waters, the sailors are looking for shelter. Oh, look ahead; there is a cave with white rocks. Let’s go into the cave. Wait a second, this isn’t a cave, it’s a mouth and those rocks are teeth. Let’s get out of here. That’s when the mouth closes to trap the boat. I know, it is a little sinister. But it gets the kids to eat. We also pretend that the fork or spoon is a helicopter or plane with sound effects.
If that fails, I usually ask who will be the first to eat all their vegetables. Or eat the most vegetables. My kids must be very competitive because I don’t even offer a prize (being first is prize enough, or second, or third).
If that fails, I ask if their brother or sister can have their vegetables. This will only work if the brother or sister is willing to take it. It will back fire if the bro/sis doesn’t want it. Most of the times that I offer to give the vegetables to a sibling, the non-eater wants them back and gobbles them up. It goes under the theory of "I want anything my bro/sis has" OR "I won't give my bro/sis anything that they want."
Next up: should I bribe them?
Do you need this blog for yourself?
Here's the good news and the bad news (depending on whether you like vegetables): You must eat the vegetables too. If you are not eating them, your children will likely not eat them. You may need this blog yourself in order to start your vegetable consumption. And as an added bonus, you will have a healthier diet.
I grew up in a household that served vegetables from a can. And only a few at that: peas, green beans, and corn. Even as an adult when I did my own grocery shopping, I bought canned vegetables. That’s what I knew. Then I met my husband. He grew up in a much different food culture than I did. He was appalled that I had canned vegetables in the cupboard (of course he didn’t say that at first). So then I began my journey of fresh vegetables. And wow! They actually tasted a lot better. To this day, I’m shocked at how much better a fresh green bean tastes compared to the canned version I used to eat. It doesn’t even taste like the same vegetable.
Start with the vegetables that you know you like. Then branch out. Like I said, my vegetable menu consisted of peas, green beans and corn. I remember once being served brussels sprouts as a kid. I gagged and refused to eat more than one…that was a long night at the dinner table. The first year we had the CSA share, there were fresh brussels sprouts one week. At first I didn’t know what to make of them. I believe those eventually went into the trash. The second time around, I thought what the heck, I’ll make them and see if I like them now. Low and behold, I loved them. It could be the preparation or that my tastes have changed, but brussels sprouts are now one of my favorite vegetables. There are also many others that I’ve come to love over the years. So branch out, try new vegetables.
If you eat them, your kids will too.
I grew up in a household that served vegetables from a can. And only a few at that: peas, green beans, and corn. Even as an adult when I did my own grocery shopping, I bought canned vegetables. That’s what I knew. Then I met my husband. He grew up in a much different food culture than I did. He was appalled that I had canned vegetables in the cupboard (of course he didn’t say that at first). So then I began my journey of fresh vegetables. And wow! They actually tasted a lot better. To this day, I’m shocked at how much better a fresh green bean tastes compared to the canned version I used to eat. It doesn’t even taste like the same vegetable.
Start with the vegetables that you know you like. Then branch out. Like I said, my vegetable menu consisted of peas, green beans and corn. I remember once being served brussels sprouts as a kid. I gagged and refused to eat more than one…that was a long night at the dinner table. The first year we had the CSA share, there were fresh brussels sprouts one week. At first I didn’t know what to make of them. I believe those eventually went into the trash. The second time around, I thought what the heck, I’ll make them and see if I like them now. Low and behold, I loved them. It could be the preparation or that my tastes have changed, but brussels sprouts are now one of my favorite vegetables. There are also many others that I’ve come to love over the years. So branch out, try new vegetables.
If you eat them, your kids will too.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Mom, I'm hungry!
How many of you hear this phrase about an hour before dinner is ready? It's too late to give a snack, because then they won't eat their dinner. And dinner is too far off for them to survive without a snack (in the words of my son...he'll die if he doesn't eat something right now). Here's the perfect solution: Put raw vegetables on the table for them to snack on. Many times I wash and cut up whatever vegetable we're having for dinner and let them snack on that. Then if they eat so much they are full and don't eat dinner, you at least know they got their vegetable serving.
In the beginning you may get resistance, such as "But I want a cookie, or I want..." Stand by your guns and let them know if they want something before dinner, this is what is being served. Also, feel free to use the other techniques in this blog such as making up a story about the vegetable or have your child help prepare.
In the beginning you may get resistance, such as "But I want a cookie, or I want..." Stand by your guns and let them know if they want something before dinner, this is what is being served. Also, feel free to use the other techniques in this blog such as making up a story about the vegetable or have your child help prepare.
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Ten times is a charm!
That's right, ten times is a charm. Ten - not one, not two, and not even eight. In other words, you may need to feed your child a vegetable ten times before he/she develops a taste for it.
There are so many times that I've given my kids a vegetable once, and they didn't like it. I'd give up and not serve it to them again. But then I read about the ten times concept. One of the keys to this concept is getting your child to take a bite each of the ten times. If I tell my kids that they just need to take one bite and if they don't like it they do not have to eat any more, they will take the one bite. Sometimes they like it and eat the rest, other times they spit it out and don't eat any more. If your kids aren't even willing to even take one bite, ask them to touch it with their tongue. My friend told me about this technique and it works, too.
Just remember to not give up. Also you may want to serve another vegetable that your kid likes so he/she is still getting a vegetable for dinner.
There are so many times that I've given my kids a vegetable once, and they didn't like it. I'd give up and not serve it to them again. But then I read about the ten times concept. One of the keys to this concept is getting your child to take a bite each of the ten times. If I tell my kids that they just need to take one bite and if they don't like it they do not have to eat any more, they will take the one bite. Sometimes they like it and eat the rest, other times they spit it out and don't eat any more. If your kids aren't even willing to even take one bite, ask them to touch it with their tongue. My friend told me about this technique and it works, too.
Just remember to not give up. Also you may want to serve another vegetable that your kid likes so he/she is still getting a vegetable for dinner.
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Saturday, May 1, 2010
Don’t overcook the veggies!! You’ll kill them.
I’m not talking about your kids, but about the vegetable’s taste and nutrition. I’m not a raw foodist, but I definitely see their point. The more heat applied to a vegetable, the more nutrients that are lost. Also, overcooked vegetables taste like poop – excuse the language.
If you can serve the vegetable raw, that will provide the most nutrition to your child. And even if you don’t like the vegetable raw, your kids may. See my earlier post about my son eating kale and bok choy raw.
If you are going to cook the vegetable, pay attention to it. There are so many times that I get involved with taking care of some argument among the kids or cooking the other parts of the meals, that I forget about the vegetable. I open the lid to the pan and it’s a dark green pile of mush. Shoot! Those are the nights that we have raw dinosaur leaves as our vegetable.
I find that most vegetables only take a few minutes to cook. I always tell my husband, who usually takes care of the meat dish, to give me a 10 minute warning when the meal will be ready. Most vegetables do not take more than that. For instance, I will steam kale for about 10 minutes and then do a quick sauté in sesame oil and a little soy sauce. We steam broccoli for about 5 minutes and it comes out a beautiful green with a little crunch to it. Yum!
Whatever vegetable you are cooking should still be a bright color after it cooks (bright green, orange, red, etc.). If it has started to lose its color, it has probably started to lose its nutrients, too.
If you can serve the vegetable raw, that will provide the most nutrition to your child. And even if you don’t like the vegetable raw, your kids may. See my earlier post about my son eating kale and bok choy raw.
If you are going to cook the vegetable, pay attention to it. There are so many times that I get involved with taking care of some argument among the kids or cooking the other parts of the meals, that I forget about the vegetable. I open the lid to the pan and it’s a dark green pile of mush. Shoot! Those are the nights that we have raw dinosaur leaves as our vegetable.
I find that most vegetables only take a few minutes to cook. I always tell my husband, who usually takes care of the meat dish, to give me a 10 minute warning when the meal will be ready. Most vegetables do not take more than that. For instance, I will steam kale for about 10 minutes and then do a quick sauté in sesame oil and a little soy sauce. We steam broccoli for about 5 minutes and it comes out a beautiful green with a little crunch to it. Yum!
Whatever vegetable you are cooking should still be a bright color after it cooks (bright green, orange, red, etc.). If it has started to lose its color, it has probably started to lose its nutrients, too.
Labels:
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Interesting use of a vegetable
I'm out of town today, but I called home to see how everyone was doing. My husband made mousaka for dinner. There are a lot of things about this dish that our kids do not like (casserole for one and sauce on top as another). When the dish was served to my daughters, they both said "I don't like it" as soon as they saw it. So my husband decided to wrap bites of the mousaka in dinosaur leaves (aka spinach) and served it to the girls that way. They ate it up. So it just goes to show once you get your kids to get a certain vegetable, you can use that as a vessel to get other food digested.
Way to go, honey! Good work.
Way to go, honey! Good work.
Labels:
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It’s OK to play favorites
We all have our favorites…and no, I’m not talking about which kid is your favorite. I’m talking about your favorite vegetables. Your kids have their favorites, too. Make sure you play off them. If you child loves green beans, serve them (of course). But you may try to add in shredded carrots or peas. Now it is very likely your child will pick out his favorite and leave the other vegetable. This is where the marketing campaign starts. You’ll most likely need to sell the new vegetable. But you can make up a story that their favorite vegetable sometimes gets lonely in your child’s stomach and needs a friend. Tell your child that you spoke with the green beans and they said they LOVE carrots. The green beans asked you to see if the green beans and carrots can have a play date. My experience is that the biggest challenge with vegetables is getting your child to try them. Once they realize that their favorite vegetable has a friend, that may be all that is needed. Before long your child will love the “best friend” vegetable, and you’ve added another vegetable to your shopping list.
Labels:
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Little Helper
My son has always asked to help cook/make dinner/set the table. I know it probably won't last, but I definitely take advantage of it now. The one thing that is very easy to have a child help with is washing the vegetables. The first time I asked my son to help wash the vegetables, we were having kale. He asked if he could eat some of it. I said sure, expecting him to take one bite and spit it out. But he ended up eating 2 or 3 stalks. Another time we were washing bok choy, and he ate a couple heads of that too. Then, of course, when his sisters see him eating the raw vegetables they want some too. On these days, my kids have their servings of vegetables before we even sit down at the table for dinner.
When your child has some hand in helping with dinner, they take pride in it. They are much more likely to eat it, also. I also find that when kids feel "forced" to eat their vegetables, it's a good idea to get them involved. Bring them to the grocery store and let them pick the vegetables. Give them choices. If all they ever choose is corn, go with that for a while, then ask them to try one new vegetable a week. Once you get home, ask them to help cook the vegetable (or ask how they would like it). Giving your child some say in the food they are eating (within reason) will let them feel in control. Then the "eat your vegetables" conversation isn't so difficult.
When your child has some hand in helping with dinner, they take pride in it. They are much more likely to eat it, also. I also find that when kids feel "forced" to eat their vegetables, it's a good idea to get them involved. Bring them to the grocery store and let them pick the vegetables. Give them choices. If all they ever choose is corn, go with that for a while, then ask them to try one new vegetable a week. Once you get home, ask them to help cook the vegetable (or ask how they would like it). Giving your child some say in the food they are eating (within reason) will let them feel in control. Then the "eat your vegetables" conversation isn't so difficult.
Labels:
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kids,
preparation,
raw,
vegetables,
veggie mama,
washing
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Textures
Textures (and ways of cooking a vegetable) make a big difference in whether your child will eat it. My son will eat potato chips, hash browns, and french fries, but he won't touch mashed potatoes. He physically gags when he puts it in his mouth.
Before we went on a trip to Florida, I baked kale chips (recipe to come later) to take along in the car. No, I don't try to torture my kids with kale chips. I had a ton of kale and I needed to make it before we left. There was no way we'd eat it all for dinner, so I made the chips. They travel very well. Cooked kale is sometimes a hit at the dinner table, but at times falls flat. It is a very strong-flavored vegetable. So I really did expect that I would be the one that ate the kale chips. But in the middle of the road trip one of my daughters was hungry and we didn't have too many other items left in the car. So I gave her the gallon ziplock bag filled with kale chips. I turned back around to watch the road and forgot that she had the bag. About 30 minutes later I looked back and my daughter had eaten more than half the bag. She had little green kale flakes all over her. She almost cried when I took the bag away from her.
So the point of this is to try different ways of preparing the vegetable if your child doesn't like it one way. Try cooking, sauteing, roasting, grilling, steaming, baking, blanching, dehydrating, pureeing (this won't go over in our house, but maybe yours) or just plain raw.
Next, let's talk about your little helper.
Before we went on a trip to Florida, I baked kale chips (recipe to come later) to take along in the car. No, I don't try to torture my kids with kale chips. I had a ton of kale and I needed to make it before we left. There was no way we'd eat it all for dinner, so I made the chips. They travel very well. Cooked kale is sometimes a hit at the dinner table, but at times falls flat. It is a very strong-flavored vegetable. So I really did expect that I would be the one that ate the kale chips. But in the middle of the road trip one of my daughters was hungry and we didn't have too many other items left in the car. So I gave her the gallon ziplock bag filled with kale chips. I turned back around to watch the road and forgot that she had the bag. About 30 minutes later I looked back and my daughter had eaten more than half the bag. She had little green kale flakes all over her. She almost cried when I took the bag away from her.
So the point of this is to try different ways of preparing the vegetable if your child doesn't like it one way. Try cooking, sauteing, roasting, grilling, steaming, baking, blanching, dehydrating, pureeing (this won't go over in our house, but maybe yours) or just plain raw.
Next, let's talk about your little helper.
Labels:
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Friday, April 23, 2010
To Spice or Not to Spice...
I grew up in a family where salt and pepper were the spices. Sometimes we'd get crazy and have garlic powder. We didn't put a lot of spice in our food and that's how I liked it (and still do from time to time). Now my husband on the other hand puts spices in everything. He has his fire salt, his hot sauce, his creole seasoning. Everything he eats has some type of spice on it. He also loves things that are spicy hot. Lots of jalapenos.
Well, pretty much every baby food recipe book I read said not to put spices in the baby's food. So I didn't. Most of the food was pretty bland and I wouldn't even eat it. Sometimes the kids wouldn't eat it. Then as the kids got older they liked eating what was on our plates (which had the spices since my husband does a lot of the cooking). They loved it.
Once we were at a Mexican restaurant and of course the kids were eating the chips. The girls were about 18 months old. They insisted that we let them dip their chips in the salsa (just like we were doing). I was hesitant because the salsa was pretty spicy for me. But after much begging, crying and causing a scene. I finally said, "Fine. Let them try it. We've got milk to cool them down afterwards." To my surprise the girls loved it and continued dipping their chips in the salsa. They have obviously inherited my husband's taste buds.
So now when I cook vegetables I make them the way I like them or the way my husband likes them. And the kids tend to like them much better than the plain bland ones I used to cook.
Your children most likely have the same tastes as you or your spouse. If you like garlic, it is very possible that your kids will too. So spice it up a bit. Get out the ginger, garlic, cumin, tamarind, sage, thyme, basil, etc. This is also easier in that you don't have to prepare a bland vegetable for your kids and a flavorful one for yourself.
Next up: Textures
Well, pretty much every baby food recipe book I read said not to put spices in the baby's food. So I didn't. Most of the food was pretty bland and I wouldn't even eat it. Sometimes the kids wouldn't eat it. Then as the kids got older they liked eating what was on our plates (which had the spices since my husband does a lot of the cooking). They loved it.
Once we were at a Mexican restaurant and of course the kids were eating the chips. The girls were about 18 months old. They insisted that we let them dip their chips in the salsa (just like we were doing). I was hesitant because the salsa was pretty spicy for me. But after much begging, crying and causing a scene. I finally said, "Fine. Let them try it. We've got milk to cool them down afterwards." To my surprise the girls loved it and continued dipping their chips in the salsa. They have obviously inherited my husband's taste buds.
So now when I cook vegetables I make them the way I like them or the way my husband likes them. And the kids tend to like them much better than the plain bland ones I used to cook.
Your children most likely have the same tastes as you or your spouse. If you like garlic, it is very possible that your kids will too. So spice it up a bit. Get out the ginger, garlic, cumin, tamarind, sage, thyme, basil, etc. This is also easier in that you don't have to prepare a bland vegetable for your kids and a flavorful one for yourself.
Next up: Textures
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Thursday, April 22, 2010
A vegetable by any other name...
OK. So now you've bought organic, local, seasonal vegetables to serve. You've cooked them (I'll post some recipes later), but your kids still won't eat them! Uggghhh! Does anyone else get extremely frustrated when you cook a delicious, healthy meal and your kids take one bite and say they are full? That is one of my biggest pet peeves. More on that later with troubleshooting.
So what do you do? My next few entries will be sharing my techniques that I've used with my children. Many of them I have shared with friends who have tried them on their children. So these are tried and true methods.
Here's my favorite and tends to work really well:
Make up a story around the vegetable. If you've read my first entry in the blog (or seen the title, "Dinosaur Leaves," you'll understand where I'm coming from). Kids have wonderful imaginations. If you make believe the vegetables are something else, they love it. For instance, any kind of leafy greens are dinosaur leaves. My son loves dinosaurs and we made up a story that this is what the dinosaurs ate. Since he loves to pretend to be a dinosaur, he loves to eat the "dinosaur leaves."
Now I warn you, sometimes it doesn't work as well as you'd like. One night my husband made a delicious spinach soup, but it was green and creamy. Our kids have a hard time with soups. There is something about the consistency that they don't like. So I knew it was a long shot that they would eat it, but I thought I'd try. So I told them that the soup was monster boogers. Of course, that made them all smile and groan. But they were all curious of how it would taste. I think my son maybe had three bites and my daughters one each. But had I not made that up, the kids would have automatically said "I don't like this" and not even tried it. Later on I'll talk about having your kids try a vegetable 10 times before you can determine that they really don't like it. So I have one down for spinach soup. Nine more to go.
Other foods and stories that I've made up:
1. Beets - If you have girls (or boys that like lipstick), this is a great game. During the spring and fall we get a ton of beets in our veggie share. I love them and my husband hates them. But I can't eat them all, so I recruit my little ones to help. Because they are so sweet and very nutritious, I wanted to encourage my kids to eat them. I told my daughters that the can use the beets as lipstick. They jumped on this and we had red beet kisses all dinner long. My son joined in also.
2. Romaine leaves - Sometimes I don't have enough time to do a warm vegetable at dinner, so I'll serve lettuce. Rather than chop it up as a salad, I keep the romaine leaves whole and serve them as bunny ears. I usually throw in a carrot, too. This works really well around Easter.
3. Broccoli can be dinosaur trees.
4. Brussels Sprouts are dinosaur cabbages.
5. Shredded carrots are hay stacks or treasure hunt covers.
6. Asparagus are tiny swords
7. Pea pods are cannons with little cannon balls in them - make sure no one loses an eye with this one.
After using this technique for a while, you'll notice that you may not need to "name" the vegetable any more. My kids are so used to eating broccoli and spinach that I don't need to play a game to get them to eat these. They love them and will eat them un-coerced. This also proves my theory that kids will develop the taste for vegetables, like them, and choose to eat them (rather than being forced).
Next entry: To Spice or Not To Spice (I'm not a big Shakespeare fan, but the titles seem to fit)
So what do you do? My next few entries will be sharing my techniques that I've used with my children. Many of them I have shared with friends who have tried them on their children. So these are tried and true methods.
Here's my favorite and tends to work really well:
Make up a story around the vegetable. If you've read my first entry in the blog (or seen the title, "Dinosaur Leaves," you'll understand where I'm coming from). Kids have wonderful imaginations. If you make believe the vegetables are something else, they love it. For instance, any kind of leafy greens are dinosaur leaves. My son loves dinosaurs and we made up a story that this is what the dinosaurs ate. Since he loves to pretend to be a dinosaur, he loves to eat the "dinosaur leaves."
Now I warn you, sometimes it doesn't work as well as you'd like. One night my husband made a delicious spinach soup, but it was green and creamy. Our kids have a hard time with soups. There is something about the consistency that they don't like. So I knew it was a long shot that they would eat it, but I thought I'd try. So I told them that the soup was monster boogers. Of course, that made them all smile and groan. But they were all curious of how it would taste. I think my son maybe had three bites and my daughters one each. But had I not made that up, the kids would have automatically said "I don't like this" and not even tried it. Later on I'll talk about having your kids try a vegetable 10 times before you can determine that they really don't like it. So I have one down for spinach soup. Nine more to go.
Other foods and stories that I've made up:
1. Beets - If you have girls (or boys that like lipstick), this is a great game. During the spring and fall we get a ton of beets in our veggie share. I love them and my husband hates them. But I can't eat them all, so I recruit my little ones to help. Because they are so sweet and very nutritious, I wanted to encourage my kids to eat them. I told my daughters that the can use the beets as lipstick. They jumped on this and we had red beet kisses all dinner long. My son joined in also.
2. Romaine leaves - Sometimes I don't have enough time to do a warm vegetable at dinner, so I'll serve lettuce. Rather than chop it up as a salad, I keep the romaine leaves whole and serve them as bunny ears. I usually throw in a carrot, too. This works really well around Easter.
3. Broccoli can be dinosaur trees.
4. Brussels Sprouts are dinosaur cabbages.
5. Shredded carrots are hay stacks or treasure hunt covers.
6. Asparagus are tiny swords
7. Pea pods are cannons with little cannon balls in them - make sure no one loses an eye with this one.
After using this technique for a while, you'll notice that you may not need to "name" the vegetable any more. My kids are so used to eating broccoli and spinach that I don't need to play a game to get them to eat these. They love them and will eat them un-coerced. This also proves my theory that kids will develop the taste for vegetables, like them, and choose to eat them (rather than being forced).
Next entry: To Spice or Not To Spice (I'm not a big Shakespeare fan, but the titles seem to fit)
Labels:
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Organic or Conventional?
I'm always looking for the bargain. When I go to the grocery store it is physically painful to pay more for a vegetable that looks the same (mostly) as its conventional counterpart. What I have to remind myself over and over is that I'm paying to make sure my kids are not ingesting pesticide residue. Also, by buying organic it supports the small farm (usually local farm) and helps the environment.
Can I taste a difference in the vegetables? Sometimes yes. We bought some organic celery and it was the best celery I'd ever had. It was almost sweet. It wasn't too stringy. I cut the whole bunch up and put it on the table before dinner. Between me and the kids we ate the whole thing. There was no dip, just plain sweet organic celery. I have never done that with conventional celery. I usually will only eat it in a salad, cooked in a recipe or with peanut butter on it.
Now I understand that a lot of you are just as frugal as I am. So here's a list of the vegetables that should be bought organic and those that you can go conventional:
What should be bought organic?
Celery
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes
Spinach
Kale
Lettuce
Carrots
What doesn’t need to be organic?
Asparagus
Avocados
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Sweet corn
Onions
Sweet peas
Eggplant
Cabbage
Sweet potatoes
Also, before you buy fruit check out what should be bought organic (strawberries and grapes on the list). Just google "buying organic fruit."
Can I taste a difference in the vegetables? Sometimes yes. We bought some organic celery and it was the best celery I'd ever had. It was almost sweet. It wasn't too stringy. I cut the whole bunch up and put it on the table before dinner. Between me and the kids we ate the whole thing. There was no dip, just plain sweet organic celery. I have never done that with conventional celery. I usually will only eat it in a salad, cooked in a recipe or with peanut butter on it.
Now I understand that a lot of you are just as frugal as I am. So here's a list of the vegetables that should be bought organic and those that you can go conventional:
What should be bought organic?
Celery
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes
Spinach
Kale
Lettuce
Carrots
What doesn’t need to be organic?
Asparagus
Avocados
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Sweet corn
Onions
Sweet peas
Eggplant
Cabbage
Sweet potatoes
Also, before you buy fruit check out what should be bought organic (strawberries and grapes on the list). Just google "buying organic fruit."
Labels:
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Before my son was born, if we had a vegetable in the house it was rare. If it was fresh, it was even more rare. So when my son was born, I decided we needed to start eating more vegetables. My philosophy is you can't make your kids eat vegetables if you aren't eating them yourself. Rather than go to the vegetable stand and buy the same old vegetables every week, we decided to buy a share in an organic farm. Of course, we took baby steps and split the share with another couple.
How it works: you buy a share in the farm. What that means is you get a box every week with your share of the harvest. The CSA that we belong to drops the boxes at different sites throughout Chicago. There are many convenient places to pick them up at. Or you can usually go to the farm to pick up your box. You generally know what vegetables you'll be getting (based on the season and the farm's predictions). If the farm does well, you have an overflowing box. If there is a drought or blight, you may not get as many vegetables. Even in the "lean years," we've gotten more than enough vegetables.
That first year we struggled to eat all of our veggies. I didn't even know what the kale was. Most of the greens went in the trash. I had never heard of or seen kohlrabi or sunchokes (I still have a problem figuring out these vegetables). But after getting a cookbook to help figure out how to cook some of the veggies, we started eating more and more. By the fourth year we were eating all of our half of the share. So last year (the fifth year) we got a full share and did a pretty good job of eating all the veggies.
The pros of getting a CSA:
1. No need to go to the store for your vegetables. Just pick up your box on Saturday. Saving 15-20 minutes every week not wandering the vegetable stand trying to determine what vegetables to buy is definitely worth it.
2. Get a variety of vegetables that you may not have otherwise tried. As an example, kale and brussel sprouts are now my favorite vegetables. But I would never have bought either of these in the store.
3. You are supporting your local economy.
4. Your vegetables are fresh and seasonal.
5. You can visit the farm to see the vegetables growing. Our CSA has two open houses and our kids can see where their vegetables come from.
6. The cost is about the same, maybe a little more than going to the grocery store. But see #1 above. The time saved definitely makes up the difference.
Our CSA is Angelic Organics (www.angelicorganics.com), which still had some shares available if you are interested.
How it works: you buy a share in the farm. What that means is you get a box every week with your share of the harvest. The CSA that we belong to drops the boxes at different sites throughout Chicago. There are many convenient places to pick them up at. Or you can usually go to the farm to pick up your box. You generally know what vegetables you'll be getting (based on the season and the farm's predictions). If the farm does well, you have an overflowing box. If there is a drought or blight, you may not get as many vegetables. Even in the "lean years," we've gotten more than enough vegetables.
That first year we struggled to eat all of our veggies. I didn't even know what the kale was. Most of the greens went in the trash. I had never heard of or seen kohlrabi or sunchokes (I still have a problem figuring out these vegetables). But after getting a cookbook to help figure out how to cook some of the veggies, we started eating more and more. By the fourth year we were eating all of our half of the share. So last year (the fifth year) we got a full share and did a pretty good job of eating all the veggies.
The pros of getting a CSA:
1. No need to go to the store for your vegetables. Just pick up your box on Saturday. Saving 15-20 minutes every week not wandering the vegetable stand trying to determine what vegetables to buy is definitely worth it.
2. Get a variety of vegetables that you may not have otherwise tried. As an example, kale and brussel sprouts are now my favorite vegetables. But I would never have bought either of these in the store.
3. You are supporting your local economy.
4. Your vegetables are fresh and seasonal.
5. You can visit the farm to see the vegetables growing. Our CSA has two open houses and our kids can see where their vegetables come from.
6. The cost is about the same, maybe a little more than going to the grocery store. But see #1 above. The time saved definitely makes up the difference.
Our CSA is Angelic Organics (www.angelicorganics.com), which still had some shares available if you are interested.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Seasonal Vegetables (for Illinois)
Here are the vegetables and when they are in season for Northern Illinois.
Early Summer
Asparagus
Beets
Choi
Cooking Greens (Kale, Collards, Chard, Spinach, Beet Greens)
Cucumbers
Onions and Scallions
Radishes and Young Turnips
Salad Greens
Sugar Snap Peas
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Late Summer
Carrots
Celery
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic and Garlic Scapes
Green Beans
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Melons
Peppers
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Early Fall
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Daikon Radishes
Parsnips
Potatoes
Rutabagas
Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash
Late Fall
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celeriac
Cooking Greens (Kale, Collards, Chard, Spinach, Beet Greens)
Garlic
Kohlrabi
Onions
Parsnips
Potatoes
Rutabagas
Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash
Early Summer
Asparagus
Beets
Choi
Cooking Greens (Kale, Collards, Chard, Spinach, Beet Greens)
Cucumbers
Onions and Scallions
Radishes and Young Turnips
Salad Greens
Sugar Snap Peas
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Late Summer
Carrots
Celery
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic and Garlic Scapes
Green Beans
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Melons
Peppers
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Early Fall
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Daikon Radishes
Parsnips
Potatoes
Rutabagas
Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash
Late Fall
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celeriac
Cooking Greens (Kale, Collards, Chard, Spinach, Beet Greens)
Garlic
Kohlrabi
Onions
Parsnips
Potatoes
Rutabagas
Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)
Sweet Potatoes
Winter Squash
Labels:
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dinosaur leaves,
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season,
vegetables
Step 1
Step 1 in the words of Special Agent Oso (I love that cute cuddly teddy bear)
Buy vegetables that taste good.
Have you ever had a tomato out of a garden in the middle of the summer? And a tomato from the grocery store in the middle of winter? BIG DIFFERENCE! And that difference is season and travel time. Those grocery store tomatoes in the middle of winter have traveled a very very long time to reach you (unless you live in a warm climate). The tomato has been breed to travel long distances without damage. This need to have tomatoes in the winter has come at a cost...taste. I think the tomato is the most obvious example of my point. But it applies to almost all vegetables (ok, I know a tomato is not a vegetable, but work with me on this).
After you begin to buy your vegetables in season, you'll be able to taste the difference. Go to the farmer's market. Buy the vegetables that are local. On top of getting better taste, you'll also be supporting your local economy.
Oh believe me, there are many times I want asparagus in the fall when I see it in the grocery store (especially when it is on sale). But I need to remind myself that it won't taste like the spring time asparagus. So this time of year, I buy asparagus every time I go to the grocery store. By the time the season has past, I'll have had my fill of asparagus and I'll be ready to move on to the next season - zucchini (zucchini bread, grilled zucchini, zucchini crumble (my husband's favorite dessert)).
One of the easiest ways to get local and eat seasonally is to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)...check out the next blog entry for information on CSA.
Buy vegetables that taste good.
Have you ever had a tomato out of a garden in the middle of the summer? And a tomato from the grocery store in the middle of winter? BIG DIFFERENCE! And that difference is season and travel time. Those grocery store tomatoes in the middle of winter have traveled a very very long time to reach you (unless you live in a warm climate). The tomato has been breed to travel long distances without damage. This need to have tomatoes in the winter has come at a cost...taste. I think the tomato is the most obvious example of my point. But it applies to almost all vegetables (ok, I know a tomato is not a vegetable, but work with me on this).
After you begin to buy your vegetables in season, you'll be able to taste the difference. Go to the farmer's market. Buy the vegetables that are local. On top of getting better taste, you'll also be supporting your local economy.
Oh believe me, there are many times I want asparagus in the fall when I see it in the grocery store (especially when it is on sale). But I need to remind myself that it won't taste like the spring time asparagus. So this time of year, I buy asparagus every time I go to the grocery store. By the time the season has past, I'll have had my fill of asparagus and I'll be ready to move on to the next season - zucchini (zucchini bread, grilled zucchini, zucchini crumble (my husband's favorite dessert)).
One of the easiest ways to get local and eat seasonally is to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)...check out the next blog entry for information on CSA.
Labels:
children,
dinosaur leaves,
kids,
local,
season,
vegetables
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Welcome to Dinosaur Leaves
You may be saying, "What the heck are dinosaur leaves!" Well let me tell you...While trying to get my 3 year old son to eat spinach, I made up that they were leaves that the dinosaurs used to eat. Once I explained that, he couldn't get enough of them. Then, he had a friend over and she wasn't interested in any kind of leafy green. When my son explained that they were dinosaur leaves, she ate three helpings of the leaves.
So I started thinking that this is a much easier and better method for coaxing my son (and later my daughters) to eat their vegetables. On this blog I'll be sharing my tips and techniques for making "Eat Your Vegetables" fun for kids. The tips and techniques have been tested and proven on my kids and friends kids. Now it's your chance to try them out.
So I started thinking that this is a much easier and better method for coaxing my son (and later my daughters) to eat their vegetables. On this blog I'll be sharing my tips and techniques for making "Eat Your Vegetables" fun for kids. The tips and techniques have been tested and proven on my kids and friends kids. Now it's your chance to try them out.
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