Getting kids to eat and enjoy Vegetables

 I love gardening!  Fresh produce picked straight from the ground in your own backyard is something special.   My kids don’t particularly enjoy vegetables, but having them see the growing process has really helped encourage them to try more. Rosalina has been my biggest garden helper, but this morning I got all three princesses out helping me pick peas, then shell them – all before breakfast.

 

 

This morning we picked about 1 lb of peas, and still have around 3-4 lbs still growing. Venice does not like vegetables at all. I mean I’m talking it’s pulling teeth to get her to eat any kind of vegetable. So this morning when she shelled her first pea and I asked if she would like to try it, I was taken back when she did!  Imagine my surprise when she then told me she liked it. I knew there was something special about homegrown produce. 

 

 

Peas are good in so many things – by themselves, in a salad, on top of spaghetti (you should totally read Muskrat, Muskrat, Eat Your Peas!), cooked as a side. Plus they are wonderfully good for you.I ran into a problem though. Since I’ve never had such a large garden, I got a little overexcited, and planted my whole packet of peas. I’ve now got at least 20 – maybe more – pea plants growing with peas galore. As much as I would love to just sit out there and eat peas all day, I do want them to last. So although today’s pound of peas will be kept nicely in the fridge for daytime snacking by all, the next 4+ pounds I pick will need to be frozen. The great thing about frozen peas, is that they will stay fresh for up to a year. I found some easy instructions to freeze peas over at Out Standing in the Garden.

Although I don’t need to weigh the peas before freezing, I was curious about how much I picked. I loved having the new MIRA Glass Platform Digital Kitchen Scale to do this on. There is a tare function that came in nicely to get an accurate weight. Not only that, but you can also weigh in grams, pounds, and ounces.  The scale is small in size, but in the kitchen that’s exactly what you need!  I haven’t had a problem storing it out of the way, while still having quick and easy access to it.

I know I’ll be using the scale a lot in the future as I can and preserve more garden produce. The rhubarb is next on our list!  I can use the scale to measure exact amount of the fruits, and then freeze them in proportions for one pie. So handy!

In the meantime though, I’m going to have the kids help me pick the rhubarb and then we’ll try dipping it in sugar. What kid doesn’t dream of dipping their fruit/veggies in sugar?  Try this Rhubarb Fool. We’ll continue our gardening adventure, and I’ll keep you updated on how the kids eating habits change. For now though, I am seeing more interest in food, and a little more bravery in trying something new.

How do you get your kids to enjoy Vegetables?