A is for Asparagus
Asparagus? Kids’ food? Have I lost my mind?
Nope. But trust me on this one. My daughter went through a phase where she would eat anything. Now, pushing age 5, she has decided that she most certainly does not like a number of vegetables, especially those of the green variety. And since I was forced to eat a raw tomato wedge practically every day of my life in the hope that I would some day learn to love them (I didn’t), I am treading carefully on the battle of the green vegetables. One day, while munching on chips with Katie in the kitchen, it dawned on me: it’s all about the dip. And now my best friend is crudites.
Spring Crudites… Or How to Make Your Children Eat Green Vegetables Without Really Trying
Try any three (or more) of:
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 stalk broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, and cut into strips
1 bunch radishes, cut into quarters
4 medium carrots, cut into 3 inch long sticks
1 small zucchini or summer squash, cut into 3 inch long sticks
1 medium cucumber, cut into 3 inch long sticks
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
Okay, here’s the key… Arrange all the vegetables on a fun serving platter and serve with dip. My kids love ranch dip. Hubby loves blue cheese. I enjoy french onion. Try a bunch of different kinds and see what seems to be the favorite. You can buy “real” dip, make your own or use salad dressing. If you’re concerned about the fat content, you can use a reduced-fat dressing.
So simple it’s crazy. And it works.
asparagus, vegetables, crudites
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April 2nd, 2007 at 11:12 am
My son, at 21 months, has suddenly decided he doesn’t want to eat veggies. I may have to try out the dip idea and see if it gets me anywhere.
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Let me know what happens.
Katie used to eat everything - I’m so not kidding. Even wasabe peas. And now she’s decided that she doesn’t like “salad” which is what she calls anything green. But add dip? The kid is an eating machine. I think it’s a control thing.
And the fact that dip is just tasty.
April 3rd, 2007 at 9:35 pm
[...] Because today’s post is about snacks. And not carrots and celery (though I’m certainly not dissing vegetables!). But I’m talking about chips, pretzels and puffed cheese doodles - you know, yummy store bought snacks. [...]