Courtesy of Earthbound Farm
Earthbound Farm co-founder Myra Goodman always says that people are surprised that her kids have always loved vegetables, and some even wonder if perhaps they carry a rare gene because they grew up as the children of organic farmers.
"Not so!" she says. "I think the key to having kids enjoy vegetables is to feed them vegetables often, and make it obvious how much YOU enjoy eating them. My kids also grew up gardening, and nothing tastes better than vegetables you grew yourself. Even one cherry tomato plant in a pot on your deck can get kids interested in eating more produce. My kids are teenagers now, and they say they love EVERYTHING about vegetables: the shapes, taste, color, crunch, and how healthy they feel when they eat them.
"I’ve found that almost every child will eat their veggies if they’re presented in a fun and interesting way. Kids love to dip things, and a platter of assorted vegetables served with a tasty dip can keep them happily munching for a long time, eating tons of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fiber."
Try assembling a large assortment of veggies of different colors cut into different shapes that childen can arrange on a platter any way they want. Cut carrots and cucumbers into sticks, circles, and half moons; slice peppers of different colors into strips and squares; buy different types of cherry and grape tomatoes — anything that looks good at the farmer’s market or in your supermarket. Serve the platter with a bowl of this easy-to-make dip with even more veggies in it, as well as the many health benefits of yogurt: calcium, protein, and probiotics. Kids can help measure all these ingredients and press the button that makes the food processor whirl.
1 cup tightly packed Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup organic plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
*Vegetarian, *Gluten-Free
