Students in Asheville Middle School’s IRL class taste some greens and as they decide which ones to add to a stir fry. Kids can be scared of unfamiliar vegetables. Spring is a great time of year to introduce children to new foods fresh from the garden. KATE JUSTEN/SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT
Take time to introduce new veggies By Kate Justen WNC Parent columnist
Think back to your childhood. Did you ever hear these words spoken in your house? “Stop playing with your food.” I know I did. The dinner table was a pretty serious place. Mom worked hard preparing the meal, and we were supposed to sit and politely “clean your plate.”
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Vegetable caterpillars Cherry tomatoes Cucumbers, sliced Snap peas, halved Sweet bell peppers, cut about the size of a postage stamp Zucchini, sliced Lettuce leaves Toothpicks
Place cut vegetables in bowls or on a cutting board in the center of the table. Give each person a few toothpicks. Put
Now, I would challenge you as a parent to start encouraging your wonderful young ones to begin playing with their food. I am not talking about re-enacting the scene from “A Christmas Story,” when Randy is building a mashed potato sculpture. The dinner table is still a place to eat a meal as a family with polite manners and, yes, clean your plate as long as it is full of yummy veggies. One of the most common responses I
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vegetables on the toothpicks to create a multicolored caterpillar. Place caterpillars on lettuce leaves and serve. Tips: » Let kids eat as many of the veggies as they want while creating the caterpillars. Kids will say the do not like certain veggies but will end up munching on them while working. » Let older kids cut the vegetables for the younger children » Take or draw pictures of the finished product before you eat.
get with new FEAST classes is “I’m scared.” Now, who ever heard of being scared of fresh vegetables? I will admit that some of them can look a little strange the first time you see them. Kohlrabi is my favorite strange looking vegetable, and it is also a good prop for alien stories. As parents, we need to do our part is exposing our children to fresh produce so they at least know what it is. Many children do not feel comfort-