Tips and tricks from a gardening Mom on how to get your kids (and stubborn adults) to eat more veggies. This is high summer in the garden and wow is there a LOT of fresh food coming in.
Really, how are we supposed to make dinner EVERY night?!? Not to mention, breakfast, lunch and ALL THE SNACKS… Even with easy to incorporate veggies like cucumbers and green beans, we can all get in a rut.
Since “Food is Fun” is one of my mottos, I’ve gathered a few simple tricks over the years… And these are different than the hide the veggies in the food ideas- which I used to do, but really we should be loud + proud when we eat more veggies!
PS- There is NO SUBSTITUTE for home grown / locally grown produce because when food naturally tastes good it is easy to eat!
Snack Tray
AKA ‘kid version’ of the Charcuterie board… chopping raw veggies and slicing cheese, putting out a few nuts, crackers, sourdough and of course some dips like hummus and dressings… and boom meal complete.
**Look for different colors, shapes and sizes of familiar foods.** There are ‘Lemon’ and ‘Dragon Egg’ cucumbers to keep them eating more. Purple, yellow, red and white carrots are pretty cool too!
Sauté Saves the Day
This high heat browning technique is quickest way to add layers of flavor to veggies. Starting with onion + garlic, toss in larger chunks/slower to cook veggies first, then and add shredded veggies- and maybe some peppers or tomatoes for flavor. One of my favorite combos is chard,kale or beet greens with onion and garlic and adding in some tomato to up the acidity and create a little sauce base.
Just Grill It
Like roasting in the winter, grilling in the summer adds so much flavor to food! A family favorite is roasted peppers, onions + zucchini, with an olive oil and salt + pepper prep. The fun part is drizzling a little dressing on afterwards. Salad Girl’s “Curry Fig” is phenomenal on zucchini after- or if you place veggies on foil while grilling, marinating in it first.
Shape Shift
My mandolin is a meal saver, because I can shred zucchini into coleslaw or a salad base, I can shave carrots, beets or kohlrabi into ribbons or sheets, or even regular old cabbage into instant salads- using the same tried and true veggies my family loves- but presenting them in different ways makes it more fun for my kids – and I’ll be honest- more fun me and my hubby too.
Herbal Appeal
Most of us have a few potted herbs around, this is the time to use them! Most herbs do much better after getting a pruning anyway, and you’ll add fresh intense flavors to your meals. Thyme with lemony dishes, of course adding basil to Italian dishes, and chives to anything with eggs (including hard boiled) just brightens up the flavors. I’ll also add in that many herbs are VERY easy to dry simply by hanging if you start snipping and realize you have a LOT of green!
Quickles
Quick pickling is a life saver as the dog days of summer wear on- I use a simple quick pickle recipe- and I have found adding a little of Salad Girl’s “Lemony Herb” to the mix goes a long way… Any veggie you enjoy raw makes a good candidate for these. From cucumbers, carrots, green beans, radishes, zucchini, cauliflower…all great ways to eat more veggies.
Basic Quick Pickle Recipe
1 Cup cider vinegar, 1 Cup water, ¼ honey or sugar, 1 T kosher salt. Heat brine to dissolve and combine, pour over jars packed with veggies, seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Enjoy for a few weeks, if they last that long.
Adding quick pickles to salads is a great way to jazz up salads that soak up lots of flavor- also amazing over potatoes. This recipe is meant to be played with so make it your own! My seasonings have included; mustard seeds, garlic, fennel leaves, dill, onion slices, peppercorn, hot peppers, bell peppers, ginger, any garden fresh herbs).
Ferment It!
Another, healthier version of pickling is fermentation, and it doesn’t use vinegar- but you end up with that puckering taste, plus TONS of amazing gut friendly good bacteria… if you’re interested check out my blog on different ways to pickle + ferment your beans, cucumbers, carrots etc. into crispy, crunchy snacks that last months in your refrigerator.
Summer Fun
I love summer – and spending it OUTSIDE is key… so I try hard to make fast work of preserving and putting up food now to enjoy all winter long. Don’t forget you can freeze things like tomatoes and shredded zucchini to cook with later.
**There’s a reason meal kit services are all the rage right now… but that’s just not my world and the packaging, delivery and processing takes adds up to a hefty carbon footprint that takes a toll on our world too.**
I hope this helps you find new ways to remind yourself that Food is Fun! Please share your tips for getting your family to eat more veggies too!
Dig In,
Michelle
