Sneaky Vegetables!

Posted by Connie Newbauer Sep 3, 2006

Gardening is a wonderful thing. Not only does the whole process bring beauty and color to your yard, a small vegetable garden can yield wonderful things for your supper and the children's lunchbox!

It has not escaped my notice that not every child loves vegetables. A garden can help...bury some of those feelings! As winter progresses, get the children involved in the planning of the spring garden- mapping it out, choosing the varieties to be included, or beginning some of the seeds indoors, if appropriate.

When it comes time to move the preparations outside, involve them in that too! Even the very young like to get in the dirt and make something spring to life by nurturing through weeding and watering.

At harvest, make sure the children are present to feel, smell and see the wonderful things that have sprung from the earth! This is the way food is most healthy for us - before it is cooked and gooped up with sauces and sugar. Encourage them to eat tomatos right from the vine if you haven't used harmful chemicals around your plants!

The bottom line is this: the more involved your child is in choosing, producing, preparing the food he is about to eat, the more likely he is to eat it.

My middle son always made sure he had plenty of peas...in his pocket! It would have been much helathier for him to have them in his tummy!

While shopping, let your children choose between lettuce or spinach leaves for their salad. While preparing supper, let your children set the table, stir the soup or pour the milk. All of these techniques add up to one thing: Increased appetites!

Join me in October for some hints to get wee ones to eat veggies on the sly!