Begging for Brussels Sprouts

Posted by Stephanie Gallagher Mar 29, 2007

I used to look at books with titles like Vegetable Love and Vegetable Magic and wonder what the heck anyone could possibly find so wonderful about vegetables.

No, I wasn't a born vegetable lover. In fact, it wasn't until I hit my late twenties that I even had any interest in any vegetables beyond carrots and lettuce.

In retrospect, I think it was because my mother just didn't know how to cook them. To her, preparing vegetables meant taking a bag of peas or green beans out of the freezer, heating them on the stove (for way too long), and putting them in a bowl. No salt. No butter. No seasoning.

Despite the fact that I come from a long line of farmers, my mother didn't serve fresh vegetables, other than tomatoes or zucchini, very often. So to me, vegetables were bland, mushy, funny-smelling and tasteless.

As an adult, I made it my mission to expand my own palate, and in the process, I've discovered a new love for everything from butternut squash to broccoli.

What I've learned is that the preparation makes all the difference. If the kids won't eat Brussels sprouts, try roasting them with potatoes and bacon. The roasting brings out the natural sugars in the vegetables, and the bacon gives them a salty, savory flavor that just about all kids love.

If they won't eat spinach, serve it in a quiche mixed with lots of cheese. And if they quiver at the idea of anything green, serve them roasted garbanzo beans, a protein- and fiber-packed vegetable that tastes like roasted nuts.

Whether it's a snack of beet chips, or zucchini pizza, there's an appetizing way to get kids to love veggies if you're willing to try different methods of preparation.