Veggies for Finicky Eaters

Ideas for eating yummy vegetables any time of day!

"Eat your vegetables" or "No dessert until you finish your veggies" are words that don't exactly motivate us to take a sudden fancy to spinach and beets. Most kids will go through a phase in their lives where they just don't like vegetables. Maybe there are just a few plants from this food group that you absolutely avoid, or perhaps you refuse to touch any of them. This is okay. For a little while. If this distaste lasts a long time, or into your adulthood, you are missing out on important nutrients that help you grow properly.

Let's look at what is actually considered a culinary vegetable (used in cooking). The list may surprise you. Along with broccoli, carrots, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, and turnips, there is also a group called legumes (rhymes with "varoom!") that are included in the vegetable list. Beans are part of the legume group. You may eat some of these already. Common legumes include chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, peanuts, and peas. Click on the girl holding carrots to see a long list of culinary vegetables. You will recognize some of the foods, but there are probably many more vegetables you have never seen or heard of before. The average grocery store in America usually offers a small selection of vegetable varieties compared to what is actually grown throughout the world.

Just knowing your vegetable options is probably not enough incentive to change your attitude about this food group. After all, many of us still have images in our head from school meals where the vegetables were served up as lonely, overcooked, and mushy sides to the rest of lunch.

But vegetables and YOU deserve better treatment. Here are some serving ideas for vegetables with examples after each. Ask your parents or an adult for help in the kitchen if you haven't made similar recipes before.


Breakfast - Winter Squash Pancakes
Lunch - Technicolor Vegetable Pizzas
Dinner - Vegetarian Chili
Soups- Lentil Soup
Salads - Light Broccoli Salad
Smoothies -Spinach Shake (click to see secret ingredients)
Snacks - White Bean Dip for Veggies
Dessert - Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake (delicious even without the glaze!)

Share your own veggie preparation ideas in the comments below, or let us know if you tried and liked any of the above recipes.
"Fresh Veggies in Market", "Dry Beans" and "Girl Holding Carrots" Images courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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