There is a lot of talk around here about classroom "crushes", and fortunately, my boys are still young enough to tell me all about them. This boy has a crush on this girl, but she has a crush on another boy. This girl has a crush on this boy, and he has a crush on her as well. I asked my older son, Mark, if anyone had a crush on him. Yes, he said but he does not share her feelings. The reason, when pressed, was revealed to be as follows: she is nice but she is bad at math and doesn't like vegetables.
Score! My work here is done. If being good at math and eating lots of vegetables is the standard, then I'm looking forward to my future daughters-in-law. Jake, for the record, looks for a girl who is nice and smart and pretty and blonde.
You win some...
I do find it funny how many people - not just children, but grown people - profess to dislike vegetables. There are just so many delicious ways of preparing vegetables. However, I do have one child who does not like any cooked vegetables, and I do empathize with him. After all, I love fruits but cooked fruits - in pie, crisp, or stewed form - are shudder-inducing for me. I choose my battles and so he gets all his vegetables in salads or as crudites, either straight up or with dip.
If you have a reluctant veggie eater, perhaps a nice dip would be in order? Vegetables used as a conduit for dip consumption are just as nutrient packed as those eaten plain. This dip can be made with regular mayonnaise, or with homemade vegan mayonnaise, if dairy and eggs are an issue (recipe follows).
Nicole's Dilly Veggie Dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk or almond milk with 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together, allow to refrigerate for 1-2 hours to let the flavours blend.
Vegan Mayonnaise
In a blender on high speed, blend together 2/3 cup canola oil, 1/3 cup almond milk, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and mustard. While the blender is running, slowly add up to 1 teaspoon vinegar until mixture achieves desired thickness.
I hated vegetables as a kid, too. H-A-T-E-D.
ReplyDeleteNow I happily eat most of them. Like your son, I prefer raw to cooked. I love me a creative salad. Some are still just vile (I'm looking at you, brussell sprouts). For the rest, it's amazing what a difference baking in a casserole or sauteing until just crisp in some broth and garlic can do.
I didn't like vegetables growing up and this is because I was raised in an irish household where everything -- EVERYTHING!! -- was boiled until mushy and flavourless. Then I married a lovely man who has a penchant for stir frying and making his own spice mixes and now I enjoy vegetables.
ReplyDeleteMy cure for picky eaters is time. Hunger induced growth spurts at age 9 have cured both of my boys of their finickiness.
I hope my children marry Trekkies.
Do you think that vegan recipe would work with rice milk? It doesn't curdle like other vegan milks, so would it get thick enough?
ReplyDeleteGuess I'll have to try it - I'm always on the lookout for vegan friendly recipes for my kid.