100 new foods

Green cabbage

green_cabbage_picky_eater_picky_eating_kids_FeedMeDearly

Our experiment with green cabbage serves to illustrate an important point when you’re dealing with kids: they’re fickle. Mark my words (in fact, look them up on the site, they’re there for all eternity), the kids liked red cabbage. Loved it. Inhaled it. Which led me to believe that they’d likewise inhale green cabbage. And although Sam was a taker, this gorgeous veg wasn’t received well across the board. But even if I have one victory, it’s a major victory…

ME: Who knows what this is?

SAM: Cabbage.

IN UNISON: Green Cabbage.

SAM: It looks like cheese inside…

ME: Green Cabbage. That’s right. OK. Do you think it’s going to taste the same or different as red cabbage?

SAM: The same.

LAUREN: Different.

EMMA: Different.

ME: Yeah? OK. Let me give you each a piece. You think you’re going to like it? Because you guys love red cabbage right?

ME:  You love Red Cabbage right?

(silence)

ME: OK, maybe loved is the operative word.

EMMA: I want one of that cabbage.

ME: So, do you want a crunchy piece from the inside or a softer, greener piece?

EMMA: Crunchy.

LAUREN: I want a crunchy piece.

ME: And then you can compare it to the softer piece on the outside.

SAM: UMM…I’ll try it.

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100 new foods

Pattypan squash

pattypan_FeedMeDearly

There were lots of colorful descriptions (thankfully PG) of pattypan squash this week. There was some debate, some tasting, and for the first time in weeks….a hit, a hit everyone! We’ve got ourselves a winner. Despite not enjoying zucchini and yellow squash (except in noodle form), pattypan was a success. Which goes to show that with kids, introducing a vegetable with a funny shape and an even funnier name is half the battle. I don’t often include the audio but when it’s a good discussion, I can’t help but share it, so be sure to click the audio link below if you want to hear the conversation live.

SAM: What’s that?

ME: What do you think it is?

LAUREN: I know what it is. I think it’s a tomato.

ME: Do you guys all want to hold it?

EMMA: I wanna hold it!

ME: OK, don’t fight over it. Lauren’s first. Lauren?

EMMA: [crying]

ME: She’s going to pass it to you next.

ME: What is it?

SAM: No, I’m next!

LAUREN: Smells like some green.

ME: Smells like a green?

LAUREN: Yeah.

ME: OK. Who’s holding it next?

SAM: ME ME ME!

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100 new foods

Golden beets

golden beets_FeedMeDearly

Since I cooked the red beets last time (a mystery food failure), I thought I’d try the kids with golden beets. And this time, I’d be a little more strategic and make them into something that’s a little more familiar…chips. The kids love kale chips, so I figured this wouldn’t be too far removed. Their response was lukewarm – initially positive, then we trended hard and fast to the dreaded no way, no how, never again territory. Fortunately peas came to the rescue.

ME: Hey guys, guess what I made?

LAUREN: Beets.

ME: Yeah.  They’re chips I made with beets.

LAUREN: Ok.

ME: Do you want to try them?  Because you didn’t love beets last time, but maybe you’ll like beets this time if they’re in a chip form.  So Lauren’s eating the golden beets.

SAM: Me, too.

ME: Yeah, I’m going to have one, too.

[tasting the chips]

ME: What do you guys think?

LAUREN: Yummy.

SAM: Yummy.

ME: Yummy?  No, way! 

SAM: It tastes like real chips.

ME: It tastes like real chips?  Pretty awesome, right?  And, they’re made from beets.  Emma, do you want to try?

LAUREN: I like the red one more (I threw in a few red ones for comparison).

ME: Yeah?  The golden ones are bigger so they’re a little chewier on the inside, but they’re pretty good right?  Would you eat a whole bowl of those?

LAUREN: Of the red ones.

ME: Of the red ones?  Guess how many beets are in this.

SAM: Eleven.
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100 new foods

Fava beans

favabeans

Fava beans are one of those vegetables that I have to order anytime I see them on a menu. Yes, I love their delicate flavor, but the main reason is that I know how much prep work is required. What vegetable has to be peeled…twice? Once to remove their outer shell, as you would do with an English pea. And then once again to remove them from their inner shell. The good news here is that the kids were willing to do all of the work. The bad news? They hated them. One of our worst failures to date.

ME: Ok guys, this one is called…

SAM: Fava beans

ME: Fava beans.  Ok.  Now, you cannot eat them like this (in the shell).  Why?

SAM: Because it’s still the shell.

ME: Yes, these have to be shelled twice.  Isn’t that interesting?  So you shell them — Emma don’t eat them like that because you’re about to eat it with the shell on.  That needs to be shelled so you need to take off the skin.  See, Lauren’s doing it the right way.  You want to pull it out of its shell.  Who wants to pull it out of its shell?  Sam’s working really hard on his fava bean. 

EMMA: Yucky.

SAM: She said yucky.

ME: Yeah.  If you’ve got a little piece of bean, you put it into this shelled bowl.  Don’t put the wrappers in the bowl, because we want to be able to eat these later.  Ok.  Who wants to smell the fava beans? 

SAM: I’m working really hard!

ME: You just got it out.  Good job, high five.

SAM: But I broke it.

ME: Yeah.  That’s all right.

ME: Ok.  So, who wants to try their fava bean first?

EMMA: I don’t want to try it Mommy.

ME: You what?  You don’t want to?  Well, let’s smell it first.  Smell it.  What does it smell like?

LAUREN: Ooops. 

SAM: [burps]

ME: Oh Sam, what do you say if you burp?

KIDS: [laughing]

SAM: Thank you.
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