As a parent I expected to receive push-back from our kids about vegetables. I’ve become almost immune to that look of horror when a new veggie shows up at dinner and the kids are all sure they’re going to HATE it. But they try it and, most of the time, do just fine. However, I’ve been surprised at how many adults still view veggies as something to be avoided at all costs. We want our kids to eat them because we know they’re healthy, but we’ve convinced ourselves that they’re simply something to be tolerated and certainly not enjoyed.
My 1-on-1 clients are challenged periodically to try something a little out of their comfort zone…try spaghetti squash in place of pasta, give beets a try, see how fresh broccoli compares to frozen and attempt to eat 5 or more servings of vegetables a day (not all in 1 day!). Sometimes, I think they agree to try it simply to prove to me that they were right when they said they hated a certain vegetable. I’ve lost count of the number of times they’ve written back, surprised (and sometimes a bit sheepish) because they actually LIKED the food!
I’ve certainly fallen into this trap myself. I grew up believing I hated collard greens, beets and most squash for a variety of reasons. My mom doesn’t like cooked greens so she didn’t serve them. My grandmother made pickled beets and I thought all beets tasted like that…eww! (Sorry to the pickled beet lovers out there!) And I just didn’t have much experience with squash and my first attempts at cooking it were not inspiring. It wasn’t until I was an adult and I forced myself to try greens that I realized I LOVE them! I’m not a huge beet lover, but I’ve found some recipes that I really do enjoy them in and I’ve become a much better cook and all kinds of squash show up on our table now. With these lessons learned I thought I was doing a great job of exposing my kids to all kinds of veggies…until we realized we had 2 kids who love cucumbers, but had never eaten them because I don’t like them much and wasn’t buying them. Same with celery…its not my thing so I wasn’t serving it but I have kids who do like it when I make it available (which I forget to do).
The point is, a little experiment every now and then is good for all of us! Try a new food. Try a new recipe. Ask a friend who LOVES a challenging veggie how they prepare it and give it a try. You may find you truly don’t love it…or you may find a new favorite food. 🙂
