5 Veggies Kids Hate and How to Make it Fun for them to Eat – One Green Planet

Your child sees the bag of carrots on the table… the tree of broccoli… the greens taking over… and the battle ensues. Well, here are some ideas to make sure you will always win the war of Hungry, Candy-Craving Kid vs. Healthy, Concerned Parent! The bottom line is, vegetables provide nutrients that we all need in order to survive and live long, fulfilling, active lives; and of course, getting these nutrients is especially important for growing children. I can admit that certain vegetables may seem bland and tasteless without given the right amount of love; for me, these vegetables have always been: carrots, broccoli, spinach (and other dark leafy greens, like kale, which weren’t nearly as trendy when I was kid), mushrooms, and zucchini. There are many keys to making these vegetables come alive with flavor. One is learning which herbs, spices, vinegars, and oils go well with the vegetable; that way, you can make easy vegetable side dishes to go with your dinners. Another is learning how to make the right dips and sauces that go with the vegetable so you can eat it raw. We’ve all noticed what an amazing difference it can make to dip some celery in some ranch dressing (or, even better, vegan ranch dressing) instead of eating it raw.

Clean Food by Terry Walters, a seasonal vegan cookbook with hundreds of easy and healthy recipes, has an excellent “What’s That?” guide, providing readers with comprehensive nutrition facts on each and every ingredient that she uses in the cookbook. And her recipes using these ingredients are innovative, kid-friendly and fun to make.

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of Americas Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg also provides an amazingly comprehensive–i.e. 350 pages–“flavor matchmaking” guide, providing alphabetical lists of any and all vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and spices that you could possibly think of, and any and all flavors that go with it.

Now that I’ve learned how to cook with these vegetables, my (food) life has gotten so much better, and your family’s can too!

 1. CARROTS

Growing up, my parents insisted that we ate tons and tons of carrots, because my brother has worn glasses all of his life, and even got laser eye surgery at the age of 10. Rumor has it that carrots are great for your eyesight, and so my mother always made roasted maple-glazed carrots as a side dish for dinner, so that everyone in my family can always make sure that they can see what they are eating. 🙂 Carrots are plentiful in the winter, when many other vegetables hibernate, so as the days get cooler and shorter, you’ll know it’s a good time to start getting creative with carrots.

Nutrients: Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Potassium

Spices, herbs, oils, and vinegars: allspice, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, sea salt, basil, chives, parsley, olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, vegan butter

Vegetable, fruit, nut, legume, and seed accompaniments: chili peppers, peas, oranges, almonds, black beans, mustard seeds

Dips and sauces: vegan greek yogurt or sour cream, maple syrup, soy sauce or tamari

Recipe: Coconut-Fried Avocado Rolls with Raw Vegetables 

Ingredients:

• 1 package rice paper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 avocados
• 1 mango, shredded
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 teaspoon ground garlic
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Soak rice paper in water for 1 minute. Spread the shredded coconut out evenly on a plate and carefully slice the avocado, removing the pit. Roll the slices of avocado in the coconut until they are covered.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut avocado slices, two at a time, and fry until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and place on a paper-towel lined plate.

Create a workspace by placing the ingredients in the following order: rice paper, 1 large bowl of warm water, coconut-fried avocado, mango, carrots, fresh ginger, garlic, and sea salt. Soak the rice paper in the water for one minute, so it is sticky but not damp. Layer the avocado, mango, carrots, and ginger inside, and sprinkle with garlic and sea salt. Folding in the insides of the wrapper first, roll mixture into the rice paper and seal. Continue until either the filling or wrappers run out.

Serve the rolls with some tamari or soy sauce for dipping and enjoy!

2.  BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER 

Oh, broccoli and cauliflower, the beautiful trees of food. My parents had a quick, easy fix for my unfortunate dislike of broccoli as a child: melting cheese on it. Usually they’d just take a slice of American cheese and that was that: I got my veggies and my dairy alongside what was usually a slab of meat. I’ve gotten more inventive with broccoli since becoming vegan, and now it’s one of my favorite vegetables.  I use it in stir fries and tempuras, or I just roast it with some oils and spices. Still, melted cheese and broccoli do go hand-in-hand in many ways, and luckily, OGP has an amazing guide to vegan cheeses, 10 Homemade Vegan Cheeses That Will Knock Your Socks Off. I’d recommend the Kick Ace Extra Sharp Raw Vegan Cheddar Cheese Ball or the Vegan Pepper Jack Cashew Cheese!

Broccoli and cauliflower also peak in winter, so you can stay healthy (and extra warm with the use of the oven!) in the colder months.

Nutrients: Calcium, Iron, Protein, Vitamin C, Fiber

Spices, herbs, oils, and vinegars: coriander, curry, cilantro, sea salt, black pepper, tarragon, thyme, olive oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar

Vegetable, fruit, nut, legume, and seed accompaniments: carrots, garlic, onions, scallions, lemon, almonds, mustard seeds

Dips and sauces: vegan hollandaise (How To Make Classic Sauces Vegan), vegan cheese (especially cheddar, feta, goat, and Parmesan), soy sauce or tamari, vegetable stock, red wine

Recipe: Roasted Wisdom Tree Salad 

Ingredients:

• 1 broccoli, with head cut into florets and stem chopped
• 1 cauliflower, with heat cut into florets and stem chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup marcona almonds

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large glass baking dish, combine broccoli florets and stems with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes and remove. Stir in marcona almonds and serve.

3. DARK LEAFY GREENS 

Well, I’m not sure I really need to go into detail about how trendy kale is right now – but I will say how awesome it felt when I got a group of forty kids to love kale. The year after graduating college, I started a cooking club at the elementary school that I worked at in Boulder County, Colorado as an after school program supervisor; each week, the head supervisor and I would choose a healthy recipe for the kids to make, buy ingredients, and spend about an hour during the program making and eating our creations. One week, we made a kale salad with olive oil, grated fresh ginger, sea salt, avocado, strawberries, scallions, cucumbers, bell peppers, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, and it came out amazing. The kids even asked their parents to ask me for the recipe so they could eat some kale salad at home!

So much can be done with kale, chard, mustard greens, and collard greens. If you’ve got a skillet, try simply sautéing in olive oil, garlic, and grated fresh ginger. If you’ve got a juicer, mix with some cucumbers, lemons, and carrots. If you’ve got a large pot or dutch oven, add some greens to your soups and stews.

Nutrients: collard greens (calcium, manganese, chlorophyll, antioxidant vitamins A and C) kale (vitamins A and C, calcium, fiber, chlorophyll, phytonutrients. Eating kale also builds the immune system and helps fight diseases such as cancer, cataracts, arthritis, and inflammation; so there really is no excuse not to eat it.), mustard greens (calcium, phytonutrients, also helps fight cancer, heart and lung disease, and hot flashes during menopause [which, if your children are teenagers, could be really beneficial]).

Spices, herbs, oils, and vinegars: ginger, turmeric, sea salt, basil, chives, oregano, thyme, olive oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, red wine vinegar, mirin

Vegetable, fruit, nut, legume, and seed accompaniments: garlic, scallions, onions, lemon, sweet potatoes, mangoes, cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, white beans, chickpeas, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

Dips and sauces: tomato sauce, soy sauce or tamari, vegetable stock, vegan sour cream, vegan Parmesan cheese

Recipe: Crispy Kale Chips with Pomegranate Salsa 

Chips:

• 1 bunch kale or rainbow chard, or a mixture of both
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Sea salt

Preheat oven to 400. Lather leaves in olive oil and sea salt and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until leaves are crispy.

Salsa:

• 1 pomegranate
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup red onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch cayenne pepper

Remove pomegranate seeds from pomegranate and place in a bowl. Add roasted red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, cilantro, and tomato paste. Season to taste with sea salt and cayenne pepper and serve.

4. MUSHROOMS

It always disappoints me when I get a salad or dish where they’ve done nothing with the mushrooms except chop them; and that’s because there is just so much you can do with mushrooms, so leaving them chopped like that is simply the laziest thing you can do ever. I also love how many varieties of mushrooms there are; gourmets like shiitakes, chanterelles, oysters, and trumpets are fun to indulge in when I have the budget; but, truly, Portobello mushrooms hold a very permanent place in my Italian-food-loving heart. The thing to remember about mushrooms is that, like tofu, it acts as a sponge to any flavors you cook it with, so it’s hard to go wrong with adding mushrooms to most dishes.

Nutrients: Fiber, Potassium, Vitamin C, Manganese

Spices, herbs, oils, and vinegars: chives, oregano, rosemary, thyme, paprika, black pepper, olive oil, truffle oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, red wine, balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar

Vegetable, fruit, nut, legume, and seed accompaniments: garlic, leeks, parsley, shallots, lemon, potatoes, fennel, spinach, kale, tomatoes, cannellini beans, pine nuts, walnuts, chestnuts

Dips and sauces: vegan cream, vegan cheese (especially goat cheese, gorgonzola, and ricotta), melted vegan butter, soy sauce or tamari, vegetable stock

Recipe: Oven-roasted Portobello Mushrooms With Tofu Ricotta Stuffing 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 Portobello mushrooms
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dried basil (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• 1 8 oz. package firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon miso (mellow white or chickpea)
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup Marcona almonds
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• sea salt and pepper to taste

To prepare ricotta: Mash tofu and stir in remaining ingredients, and mash again thoroughly, until ricotta texture is reached. Store in the fridge.

To prepare mushrooms: Preheat oven to 400. Prepare Portobello mushrooms by removing caps and brushing with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, top with 1 tablespoon of fresh or dried herbs, and a generous amount of pepper. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes and set aside until stuffing is ready.

To prepare stuffing: Soak sun-dried tomatoes in warm water for 15 minutes to soften. Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil and dried herbs over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and lemon, and sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Mix together the tofu ricotta and veggie mixture and stuff into Portobello mushrooms. Top with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, remove, and serve.

 5. ZUCCHINI and YELLOW SQUASH

Zucchini and yellow squash, upon first glance, are not a kid’s first choice at the produce aisle, but like all of these other vegetables, there are oodles of ways to make these summer squashes come alive. They’re also easy to grow if you’re able to have a garden in the summertime. A simple way to enjoy some squash is to slice into thin slices, marinade in some teriyaki sauce or balsamic vinaigrette, and grill for 5 minutes on each side.

Nutrients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Protein, Iron, Magnesium

Spices, herbs, oils, and vinegars: black pepper, sea salt, basil, oregano, olive oil, walnut oil, balsamic vinegar, champagne vinegar, red wine vinegar

Vegetable, fruit, nut, legume, and seed accompaniments: eggplant, bell peppers, chili peppers, onions, garlic, parsley, tomatoes, cannellini beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, pecans, pine nuts

Dips and sauces: vegan cheese (especially feta, goat, Parmesan, pecorino, ricotta), vegan marjoram, tomato sauce, melted vegan butter, vegan sour cream, vegan yogurt, pesto

Recipe: White Bean and Veggie Pasta In Balsamic Vinegar 

• 1 package fusilli or penne pasta
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (plus more for drizzling)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion (I suggest 1/2 red, 1/2 white or yellow), thinly sliced
• 1 zucchini, quartered
• 6-8 baby bella or other small brown mushrooms, destemmed and quartered
• 1 can white beans (great northern or cannellini are great)
• salt & pepper

Bring a full pot of water to boil. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, chop up all of the veggies. Place olive oil and balsamic vinegar in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 2-3 min (until soft and fragrant, but not burning). Add sliced onion and saute until slightly golden brown and transparent (5-7 min). Add zucchini, stir, and saute for another 1-2 minutes, and then add the mushrooms. Saute for another 3-5 minutes, adding oil and vinegar to prevent burning. When done cooking, the garlic should be slightly roasted, the onions should be mostly caramelized, and the zucchinis and mushrooms should be soft.

Rinse white beans under cold running water. Add to skillet (making sure water is fully drained!), season with salt and pepper, and remove skillet from heat.

Pour bean and veggie mixture over pasta, and if desired, drizzle with more balsamic vinegar, and season to taste with more salt & pepper.

Learning to love our vegetables is a lifelong task, but it’s a fun and exciting one. These amazing tips and recipes for how to make these notoriously kid-hated, yet undeniably nutritious vegetables, into ingredients, side dishes, and meals that your whole family will love, will change your life! Becoming vegan and embracing a plant-based, animal free diet means falling in love with nutrient-filled vegetables and learning how to cook them in yummy and creative ways, so that our kids can learn that the battle of the Hungry, Candy-Craving Kid versus the Healthy, Concerned parent is a futile one, because kids really will learn that Kale Chips are much more delicious than Doritos, and Coconut Fried Avocado Rolls are much more delicious than Snickers.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

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