Children and vegetables
This is an attempt to address the question that all parents and grandparents, maybe you included, face so often: how can we get children to like vegetables? And at the same time, we might get away from the familiar, day-in, day-out round of pasta, chips, toast..
Well, I can hear you say, it's not that easy, maybe “Mission Impossible”. Even so, there are some things you can try which might help.
Well, I can hear you say, it's not that easy, maybe “Mission Impossible”. Even so, there are some things you can try which might help.
13 K 5/5 (12 reviews)
Last modified on: March 9th 2017
Children and vegetables
First of all, an observation: our little darlings are very sensitive to appearances. So, if the food does not look “nice” to start with, you've already lost the battle! In other words, if green vegetables don't look attractively green when you put them in front of children, you'll hear, even before they try the food, “It looks yukky, I don't like it!” And who can blame them when “canteen” vegetables are so often a sorry sight: big chunks of khaki-coloured broccoli, cooked to death and still swimming in a pool of murky water – hardly likely to win over adults, let alone children!
Let's stick with broccoli for a moment, as it's a good illustration of the problem we're up against: for even half a chance that children will like it, it needs to be beautifully fresh and green, only just cooked (still with a little “bite”), cut up small, and – above all – good quality.
2) First, boil lightly: Plunge the broccoli into a large pan of boiling salted water or, better still, chicken stock, for 3 or 4 minutes. Watch for the change in colour to a bright emerald green, then check if cooked by tasting. The broccoli should still be slightly firm. Drain and cool straight away in cold (or even iced) water to stop the cooking (very important). When cool, drain again thoroughly – a salad spinner is the best way of doing this.
3) Add flavour with butter and shallot: Peel a shallot and chop very finely. Melt a generous knob of butter in a pan, add the shallot, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute (without browning either the butter or the shallot).
4) Second, very brief cooking: Add the broccoli to the pan and stir well. Heat through (rather than cook any further), salt and pepper lightly, then taste to check the seasoning. Serve immediately, keeping your fingers crossed…
You can also include other food you wish to serve with the vegetables. Here, for example, there are bits of ham added.
Please note: It could well be that when you serve the food, you may need to be firm and use the good old “Taste it first!”
You will have realised by now that there is no magic formula to get children to enjoy vegetables, but by making an effort like this, you will at least stand a chance. And, if nothing else, this is the way good restaurants cook and the secret of the colourful and attractive vegetables shown on TV cookery programmes.
To sum up: To appeal to children, vegetables need to be cut up small, look colourful and have plenty of flavour.
Let's stick with broccoli for a moment, as it's a good illustration of the problem we're up against: for even half a chance that children will like it, it needs to be beautifully fresh and green, only just cooked (still with a little “bite”), cut up small, and – above all – good quality.
What to do:
1) Cut up to an appropriate size: the notion of “big” or “small” is different for adults and children. For our purposes, broccoli needs to be cut into small, separate florets – only these tips – about the size of the top joint of your thumb and no larger. Rinse thoroughly.
2) First, boil lightly: Plunge the broccoli into a large pan of boiling salted water or, better still, chicken stock, for 3 or 4 minutes. Watch for the change in colour to a bright emerald green, then check if cooked by tasting. The broccoli should still be slightly firm. Drain and cool straight away in cold (or even iced) water to stop the cooking (very important). When cool, drain again thoroughly – a salad spinner is the best way of doing this.
3) Add flavour with butter and shallot: Peel a shallot and chop very finely. Melt a generous knob of butter in a pan, add the shallot, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute (without browning either the butter or the shallot).
4) Second, very brief cooking: Add the broccoli to the pan and stir well. Heat through (rather than cook any further), salt and pepper lightly, then taste to check the seasoning. Serve immediately, keeping your fingers crossed…
You can also include other food you wish to serve with the vegetables. Here, for example, there are bits of ham added.
Please note: It could well be that when you serve the food, you may need to be firm and use the good old “Taste it first!”
And the last resort?
If all else fails, don't despair! Over time, as we grow up into teenagers, then adults, our tastes change quite dramatically: it was impossible to get my elder son to eat spinach, for example, when he was small. Now he loves it.You will have realised by now that there is no magic formula to get children to enjoy vegetables, but by making an effort like this, you will at least stand a chance. And, if nothing else, this is the way good restaurants cook and the secret of the colourful and attractive vegetables shown on TV cookery programmes.
To sum up: To appeal to children, vegetables need to be cut up small, look colourful and have plenty of flavour.
Lasts posts
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...April 10th 20251,0455
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.January 27th 20252,805
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...December 25th 20243,2105
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...December 13th 20243,4235
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...November 29th 20243,5525
Other pages you may also like
Choosing a chopping board
It's a no-brainer, surely? If you want a chopping board, just find a piece of wood, and Bob's your uncle! You can happily chop away with a knife and not damage the table or worktop. But in reality, it's a bit more complicated than that. You need to be careful what you are buying, in particular the...May 8th 201247 K4.6
The march forward
When professionals get to work in their kitchen, lab or bakery, they are (if they are conscientious) very sensitive to hygiene and cleanliness. It is impossible for a good baker for example to do a day's work without regularly cleaning the table where he or she works, and it is even more...June 30th 202116 K5
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...June 16th 2021140 K4.5
Perpetual stock
It's something you have probably have done yourself: cooked or pre-cooked vegetables before adding them to a recipe. This is almost always done the same way: peel the chosen vegetables (carrots, for example), cut them up, boil them in salted water (using a tablespoon or so of coarse salt per litre),...November 22th 201626 K5
A few tips for effective kneading at home
When you have to knead dough for bread or some other recipe, you may well use a food processor or the type of machine known as a stand mixer. The best-known brands are Kenwood and KitchenAid. They are useful tools, but here are a few tips to help you get the best out of them.June 23th 2021275 K 23.7
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.