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Kids are almost always picking out icky-tasting vegetables from their plates and figuring out what they like can feel like an unwinnable slog. Parents, we feel the struggle of making vegetables exciting for your kids.
One way to get them excited about vegetables, in general, is to grow them in your own backyard and get them involved in the process. Research suggesting that kids are more likely to eat the food they grow themselves (or help you grow) is mounting, so if you’re at a loss for how to introduce variety into your child’s diet, this might be a good tip to try.
We won’t assume you’re a certified green thumb, so to get you on your way, here are five easy-to-grow vegetables that are also likely to be a hit with your kids.
Radish
In the family of root vegetables, radishes are easy to grow and easy to digest. These vegetables can be grown from seeds in cool weather and are ready to be harvested in spring. Consider growing the garden radish variety, where both the leaves and the plump red vegetables can be eaten. These grow faster than daikon or other varieties of radish and are also milder in flavour.
Spring Onion
Unlike regular yellow or purple onions, spring onions are a little bit more palatable and versatile as toppings. Simply grow spring onions by chopping off the roots from the bunch you bought and planting them in soil. In less than a week, you will notice fresh, new, green stalks snaking their way out of the white casing. Add spring onions to eggs, in omelettes or a scramble, or even in sandwiches as a crunchy topping.
Alfalfa
The best thing about alfalfa is that you don’t even need dirt to grow them. These easy-to-grow legumes just need a dish or plastic container, some cotton wool and seeds. They grow in abundance with light. Kids won’t even notice these little stringy fellas who can be added raw to salads and sandwiches.
Microgreens
Similar to alfalfas, microgreens are easy to grow in shallow egg trays, salad boxes or containers placed on windowsills. The good thing about microgreens is that they grow very quickly and take little effort to get going. To harvest microgreens, simply wait for the stems to grow between two and five centimetres in length before you can snip them off to add to salads and wraps. The good thing about microgreens is how tiny they are, making their taste a lot more palatable than regular dark, leafy green vegetables. Plus, what kid doesn’t love mini-things?
Edible Flowers
For kids who are curious about botany, growing edible flowers is a great way to expand their knowledge. This way, they can start to learn about the different parts of a flower and also have fun using a flower for decoration and in a meal. Flowers tend to take a little bit more tender loving care to get going, but the blooming process is very rewarding. Consider growing edible flowers like hibiscus or blue pea flower. These can be steeped to extract the colour that could be used to dye foods or used to make tea. Additionally, these flower petals could be used for the decoration of cakes and cards.
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