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Celebrate PA Produce Month: 5 Tips to Get Your Kids on the Veggie Bandwagon (Tricks Included!)
Good ideas from PAVeggies.org to inspire future veggie lovers
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Aug. 21, 2017: It’s Pennsylvania Produce Month, which makes it an opportune time to help kids taste—and enjoy—Pennsylvania’s fresh bounty.
It can be challenging to encourage little ones to eat healthy vegetables. The Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research Program offers these five fun, easy tips to help get kids on the veggie bandwagon. Check PAVeggies.org for more detail and recipes.
1. Veggie Chips
These tasty treats are popping up in grocery stores everywhere, but savvy parents can save time and money by making them at home—no fryer needed. Try kale, collard greens and thinly sliced root vegetables, simply dressed with seasonings and citrus or a creamy dressing, and baked in the oven until crispy.
2. Pureed Veggies
Slip pureed, nutrient-rich vegetables such as zucchini, cauliflower or sweet potatoes into dishes and sauces like mac and cheese, tomato sauce, lasagna and mashed potatoes. It’s as simple as pureeing raw or cooked veggies with a little water or vegetable broth and adding them to the dish. They boost flavor, too.
3. Glazed Veggies
Appeal to kids of all ages’ sweet tooth with a light glaze. Choose carrots, pearl onions, beets, turnips, parsnips or celery root to start; a glaze can be as easy as butter and sugar. For a twist, try maple syrup.
4. Multicolored Veggies
Show kids it’s fine to play with food. Start with a rainbow of veggies such as purple carrots, multicolored tomatoes and bright yellow cauliflower. Challenge the kids to taste test, and help them have a contest to see which tastes best. Including differently colored vegetables in meals ensures that the family diet is rich in vitamins and other nutrients.
5. Get Down on the Farm
One of the best ways to engage kids is to have them do the picking. Bring them to a local farm to see how vegetables grow. Spend an afternoon at a pick-your-own farm, then allow the kids to help prepare and cook them. They’ll be rushing to the table to try “their” work.
Want more? Check PAVeggies.org, like PA Veggies on Facebook (PAVeggies) and follow PAProduce on Twitter (@PAVeggies). Use #PAVeggies and stay up to date during Pennsylvania Produce Month.
The Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research Program is a statewide marketing order established by a grower referendum, governed by a grower board and funded by grower assessments. The program’s sole purpose is to serve the vegetable growers of Pennsylvania by promoting Pennsylvania-grown vegetables and funding practical vegetable production research.
EDITORS: If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Brodsky at [email protected] or 267-275-1198. An electronic version of this release is available upon request.