Food for Thought

Seeing the rich yellow, orange, and brown colors on trees while feeling the cool air on my nose, I have this sudden craving for some colorful and yummy Fall veggies that are at their best now!  My mom used to always say that brightly colored vegetables are the most nutritious and that each color has its particular nutritional values.  She also said that vegetables are the best when they are eaten in-season and grown locally. 

This really makes me think hard and wonder about the fruits and vegetables my family and I eat every day.   Living in a city and buying most of our food from supermarkets, I can’t help but notice that so many produces are imported from all over the world and not native to where I live.  You can find strawberries grown in greenhouses in Korea in the middle of Winter, or pineapples in a supermarket in Europe.  We easily lose touch with the “real” seasons and the harvest each season brings.  So how should I introduce this concept to my children and get these little city dwellers to be more in touch with nature and its offerings?

Embracing each season and the food it brings

First, we need to get them to eat what’s in season.  Persuading kids to eat their veggies have always been a challenge for parents across the globe.  One of the tactics we can use to entice them to eat more veggies is the beautiful colors of the produce.  Presentation is key, so convincing them to eat a “rainbow” made of fresh fruits and veggies might be easier than asking them to swallow spoon after spoon of mashed peas in wilted green.  There are also many mouth-watering children-friendly recipes that feature Fall vegetables, I am sure the kids would love to try them all! 

Then, we can further “inspire” the little ones by linking the current season’s color theme to the veggies - Fall and its colors are rich oranges (pumpkins, squashes), reds (apples, cranberries), and browns (chestnuts, mushrooms).  Bring them along the next time you head to your local farmer’s market so they can experience and see what goodies are in season and the color palate they present. 

While looking for kids-friendly recipes using Fall ingredients, I also came across some good ideas cooking for the entire family.  This site is great because it gives you recipe ideas organized by vegetable, so you can choose the recipes based on what you have handy in your kitchen!  Take advantage of the beautiful season and enjoy all the yummy produce Mother Nature has to offer!

Stay Sparky!