My kids’ school had a carnival last Friday. One classroom organized the game Family Feud. The children from this Fourth Grade classroom had surveyed 100 children from their elementary school about what food they disliked most at dinnertime. Guess what was the top answer? Veggies came in as the top answer once again. 47 kids said they hated veggies. Second came fish. And the third most unpopular food item was bananas.
It really depressed me to see that. How do we change the negative image of vegetables and get children to enjoy and actually love vegetables and healthy nutrious foods?
I have a recipe for string beans that my kids would eat every single day if I made it for them. They love it so much. Maybe you can give it a try too.
Green Beans with Mustard Dressing
- 1 1/2 pound of fresh green bean, washed trimmed
- 3-4 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
- 1/3 cup oliveoil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pepper and salt to taste
Steam the green beans in some water until cooked but still a bit firm with a bite to them. You can give them a quick bath in icewater to retain their pretty green color after they are cooked.
While the beans are cooking, whisk the other ingredients together to make this delightful mustard dressing. It takes all but 5 minutes to put together. You can also use it as a regular salad dressing.
My kids like to eat heaps and heaps of green beans prepared way. They ask for seconds and thirds when I make them as a side dish! I supposed nobody asked them when doing that survey…
SOunds yummy! Green beans are not one of my girls’ favorites but I’d bet they’d like these>
Yay Green Beans! This looks like a delicious recipe I can’t wait to try!
I have to say that growing, my kids loved green beans the most. In the winters I would get the whole, petit frozen green beans and they would always be eaten–even with just salt, pepper and butter. And picking them in the garden and eating them whole and raw is another family favorite. Next after green beans would be fresh snow peas, whole and young.
My son loves veggie too. His favourite dressing is black sesame dressing. I like your version and will give it a try soon. 🙂
My 3 year old was walking by as I was reading this post and screeched (cause that is his only volume setting), “green beans are yummy!” He’d rather they be plain, still at a stage where sauces or foods touching other foods bothers him. But the sauce sounds yummy to me!
How i wish i believe that it’s not impossible to get my 8yo son to eat this veges. No matter how much and how desperate i try to make it interesting and fun, Gregory will never even look at it…that’s bad..;-(. At times i just gave up instead of shouting and argueing at the dinning table..