HelpfulGardener.com

I'm sure this sounds silly to be this excited about it, but I just brought in a handful of snow peas (that were planted MUCH too late) and my ultra-picky 5 year old ate all but one....the one the two year old was eating!

Voluntarily!! And he seemed to like it too!
Since the boy (5) is the one who planted the peas, he was doubly excited..but as difficult as it is to get him to try anything (sometimes even things I know he likes...)to see him that excited about eating something he grew...wow

Isn't that the best?

Mine declared -- "I LOVE peas" as she picked shelled green peas out of the bowl. (We're eating them raw for now. After a while they get tired of it, then they'll want them cooked. Right now, while the experience is fresh, they actually notice the sweetness in the freshly picked peas. Today, I was able to add yellow snow peas (India Gold pole pea) to the mix.

Every year, I seem to add another variety of peas. This year, I'm growing.... mmm... 2 varieties of Sugar Snaps (Sugar Anne and Super Sugar Snap), 3 kind of shelling peas (Lincoln, Dakota, Tall Telephone), one kind of snow peas (India Gold), and Cow/Southern pea (California #5 Blackeye).

It's really rewarding to grow your kids' favorites (and yours too, of course )

Awww how cool, my kids are not big veggie eaters till the garden grows, then I can't keep them out of it. Peas, green beans carrots, cucumbers and green onions are all fair game to them. Let them go find and pick thier own, it's so cool.

My first grandson (who is now 5) has been "helping" me in my garden everytime he has visited. He helps me plant squash, beans, etc. Last year we picked some squash, and he help me shred it, mix with onions and corn meal, and fry. IT IS GOOD, and he ate squash for the first time (His mommie, my daughter, will not eat it)

Well, he, his brother and his mommie were taking a walk in their Homewood, AL neighborhood, and he noticed a small garden in the front of a neighbor's house. As they walked he told his mother "That is squash." He was quiet for a minute and said "I really do not like squash".

Well, at least I got him to try it.

Kids really seem to like veggies a lot more when they play a role in the growing of them. There's just something about watching a plant grow from seed and set fruit that makes you take pride when you eat it.

I was more than a little worried because he wanted to plant the snow peas so very badly, but they went in a bit too late (it was 93 degrees yesterday!!)

So the green beans are coming in at the same time (he's eating those too )

But they seem to be doing ok despite the heat....will probably replant them for fall, along with some shelling peas.....we didn't get much of a "spring" here hopefully we will get more of an autumn

I am so glad my plan is working, since the Little Man was the whole reason we put in a garden this year...hoping we could get him to eat something that wasn't junk!!!

Thanks everyone for the encouragement

Steph

A good remedy to keep them from eating all your veggies is to put some hot sauce on them. Once they are trained to not eat your veggies then you can keep the rest for yourself.


Oh, oops I'm sorry, I thought you didn't want to share.

That is so great to see kids into veg. You know I was watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution in April and he was showing kids produce and they had no clue what it was. They thought potatoes were tomatoes and the rest they had no idea. I think the average American's (not us) need to start teaching kids about were their food comes from. Its a shame, especially with all this processed junk out there. In fact I don't even shop at a supermarket anymore when I need something. I go out of my way and go to a whole food store. You'd be surprised how much these places offer its amazing. Keep kids interested in veg guys!

Infact everyone should sign the petition to help make school foods better (rid the schools of processed lunches). Sign here:
https://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

Of course, raising veggies make them more fun, but the truth is, that freshly picked veggies taste waaaayyy better than store or even farmer's market bought, or even stored vaggies from our gardens. Not just they taste better, they are much more nutritious, when just picked.
My son though eats tons of salads and fruits just because I eat them all the time, and I never force him to eat anything, but sometimes I will not allow to eat something like too much junk for my comfort. That said, we never buy pale tomatoes or other inferior stuff from regular markets, which tastes nothing like true veggies.

Good Point!!! Make sure the kids have a chance at GOOD vegetables.

JoyFirst is absolutely right, the veg that is grown in our gardens has so much more nutrition and taste way better. Most of us on here don't use any chemicals either. Kids will eat veg if its fresh from the garden its just a proven fact.