I recently received a Nutrition Question, through Ask the Nutritionist (RD) on superkidsnutrition.com, “What else can I give my kids at dinner aside from carrots and cauliflower night that my kids will eat.”
First off, great job on the cauliflower! This is a food that may take kids several attempts at trying before they really eat it. At our home, cauliflower is often referred to as snow clouds or snow trees, sometimes just calling it something new and imaginative makes children more receptive.
Here’s a quick ideas that should get your kids saying yum-o!
Purple Cabbage Delight
- Wash and chop up half a purple cabbage.
- Wash and chop up granny smith apples. Have your child scrub the apples to get them involved.
- Mix in low-fat ranch dressing. Eat and enjoy!
As a dietitian who teaches functional foods I have to mention cabbage is a food you want to include!
- It’s over-loaded with cancer fighting substances; to put it simply it has detoxifying effects on your body and is a good source of vitamin C.
- Bonus -Purple cabbage is rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanin pigments are responsible for the red, purple, and blue colors of many fruits, vegetables and grains.
- Although difficult to study in human metabolism, anthocyanins are proposed to:
- help protect your DNA
- lower inflammation (which contributes to disease)
- keep the fats floating around in your arteries from causing too much damage
- Next time you’re at the grocery store be sure to pick up some purple cabbage!
