Operation Broccoli

Today’s challenge was to get G-man to eat broccoli. No stealth, and no bribes. I had heard that ownership is a key factor in getting kids to try things they have written off as yucky.

In preparation for today, I took him with me to the grocery store to choose produce. He cheerfully picked out a bag of carrots, a bunch of broccoli and, at his own request, a head of cauliflower.

When cutting up some veggies for a stir-fry, I called out and asked if he wanted to help with lunch. No, thanks. Caillou was on. I asked him if he remembered the vegetables he picked out at the grocery store the other day, and if he would like to help me cook them. G-man left the living room, and came into the kitchen with his “baby table,” a footstool. Game on!

Into a pan I poured some olive and sesame oils and a dash of lite soy sauce. (Half of a whole lot of salt is still a lot of salt, so just a dash will have to do.) I held the chopping board next to the pan and let him toss in a few pieces of chopped broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. He stirred them a couple times with a tongs, and was off again.

He came back wanting to throw in frozen blueberries. Why not? We tossed in some frozen blueberries. And off he ran, not seeing the pinch of brown sugar coat the sautéed veggies.

This is what a stir-fry looks like with blueberries.  It was his idea, and he ate it.

G-man came back just in time to see his lunch put onto a plate, in perfect little piles, with some extra blueberries for good measure.  The next step was to let him play with it. He tried to make balls, then pancakes. He squished it against the side of the plate. I had to walk away to laugh around the corner, and when I returned, he had blueberry juice smeared on his face, arms, and legs. All but one piece of broccoli was gone, though. I witnessed him eat the last piece and proudly shout that it was, “a-licious!”

Score! G-man got a bath, as did the floor, the table, and chair.


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This photo is linked to Friday Food Flicks, a weekly roundup of food pictures around the web!