I witnessed a miracle at the supermarket. Two young boys were enthusiastically assisting mom in choosing vegetables. The miracle is that when kids get to choose the vegetable of the week, their interest in eating vegetables rises.

Nutrition

Johnny, Eat Your Veggies!

By Vicki Wade

I witnessed a miracle at the supermarket. Two young boys were enthusiastically assisting mom in choosing vegetables.

My family rarely has meat and dairy at home since that is forced on all of us by school lunches or lack of healthy choices at the restaurants near our work.

This means we eat grains, beans, fruits at home, and, if I can manage it, vegetables.

Vegetables: My kids enthusiastically eat beans, grains, and fruits. Vegetables are another story.

Every week her family eats a new vegetable. Her boys choose the vegetable of the week.

One day, when I was in the vegetable section of my local supermarket, trying to choose vegetables (something other than potatoes and carrots) the entire family would enjoy, I saw an amazing scene.

Two young boys (Mom said they were five and ten years old) were enthusiastically assisting their mother in choosing vegetables.

Not only were they enthusiastic, they obviously had first-hand knowledge of most of the vegetables displayed.

She shared her secret.

Every week her family eats a new vegetable. Her boys choose the vegetable of the week.

She prepares it two or three different ways. Everyone eats a small helping of the weekly vegetable.

It is discussed at dinner with each person voicing his/her opinion about the vegetable itself and the cooking method. Everyone gets equal time and the kids' opinions are respected.

They keep a record on the kitchen calendar. When there are finally no new vegetables to buy, they start over.

In addition to choosing the vegetable of the week, her boys get to choose three vegetables each that they would like to eat that week. They also choose how she will prepare them.

The family makes a big deal about vegetables from all aspects: health, environment, cooking, vitamin content. Her kids actually knew that vegetables with more intense color have more vitamins!

They go to various farmer's markets as a family and have gone to the "country" to pick blueberries and see vegetables "grow."

The children definitely understand the importance of vegetables in their diets and over a period of time have voluntarily quit eating almost all meat and dairy.

Their mother said they now  prefer to take meals from home so they can avoid the high meat and dairy lunches the schools offer.

She said, "This is a family project. It has made us closer and without a doubt, it has made us healthier. The children ask to take lunches to school now to avoid the meat and dairy their school serves daily. Another plus: My husband and I have both lost weight since we started this about six months ago. And we feel great!"

She laughed and concluded, "Actually, the children were pretty enthusiastic about this after a couple of weeks. It was the growing enthusiasm of my husband that was the real miracle."

Am I trying this? You bet.

Is it working? Yes! Even with my husband.

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