email this pageVeggie Tales
As anyone will tell you, I'm far from a vegetarian. In fact, I think most things taste better with ham (like our veggie plate on page 6.) But this time of year, I live on veggies. One look at the farmers' market, and you'll know why. In the South, the abundance of field peas alone is mind boggling.
But my kids are not so enamored with vegetables. So I was thrilled when I discovered the video game featuring veggies at loveyourveggies.com. Developed by Hidden Valley (makers of the original Ranch dressing), it challenges you to get veggies from a farm to a plate, dodging pot holes and spraying pests along the way. It actually challenged my 8-year-old son, Sam, who is all about ninjas and slaying things. Who knows? Maybe now he'll try some spinach.
Jill Melton, Editor
SpongeBob Salad Anyone?
Want your kids to eat broccoli? Try calling it "Dinosaur Broccoli Trees." Researchers from Cornell University found that 186 4-year-olds ate nearly twice as much of a vegetable when it was given a fun name than when it was not. And the results were lasting; even on days when special names weren't assigned, the kids continued to eat about 50 percent more of a veggie that was previously highlighted.—Serena Ball, RD
Better Than a Smoothie
In theory, smoothies are great for breakfast, but most are loaded with sugar and not much else. That's why we love the new drinkable yogurt called Kefir from Evolve. While it may be new Stateside, kefir is a centuries old fermented milk popular in the Middle East. It contains beneficial probiotics, active cultures that are immune-boosting and help with digestion. In addition, it contains more fiber (5 grams), four times the protein (11 grams) and less than half the sugar (10 grams) than most smoothies. Bring it on.
Gardens without Borders
When recording artist Taja Sevelle cut a CD in Detroit, she was struck by the poverty and urban blight. In 2005, she founded Urban Farming and, last year, partnered with Detroit to plant community vegetable gardens on the lots of 20 foreclosed properties. The city donates the property and water, and Urban Farming volunteers plant and cultivate the gardens. And anybody who's interested can wander in, pick the produce and take it home for dinner. "Our community gardens are borderless," says Sevelle. "There are no fences to keep people out." Now neighborhoods in Atlanta, Los Angeles and other cities can enjoy the produce as Sevelle's program grows—and the blight of foreclosure is replaced by the bounty of a community garden. —Nancy Mann Jackson
Related Stories
If you enjoyed reading this story, This and That July 2009, then you might enjoy these other stories.- Farmers Make the Grade
- Breakfast Treaty
- This and That June 2009
- The Relish Garden in All Its Glory
- The Kids' Table
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