Let’s celebrate vegetables! No seriously, let’s gets our kids excited about veggies, and eating healthy in general.

Did you know that it takes about three bites of food before our brains know if we like something or not? It’s true. When your trying something new the first bite is always a surprise, the second bite your paying more attention to what the taste and texture is and by the third bite you can determine if you like it or not.

Did you know that exposing children (and yourself) to foods you don’t normally eat multiple times can increase the likelihood of learning to like it? That’s true too. You might not like kale for example, it’s tough and sometimes chewy and tastes really… well… green. But what if you chopped it up really small and boiled it and then added it to mashed potatoes? What if you sautéed it with lemon and garlic? If over time you introduced it little by little among other foods and flavors you can learn to really love it. The same goes for mushrooms (which are a great addition to or substitute for meat), carrots, broccoli and any other food.

So, today as the weather gets warmer and the time for planting gardens is fast approaching, let’s celebrate vegetables. Print out and color the veggie coloring pages, or find your own online, or draw your own veggies and favorite foods. Once done cut them out and punch a hole in them to make a necklace. You can also add them to a strip of paper and make a crown. Or grab a paper plate and make a salad. If you have any vegetables in your refrigerator take them out, try them together and enjoy.