Veg Table Recipe Journal, May/June 2014, Issue #3 | Page 10

Kids Kids Veggie Snacks This snack plate is a perfect way to introduce kids to what vegetables really taste like. Slightly steamed veggies with just a little salt and a simple dip, and that’s it. Children should learn to like the natural flavors of food if they are to appreciate them later in life and make good choices. A carrot doesn’t taste like a carrot if its drowning in salty, sweet, fatty dressing. Covering their food in gobs of bad sauces just trains their taste buds to expect all their food to be overly seasoned. Don’t underestimate children, keep serving good, healthy food and eventually they will eat it, and like it! I put this plate out for my children as an after school snack and they never tire of it, and neither do their friends. You can dress it up with other tasty foods such as olives, cucumbers, any favorite fruit, and whole grain crackers. At our house, if friends are over, we have to do at least a whole bag of edamame. Kids love to pop the beans out of the pods. To get them involved in the preparation, have them arrange the veggies on the plate, and whisk together the dip. Serves 4 hungry kids 1 bag baby carrots, sliced in half if large, steamed until crisp-tender 1/2 pound edamame beans in pods, steamed until the pods just began to open 1/2 pound thin green beans, ends trimmed, steamed until crisp tender 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes 1 cup low fat, plain Greek yogurt Salt to taste 1-2 teaspoons minced fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill 1. Toss just steamed carrots with a little salt. Do the same for edamame pods and green beans. Arrange veggies on platter. Whisk together yogurt and dill. Serve with veggies. 10 Veg Table May/June 2014 Veg Table May/June 2014 11