Brussels...

I have had a lot of parents ask me the age-old question. "How do you get your toddlers to eat brussels sprouts?" For that matter, how do you get them to eat any green food?! This is what I tell them: start early and disguise it.

I cannot remember the first time I fed Jesse or Daisy brussels sprouts; it's just something we always have eaten. Yeah, yeah, get it out ... I know you want to laugh that I named my kids after "The Dukes of Hazzard." It was a fluke, but that's another story.

Anyhow, I'm sure I introduced brussels sprouts like any other food, and I just kept offering it to them. Yes, I probably paired bacon with them at first. Everyone loves bacon, right? Maybe not, but do you see what I did?

This is what I do with the non-veggie eaters who I feed: mask that seemingly non-edible veggie with something they like.

I love to use a thick-cut, applewood-smoked bacon. I only use about two crumbled slices while roasting the vegetables. Once the brussels are browned and the bacon is crispy, I'll toss it with a bit of lime zest for good measure.

Each time I make the dish, I cut back on the amount of masking. Next thing you know, everyone is eating happily and enjoying themselves. The veggies are usually the first thing that disappears from the plate.


That is how I get the littles and the hubs to enjoy eating their veggies.