Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet, Vegetables and Kid's nutrition

As I posted earlier today, carrots are really good for you.

But that’s not startling information is it? Everyone knows vegetables are good for you . . . blah, blah, blah.

Confession time. While I may be one of the biggest vegetable fans on the planet I don’t really like carrots. It’s not that I hate them, I just find them boring and a bit bland.

Over the years, however, I’ve reached a truce with carrots. I eat them, because I know they’re good for me and gradually through experimentation, I’ve found ways that I do kind-of like them.

• While I think steamed carrots are pretty horrid, I enjoy the taste and texture of grated carrot, so I include that in salads and sandwiches.
• Carrots, along with celery and onions, are a really good base for most soups and stews – so in our house, carrots also go in the cooking pot.
• I don’t like carrots in stir fries or cut into thick chunks, so I don’t prepare them that way.
• I’ve also found, I like them juiced with a bit of beetroot, apple and a big wedge of ginger, so sometimes I’ll pick up a juice for an afternoon snack.

It’s one of the important things to remember with vegetables, they taste differently according to how you prepare and cook them.

There’s something about the taste and texture of grated carrot that’s different from chunks. If you don’t like steamed or stir-fried broccoli, you may still enjoy it raw and dipped in hummous. It’s possible you avoid coleslaw like the plague, but cabbage tastes completely different when cooked into a dal, or sauteed with some mustard seeds and spices.

Often eating more vegetables is about experimentation. Trying them in different ways and persisting with them, until you find a way that you do like.

Carrot photograph by Jek in the Box.

24 October, 2006