Challenge Traditional Thoughts on Children and Food: VegOut!

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As a mother to two little ones, Becky Flechsig over at Raising Texas has taken on the 2014 VegOut! Challenge to her tool box to help raise a family who enjoys healthy foods, with more fun and less stress.

Join her on their food adventure this March…

RaisingTexas-VegOut!Log
I am now feeding real food to two little mouths.  Now more than ever I am reminded about how passionate I am about telling all of you (and anyone else who will listen) that kids don’t have to hate healthy foods.  Starting them out on the right path can lead  to a future of loving healthy, easy foods.  Having the right mind set can make this easier on everyone.

Some days my daughter loves cauliflower.  The next day she might not want to eat it. We don’t ever take anything off of the menu. And thanks to this handy post from July, meal time is more relaxed in our house. Per point number four, when it comes to meal time, we decide the what, when, and where and the kids decide the whether and how much. When it can be that easy, it is. Sometimes it isn’t. And when you feel like you are wasting uneaten food, you might be. I need sanity right now, not to stress over a half-eaten meal.

So to kick off what I am officially calling a blog comeback, our family is going to VegOut! with Recipe for Success. During the month of March we will eat 30 vegetables in 30 days. To be honest, we eat a decent amount of vegetables regularly, but we will run out and will then be faced with a challenge. We’ll be shopping around for new things we’ve never had and hitting up our favorite farmer’s market to see what is in season.

I’m also giving a decent amount of ownership in this endeavor to my almost three-year-old. I want to show her how exciting it is to try new things, and then she gets to rate her veggies. So if she doesn’t like something, that’s fine too. It’s all about being open to new foods and new things.

Tonight we went over the chart and ran through the veggie suggestions. We highlighted the things we have eaten already and circled items that are new. She is currently most excited about filling out the chart. Kids love charts. So do I. Win on the chart, guys. At the end of this adventure we get to turn in our filled-out chart and we might win something. You know, beyond the grand prize of winning a healthy and varied diet.

Here is some more great news… YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO REGISTER! And you should. Of all the food challenges to do for yourself and/or your family, this might be the easiest. You just might not know that yet.

Hopefully, if you don’t take the challenge now, following along with us will help you realize how easy it is to incorporate vegetables into your daily life. This is a challenge you could take on your own at any time. But if you want to be official, it starts March 1. I would love for you to join me and let me know what veggies you are trying, and if you are loving or hating them.

Here we go!

This post originally published on Becky’s blog, Raising Texas.

Red Curry Cauliflower Soup

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VegOut! HERE partner Stephanie Hoban, the talented gal behind RIPE Cuisine, is gung-ho about vegetables. Her Market Cafe keeps busy offering up healthy, seasonal vegan dishes that are out of this world, no matter your dietary preferences.

To help us kick off the 2014 VegOut! Challenge, Stephanie served up a dynamite cauliflower soup for the Mayor and other VegOut! supporters at City Hall. She’s shared her recipe for you to make at home:

RIPE Red Curry Cauliflower Soup

Throughout March, Stephanie is serving up a range of weekly VegOut! specials to help you get your veg on.  Stop by her Market Cafe booth at the City Hall Farmers Market every Wednesday, 11am-1:30pm. You won’t be disappointed.

For more tasty veggie-centric recipes, visit the Recipe Box on her site.

It’s VegOut! Month in Houston!

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VegOut-CultureMap

This week, City of Houston Mayor Annise Parker proclaimed March official “VegOut! with Recipe for Success Month” in Houston.

During a press conference at City Hall to kick off the 2014 VegOut! Challenge, Parker pledged to take the challenge for the second year, and waved about her newly purchased Brussels sprouts as evidence.

A bushel of VegOut! supporters also showed up for the kick off, including emcee Isis Smalls, Miss Houston 2014; Ed Gonzalez, Mayor Pro-Tem, Houston City Council; Dr. Faith Foreman, Assistant Director, Houston Department of Health & Human Services; Cyndy Garza Roberts, Director of Public Affairs, H-E-B; Dr. Russell Kridel, Chair, American Medical Association’s Council on Science & Public Health; Kelly Landrieu, Forager, Whole Foods Market; Paula McHam, Director of Client & Community Affairs, Cigna; Chisolm Tate, Director of the Diversity Council, Luby’s Fuddruckers; Lisa Mellencamp, Co-Chair GoHealthyHouston Task Force.

In addition, VegOut! chef partners (Jon Buchanan, Trevisio; Stephanie Hoban, Ripe; Jason Little, Whole Foods Market; and Erin Stewart, DEFINE) each provided samples of their own tasty take on 2014’s hottest vegetable: cauliflower!

We hope you’ll join Mayor Parker and Recipe for Success Foundation in eating 30 different veggies within 30 days, starting March 1. Register TODAY!

Read a story about the kickoff in CultureMap here.

Mushrooms of eternal life?

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Thought by ancient Egyptians circa 2000 BC to ensure immortality, the pharaohs ordered that no commoner could touch these edible fungi. However, despite its status as a non-veggie, we encourage you to work these low-cal, nutrient-dense treats into your cooking routine to boost your immune system. Have you ever scavenged for wild mushrooms?