August 28, 2025 • 21 mins
How to Help Your Kids Love Veggies
Helping Your Kids Love Real Food, One Bite at a Time
Part 6 Bonus Episode: Interview with My Kids
Today’s episode is a little different—and a whole lot of fun! I invited my two boys, ages 12 and 5, to come on the podcast and share their real thoughts about vegetables. You’ll hear their honest (and sometimes hilarious) answers about what veggies they love, which ones they don’t, how our family eats differently from others, and what they’ve learned on our journey to building a healthy food culture at home.
If you’ve ever wondered what kids actually think when we sneak spinach into muffins or serve salad for dinner, this episode will give you hope, laughter, and some real-life encouragement. Because if my kids—who once thought veggies were “disgusting”—can now talk about their favorites on a podcast, there’s hope for your family too!
👉 Tune in for a lighthearted, behind-the-scenes conversation that proves kids can learn to love veggies—one bite (and one funny story) at a time.
Want my healthy breakfast guide, including recipes and meal prep tips? Get all the details here: https://chavahwellness.com/meal-prepping-veggie-packed-breakfasts/
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SHOW SOME LOVE: If this episode encouraged you, I’d love for you to leave a quick rating and review here. Your words brighten my day and also help more mamas discover the hope, healing, and joy they deserve.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, I'm Isaiah and I'm 12.
I'm Asher, and I'm five.
And we're talking about veggies today.
Hey mama.
Today's episode is a little different andhonestly, I think you're going to love it.
This is a bonus episode in ourHow to Teach Your Kids to Love
(00:20):
Veggies Series, and I thought, whatbetter way to wrap things up than
by hearing straight from my kids?
Now you've heard me talk about ourfood culture at home, the ups and
downs of introducing veggies, andall the mind shifts along the way.
But today, my boys, ages 12and 5, are going to share their
own thoughts about vegetables.
(00:41):
The good, the bad, and the funny.
So if you've ever wondered whatkids really think about spinach in
their muffins, or why they sometimessurprise us by asking for salad at
dinner, this episode is for you.
Are you ready?
Let's dive in.
Alright boys, welcome to the show.
(01:03):
I'm so excited to have you here.
Are you excited, Asher?
Yeah.
I'm so excited.
You guys are my first official guests.
Do you know that?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So do you know that we've beentalking about veggies on the podcast?
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
You know that?
(01:23):
Alright, so I'm gonna askyou some fun questions.
Okay.
And you just answer honestly.
Okay?
All right.
I am gonna start with a big question.
What's your favorite vegetable right now?
Um,
tomatoes and cucumbers.
You love tomatoes andcucumbers, don't you?
(01:45):
Mm-hmm.
I like, um, tomatoes, cucumberswith ranch, and cucumbers with salt.
I love them.
Cucumbers with salt andtomatoes with ranch?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Awesome.
All right, Isaiah, if you couldpick any vegetable for dinner,
which one would you want?
Broccoli.
You love broccoli?
(02:05):
I love broccoli too.
You love broccoli too?
Yeah.
Awesome.
Okay.
Now this is a funny one.
If you could turn any veggie intoa candy, which one would you pick?
A candy cane?
No.
If you could turn any veggie into acandy, which veggie would you pick?
(02:27):
Broccoli.
Broccoli.
Alright, so broccoli would be a candy.
Isaiah, you love broccoli, so areyou gonna pick something else?
Let's see.
Tomatoes.
Tomatoes.
Tomatoes are not your favorite.
Right.
So if they tasted likecandy, they might be better?
Awesome.
(02:48):
I love it.
That was just a fun one.
Okay.
Alright.
So I want to talk aboutour family and about food.
Okay.
Okay.
So I want you guys totell me what you think.
Okay.
Do you think our family eatsdifferently than other families?
Yes.
How do you think we eat differently?
(03:08):
I don't know.
Isaiah, do you have anything to say?
I think we definitely eat differentlybecause we eat a lot healthier.
Why do you think that?
What do you hear friends or kids at schooltalking about when it comes to food?
(03:29):
Fast food.
Kids eat a lot of fast food, butwe don't really do that, do we?
How often do you think we eat fast food?
I'm not even sure.
Once a month.
I think once a month is a lot.
Um, how often do we eat veggies?
Every second.
(03:49):
Every, every second of the day.
At least every day, right?
Yeah.
Asher, how often do youthink we eat veggies?
We eat it at dinner time.
At dinner time?
Mm-hmm.
Do you think we eatveggies at breakfast time?
No.
(04:10):
Are you sure?
Yes.
Do you know that yourbreakfast has veggies in them?
No.
You didn't know that?
No.
So let's see.
What do we have right now?
We have pumpkin, chocolate chipwaffles in the freezer, right?
(04:30):
And pumpkin is a veggie.
So there's veggies in your waffles.
And let's see, we don't have muffinsright now because I'm gonna make those
tomorrow, but you are gonna make them.
Yeah.
What are your guys' favoritemuffins for breakfast?
Chocolate chip.
The green chocolate chip, right?
Do you know what's in there?
Um, I know chocolate chips.
(04:53):
Yeah, I need chocolate chips.
Do you know what makes them green?
Um, guacamole.
Guacamole.
That's a good guess.
Avocados are green, but weactually put spinach Oh.
In the muffins.
That's what makes them green.
But, um, guacamole is green.
Yes, avocados are green.
Hey, do you like those muffins?
(05:14):
Hmm?
So do you like eatingveggies for breakfast?
Yes.
Isaiah, how do you feel abouteating veggies for breakfast?
They're pretty good.
What is your favorite breakfast item?
If I could make anything forbreakfast, what would you have me make?
Green chocolate chip muffins.
(05:36):
Those are your favorite, huh?
Yep.
I know they're, that's my favorite.
I know you guys love those.
I told our friends on thepodcast all about this so they
can go home and make them too.
Yeah, that would belike, mm, this is good.
Yes.
Do you feel different, like you havemore energy on days when you have
our kind of breakfast compared to aday that maybe you have cereal, or
(06:00):
a donut, or maybe a special day whenwe have like a cinnamon roll for
breakfast, which day do you think youfeel better, like you have more energy?
A good breakfast or a sugary breakfast,A sugary breakfast, like donuts.
I love donuts.
You love donuts, but do you thinkthat they make your body feel good?
(06:20):
Uh, kind of.
So let me ask you this.
When you have a good breakfast, likespinach chocolate chip muffins, or when
you have pumpkin waffles, do you thinkthat you feel better and have more energy?
Yes.
Isaiah, what about you?
Do you notice a difference at all?
(06:40):
I know you're more aware of your body andyour energy levels, especially in school.
What do you think?
Yeah, I felt like whenever I eatcereal or like a donut, I just
eat it just for the taste of it.
But whenever I eat healthy breakfastsit gives me more energy for the day.
Yeah.
How can you tell thatyou have more energy?
What do you notice?
(07:01):
I'm not as tired.
Mm-hmm.
What about when you're in class?
Do you feel differentwhen you're in school?
Yeah, I can definitely think better.
Mm-hmm.
Awesome.
I'm glad that you guys are benefitingfrom our healthy breakfast.
Have you noticed foods that you eatthat make you feel tired or cranky?
Are there any foods thatmake you feel yucky, Asher?
(07:22):
No.
No.
All foods make you feel amazing?
Yes.
Spoken like a true 5-year-old.
Isaiah, what about you?
Do types of coffees count?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Some sugary coffees willmake me feel bad afterwards.
Every once in a while you'll have acoffee and you feel yucky afterward.
(07:43):
Definitely.
Yeah.
Okay.
If your friend said, I hateveggies, what would you tell them?
Veggies are good for you.
You should eat them.
And then you say, Mmm, this is yummy.
They're yummy, huh?
(08:03):
Yeah.
Okay, so I have another question.
When you take your lunch toschool, do other kids ever
notice or ask about your food?
Isaiah, do you want to share with us whatdo kids say about your food at school?
What's that?
That, that's, um, what's that?
Um, uh, um, I guess not like one ofmy friends, but um, one of my kids in
(08:23):
school, um, actually said that, withchia pudding that's really good for you.
The chia pudding, yourfriend asked, what's that?
Mm-hmm.
So that's something thatkids ask you both a lot.
What's that?
My friend thought they were fish eggs.
They thought chia pudding was fish eggs?
That's so funny.
It wasn't fish eggs.
It was, it probably,probably like green stuff.
(08:46):
Yeah.
So kids think that the foodyou eat is weird sometimes?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Do you think your food is weird?
No, not to me.
What do you think about thefood you take for lunch?
I'm good.
It's good?
Mm-hmm.
What about you, Isaiah?
It's yummy.
Would you change anythingabout what you eat at school?
(09:09):
No.
I wouldn't either.
You wouldn't either?
Nope.
Okay.
Alright, so let's talk aboutin the past versus now.
Okay.
What does that mean?
That means when you were little.
Okay.
Oh, okay.
Can you remember a time whenyou didn't like veggies?
(09:30):
Um, I think it was when I wasone, but then I got used to them.
So when you were one,you didn't like veggies?
Yeah, but um, you madeveggies, um, in muffins.
I didn't even see it.
So I made veggies in muffinsand you didn't even see it?
Yeah.
Yeah, it was hilarious.
(09:50):
I was like, Hmm, this isgood, has veggies in it.
And I didn't like it.
But now you like veggies?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I love them a lot.
Isaiah, do you remember a timewhen you didn't like veggies?
Definitely.
What do you remember about that?
I didn't like salads at all.
(10:10):
Yeah.
But now I really like them.
What's your favorite way to eat a salad?
I don't know.
Yes you do.
What do you mean?
Like what's your favorite way?
Like how do you like to eat a salad?
With a fork and shoving in my mouth?
No, like, like spinach with olive oil.
(10:31):
Oh.
Or ranch?
Cucumbers, or ranch,however you like to eat.
Spinach, cucumbers and olive oil.
That's your favorite salad.
So if you could have any salad,that's what you'd pick, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sometimes I like too.
You too?
Mm-hmm.
You like that salad too, don't you?
Yay.
Okay, so Isaiah, you lovesalads now, but do you remember
(10:55):
when you didn't like veggies?
Do you remember what would happenwhen you saw something green
in your food at dinner time?
Yeah.
I always ask, what's that?
And you kind of picked at themand didn't want to eat them, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Do you remember having meltdowns aboutnot eating food that I served for dinner?
(11:16):
No.
That's good.
I remember.
Do you have meltdownsnow about eating veggies?
No.
No.
Would you say that you eat thembecause you have to, or would you
say that mostly you like them?
Mostly I like them.
Yeah.
What do you think has changed since then?
(11:37):
What do you think has helpedyou like veggies more?
Asher?
Tomatoes and cucumbers.
Tomatoes and cucumbershelped you like veggies more?
Yes.
Yes.
What's so great abouttomatoes and cucumbers?
I dunno.
Do we grow them in our garden?
Yes.
That's the, um, that'sthe part I like about it.
(12:00):
Yeah.
Do you like going outside andjust picking veggies right
off the plant in our own yard?
Yeah.
When I pick them off, I just pick for atomato, I just pick them off and eat them.
Yep.
Like a little garden snack, huh?
Mm-hmm.
Yep.
Like when I'm hungry,tomatoes, I go outside.
Tomatoes.
I just eat them.
Yep.
(12:22):
Okay.
Isaiah's turn, okay.
Isaiah, what do you think has helped yougo from not liking veggies and throwing
fits at dinnertime, to enjoying them more?
Me getting older, and youmaking good recipes with them?
Yeah?
So you think cooking has a littlebit to do with it and then part
of it is just growing up and notthrowing a fit over your food?
(12:46):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Awesome.
Oh, this is a good question.
Asher, are there any veggies that youused to say yuck to, that you like now?
Yeah, tell me.
Cucumbers.
You didn't used to like cucumbers?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
No, but now you do?
Yes.
Yes.
Do mushrooms count?
(13:07):
Yes.
But I thought they're a fungi.
Oh, that's true.
I guess they're not technically aveggie, my little scientific mind.
But I think for the context of this,they do count as a veggie Because
they're very healthy for you, right?
And you did not used to like mushrooms.
And I actually let youpick them out for a while.
That was like the one veggie.
I was like, okay, Iwon't make you eat this.
(13:29):
But now you like them, don't you?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So do you think as you've gottenolder, your taste buds have changed?
Definitely.
Isaiah, do you think that you've become amore adventurous eater as you got older?
Yes.
Do you remember asking me abouttrying a new veggie the other day?
(13:51):
Yeah.
What was it?
I didn't like Brussels sprouts for awhile, but now I want to try them again.
Why do you want to try them again?
Because I feel like mytaste buds have changed.
And now you might like them?
Yeah.
Do you trust me to makethem in a yummy way?
Now I do.
(14:12):
You didn't use to?
Yeah.
I always thought that the reasonI didn't like the Brussels sprouts
was because the way you cook them.
Oh.
But now you think that you'rebrave enough to try them again?
Yeah.
What happens if they're still gross?
Oh, well.
Will you still be gladthat you tried them again?
(14:32):
Yeah.
And what happens if they're amazing andthey're like, your new favorite vegetable?
Well, I guess I have to keep eating them.
Awesome.
I love it.
So do you think that you helpinfluence your little brother
and how he eats vegetables?
Yeah.
Because he follows me and doesthe same stuff that I do a lot.
(14:53):
So if you say it's gross, do youthink he's gonna think it's gross?
Definitely.
If you say that they're reallyyummy, do you think he's more
likely to want to eat them?
Yes.
Asher, do you like to try new foods?
Yes, because we do coins and when Itry something new, um, I get a coin.
(15:14):
When you try something new,you get a coin, don't you?
That's right.
Yes.
And then you get to usethose coins for prizes.
Yes.
So what happens if you trysomething new and you don't like it?
Do you still get the coin?
Yes.
Yes, because you were brave andyou tried something new, right?
And getting a coin helpsyou want to try new things?
(15:35):
Yes.
Yes.
Awesome.
Okay, so we're gonna look ahead.
I want you to think aboutwhen you're grownup.
Asher, when you're a grownup,do you think you'll eat veggies?
Yes.
Isaiah, what about you?
Do you think that when you moveout of the house and you don't have
to cook what mom makes you, do youthink you'll eat veggies on your own?
(15:56):
Yeah.
Because I'll come to you for dinner.
I'm gonna cook for you for forever?
Yep.
That's your life plan?
Yep.
That's mine too.
Isaiah will drive me there since I'm notgonna be able to drive yet, Isaiah will.
All right.
I'm just gonna feed you guys for forever.
Don't you want to learnhow to cook on your own?
(16:18):
A little bit?
Yeah, a little bit.
I want to at least knowhow to make mac and cheese.
Mac and cheese the staples of life, right?
You kind of know how tomake mac and cheese already.
Kinda, kind of not.
What about the red orzo that we make?
That's, uh.
It's, I don't, I would say likespaghetti, but it's so much better than
(16:38):
spaghetti, um, that has spinach in it.
Would you make that on your own?
If I can remember how.
Well I can give you the recipe.
Well then yeah, I would make it again.
Okay.
All right.
What is one thing you've learnedabout food from being in our family?
That food is way better when you cook it.
(17:02):
Like when somebody cooksat home, it's better?
Yeah.
Or you just like my cookingbetter than everyone else's?
Is that what you're saying?
Yes, definitely.
If you could give one pieceof advice to other kids about
eating veggies, what would it be?
So there's moms listening to thispodcast and maybe their kids don't
(17:26):
really like veggies that much.
What would you tell them?
I would tell them to find, um, a goodrecipe to put veggies in and then
maybe that would make them better.
What's your favorite way to eat veggies?
If you had to be like, try themlike this, what would you recommend?
Um, different kinds of saladbecause a lot of kids only eat one
(17:48):
kind of salad a lot of the time.
Mm-hmm Asher, what about you?
What's a yummy way to eat veggies?
Well, I make a hole in the, um,tomatoes and, um, I, I drink the juice.
Then I dip it with someranch and I eat it.
You like to drink thejuice from the tomato?
Yes.
Yes.
(18:08):
I did that with almostall double tomatoes.
Okay.
One last question.
This is fun.
Okay.
If veggies were superheroes, whichone would be the strongest and why?
The strongest one would be, um, tomatoes.
(18:29):
Because it's super round.
It's super round.
Yeah.
If like something tries, like,if like another one tries to hit
it, it can just roll under tothe right and hit it in the back.
Oh, the tomato can rolland, and hit the bad guy?
Mm-hmm.
That's what makes it a superhero.
Mm-hmm.
Awesome.
Isaiah, what about you?
I don't know.
(18:50):
Broccoli is a, you know what theycall broccoli is super food, right?
Mm-hmm.
You said that broccoli wasone of your favorite foods.
Yeah, so I think broccoliwould be a superhero.
Because it would look like a tree.
It looks like a tree, but you know what?
It's also called a cruciferousvegetable, which helps detox your body.
It helps fight cancer, and it givesyou all kinds of vitamins and minerals.
(19:16):
That sounds pretty super to me, huh?
Yeah.
So it could be a superheroflying around, fighting bad guys.
Or it could be a superhero inyour body flying around in your
body, like fighting the bad guys.
Like, bam, bam.
That's weird.
That's weird?
Asher, what do you think about that?
Do you like that?
(19:37):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't want to fight going onin my body when I'm sleeping.
Well, your, immune systemdoes that all the time.
You know that right?
Well, then I don't likemy immune system anymore.
And if you didn't have an immunesystem, you'd be sick all the time.
Okay.
That's it for today's episode.
(19:58):
Thanks for hanging out with us.
Bye, and go eat your veggies.
Wasn't that fun?
I loved hearing what my boys had to say.
Some of it made me laugh, and some ofit reminded me just how far we've come
in building this food culture at home.
Here's what I hope you take away today.
Kids really can learn to love veggies.
(20:19):
Not perfectly, not overnight, butlittle by little with consistency
and with a culture that makes healthyfood normal and even enjoyable.
And if my kids who once thought anythinggreen was disgusting, can now talk about
their favorite vegetables on a podcast.
I promise you, mama, there'shope for your home too.
(20:42):
Thanks for joining mein this bonus episode.
Be sure to tune in next week for anotherspecial surprise to close out this series.
Until then, remember.
Small steps really do lead tobig wins, and you are building a
legacy of wellness your kids willcarry with them for a lifetime.
Hi, I'm Isaiah and I'm 12.
I'm Asher, and I'm five.
And we're talking about veggies today.
Hey mama.
Today's episode is a little different andhonestly, I think you're going to love it.
This is a bonus episode in ourHow to Teach Your Kids to Love
(00:20):
Veggies Series, and I thought, whatbetter way to wrap things up than
by hearing straight from my kids?
Now you've heard me talk about ourfood culture at home, the ups and
downs of introducing veggies, andall the mind shifts along the way.
But today, my boys, ages 12and 5, are going to share their
own thoughts about vegetables.
(00:41):
The good, the bad, and the funny.
So if you've ever wondered whatkids really think about spinach in
their muffins, or why they sometimessurprise us by asking for salad at
dinner, this episode is for you.
Are you ready?
Let's dive in.
Alright boys, welcome to the show.
(01:03):
I'm so excited to have you here.
Are you excited, Asher?
Yeah.
I'm so excited.
You guys are my first official guests.
Do you know that?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So do you know that we've beentalking about veggies on the podcast?
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
You know that?
(01:23):
Alright, so I'm gonna askyou some fun questions.
Okay.
And you just answer honestly.
Okay?
All right.
I am gonna start with a big question.
What's your favorite vegetable right now?
Um,
tomatoes and cucumbers.
You love tomatoes andcucumbers, don't you?
(01:45):
Mm-hmm.
I like, um, tomatoes, cucumberswith ranch, and cucumbers with salt.
I love them.
Cucumbers with salt andtomatoes with ranch?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Awesome.
All right, Isaiah, if you couldpick any vegetable for dinner,
which one would you want?
Broccoli.
You love broccoli?
(02:05):
I love broccoli too.
You love broccoli too?
Yeah.
Awesome.
Okay.
Now this is a funny one.
If you could turn any veggie intoa candy, which one would you pick?
A candy cane?
No.
If you could turn any veggie into acandy, which veggie would you pick?
(02:27):
Broccoli.
Broccoli.
Alright, so broccoli would be a candy.
Isaiah, you love broccoli, so areyou gonna pick something else?
Let's see.
Tomatoes.
Tomatoes.
Tomatoes are not your favorite.
Right.
So if they tasted likecandy, they might be better?
Awesome.
(02:48):
I love it.
That was just a fun one.
Okay.
Alright.
So I want to talk aboutour family and about food.
Okay.
Okay.
So I want you guys totell me what you think.
Okay.
Do you think our family eatsdifferently than other families?
Yes.
How do you think we eat differently?
(03:08):
I don't know.
Isaiah, do you have anything to say?
I think we definitely eat differentlybecause we eat a lot healthier.
Why do you think that?
What do you hear friends or kids at schooltalking about when it comes to food?
(03:29):
Fast food.
Kids eat a lot of fast food, butwe don't really do that, do we?
How often do you think we eat fast food?
I'm not even sure.
Once a month.
I think once a month is a lot.
Um, how often do we eat veggies?
Every second.
(03:49):
Every, every second of the day.
At least every day, right?
Yeah.
Asher, how often do youthink we eat veggies?
We eat it at dinner time.
At dinner time?
Mm-hmm.
Do you think we eatveggies at breakfast time?
No.
(04:10):
Are you sure?
Yes.
Do you know that yourbreakfast has veggies in them?
No.
You didn't know that?
No.
So let's see.
What do we have right now?
We have pumpkin, chocolate chipwaffles in the freezer, right?
(04:30):
And pumpkin is a veggie.
So there's veggies in your waffles.
And let's see, we don't have muffinsright now because I'm gonna make those
tomorrow, but you are gonna make them.
Yeah.
What are your guys' favoritemuffins for breakfast?
Chocolate chip.
The green chocolate chip, right?
Do you know what's in there?
Um, I know chocolate chips.
(04:53):
Yeah, I need chocolate chips.
Do you know what makes them green?
Um, guacamole.
Guacamole.
That's a good guess.
Avocados are green, but weactually put spinach Oh.
In the muffins.
That's what makes them green.
But, um, guacamole is green.
Yes, avocados are green.
Hey, do you like those muffins?
(05:14):
Hmm?
So do you like eatingveggies for breakfast?
Yes.
Isaiah, how do you feel abouteating veggies for breakfast?
They're pretty good.
What is your favorite breakfast item?
If I could make anything forbreakfast, what would you have me make?
Green chocolate chip muffins.
(05:36):
Those are your favorite, huh?
Yep.
I know they're, that's my favorite.
I know you guys love those.
I told our friends on thepodcast all about this so they
can go home and make them too.
Yeah, that would belike, mm, this is good.
Yes.
Do you feel different, like you havemore energy on days when you have
our kind of breakfast compared to aday that maybe you have cereal, or
(06:00):
a donut, or maybe a special day whenwe have like a cinnamon roll for
breakfast, which day do you think youfeel better, like you have more energy?
A good breakfast or a sugary breakfast,A sugary breakfast, like donuts.
I love donuts.
You love donuts, but do you thinkthat they make your body feel good?
(06:20):
Uh, kind of.
So let me ask you this.
When you have a good breakfast, likespinach chocolate chip muffins, or when
you have pumpkin waffles, do you thinkthat you feel better and have more energy?
Yes.
Isaiah, what about you?
Do you notice a difference at all?
(06:40):
I know you're more aware of your body andyour energy levels, especially in school.
What do you think?
Yeah, I felt like whenever I eatcereal or like a donut, I just
eat it just for the taste of it.
But whenever I eat healthy breakfastsit gives me more energy for the day.
Yeah.
How can you tell thatyou have more energy?
What do you notice?
(07:01):
I'm not as tired.
Mm-hmm.
What about when you're in class?
Do you feel differentwhen you're in school?
Yeah, I can definitely think better.
Mm-hmm.
Awesome.
I'm glad that you guys are benefitingfrom our healthy breakfast.
Have you noticed foods that you eatthat make you feel tired or cranky?
Are there any foods thatmake you feel yucky, Asher?
(07:22):
No.
No.
All foods make you feel amazing?
Yes.
Spoken like a true 5-year-old.
Isaiah, what about you?
Do types of coffees count?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Some sugary coffees willmake me feel bad afterwards.
Every once in a while you'll have acoffee and you feel yucky afterward.
(07:43):
Definitely.
Yeah.
Okay.
If your friend said, I hateveggies, what would you tell them?
Veggies are good for you.
You should eat them.
And then you say, Mmm, this is yummy.
They're yummy, huh?
(08:03):
Yeah.
Okay, so I have another question.
When you take your lunch toschool, do other kids ever
notice or ask about your food?
Isaiah, do you want to share with us whatdo kids say about your food at school?
What's that?
That, that's, um, what's that?
Um, uh, um, I guess not like one ofmy friends, but um, one of my kids in
(08:23):
school, um, actually said that, withchia pudding that's really good for you.
The chia pudding, yourfriend asked, what's that?
Mm-hmm.
So that's something thatkids ask you both a lot.
What's that?
My friend thought they were fish eggs.
They thought chia pudding was fish eggs?
That's so funny.
It wasn't fish eggs.
It was, it probably,probably like green stuff.
(08:46):
Yeah.
So kids think that the foodyou eat is weird sometimes?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Do you think your food is weird?
No, not to me.
What do you think about thefood you take for lunch?
I'm good.
It's good?
Mm-hmm.
What about you, Isaiah?
It's yummy.
Would you change anythingabout what you eat at school?
(09:09):
No.
I wouldn't either.
You wouldn't either?
Nope.
Okay.
Alright, so let's talk aboutin the past versus now.
Okay.
What does that mean?
That means when you were little.
Okay.
Oh, okay.
Can you remember a time whenyou didn't like veggies?
(09:30):
Um, I think it was when I wasone, but then I got used to them.
So when you were one,you didn't like veggies?
Yeah, but um, you madeveggies, um, in muffins.
I didn't even see it.
So I made veggies in muffinsand you didn't even see it?
Yeah.
Yeah, it was hilarious.
(09:50):
I was like, Hmm, this isgood, has veggies in it.
And I didn't like it.
But now you like veggies?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I love them a lot.
Isaiah, do you remember a timewhen you didn't like veggies?
Definitely.
What do you remember about that?
I didn't like salads at all.
(10:10):
Yeah.
But now I really like them.
What's your favorite way to eat a salad?
I don't know.
Yes you do.
What do you mean?
Like what's your favorite way?
Like how do you like to eat a salad?
With a fork and shoving in my mouth?
No, like, like spinach with olive oil.
(10:31):
Oh.
Or ranch?
Cucumbers, or ranch,however you like to eat.
Spinach, cucumbers and olive oil.
That's your favorite salad.
So if you could have any salad,that's what you'd pick, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sometimes I like too.
You too?
Mm-hmm.
You like that salad too, don't you?
Yay.
Okay, so Isaiah, you lovesalads now, but do you remember
(10:55):
when you didn't like veggies?
Do you remember what would happenwhen you saw something green
in your food at dinner time?
Yeah.
I always ask, what's that?
And you kind of picked at themand didn't want to eat them, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Do you remember having meltdowns aboutnot eating food that I served for dinner?
(11:16):
No.
That's good.
I remember.
Do you have meltdownsnow about eating veggies?
No.
No.
Would you say that you eat thembecause you have to, or would you
say that mostly you like them?
Mostly I like them.
Yeah.
What do you think has changed since then?
(11:37):
What do you think has helpedyou like veggies more?
Asher?
Tomatoes and cucumbers.
Tomatoes and cucumbershelped you like veggies more?
Yes.
Yes.
What's so great abouttomatoes and cucumbers?
I dunno.
Do we grow them in our garden?
Yes.
That's the, um, that'sthe part I like about it.
(12:00):
Yeah.
Do you like going outside andjust picking veggies right
off the plant in our own yard?
Yeah.
When I pick them off, I just pick for atomato, I just pick them off and eat them.
Yep.
Like a little garden snack, huh?
Mm-hmm.
Yep.
Like when I'm hungry,tomatoes, I go outside.
Tomatoes.
I just eat them.
Yep.
(12:22):
Okay.
Isaiah's turn, okay.
Isaiah, what do you think has helped yougo from not liking veggies and throwing
fits at dinnertime, to enjoying them more?
Me getting older, and youmaking good recipes with them?
Yeah?
So you think cooking has a littlebit to do with it and then part
of it is just growing up and notthrowing a fit over your food?
(12:46):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Awesome.
Oh, this is a good question.
Asher, are there any veggies that youused to say yuck to, that you like now?
Yeah, tell me.
Cucumbers.
You didn't used to like cucumbers?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
No, but now you do?
Yes.
Yes.
Do mushrooms count?
(13:07):
Yes.
But I thought they're a fungi.
Oh, that's true.
I guess they're not technically aveggie, my little scientific mind.
But I think for the context of this,they do count as a veggie Because
they're very healthy for you, right?
And you did not used to like mushrooms.
And I actually let youpick them out for a while.
That was like the one veggie.
I was like, okay, Iwon't make you eat this.
(13:29):
But now you like them, don't you?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So do you think as you've gottenolder, your taste buds have changed?
Definitely.
Isaiah, do you think that you've become amore adventurous eater as you got older?
Yes.
Do you remember asking me abouttrying a new veggie the other day?
(13:51):
Yeah.
What was it?
I didn't like Brussels sprouts for awhile, but now I want to try them again.
Why do you want to try them again?
Because I feel like mytaste buds have changed.
And now you might like them?
Yeah.
Do you trust me to makethem in a yummy way?
Now I do.
(14:12):
You didn't use to?
Yeah.
I always thought that the reasonI didn't like the Brussels sprouts
was because the way you cook them.
Oh.
But now you think that you'rebrave enough to try them again?
Yeah.
What happens if they're still gross?
Oh, well.
Will you still be gladthat you tried them again?
(14:32):
Yeah.
And what happens if they're amazing andthey're like, your new favorite vegetable?
Well, I guess I have to keep eating them.
Awesome.
I love it.
So do you think that you helpinfluence your little brother
and how he eats vegetables?
Yeah.
Because he follows me and doesthe same stuff that I do a lot.
(14:53):
So if you say it's gross, do youthink he's gonna think it's gross?
Definitely.
If you say that they're reallyyummy, do you think he's more
likely to want to eat them?
Yes.
Asher, do you like to try new foods?
Yes, because we do coins and when Itry something new, um, I get a coin.
(15:14):
When you try something new,you get a coin, don't you?
That's right.
Yes.
And then you get to usethose coins for prizes.
Yes.
So what happens if you trysomething new and you don't like it?
Do you still get the coin?
Yes.
Yes, because you were brave andyou tried something new, right?
And getting a coin helpsyou want to try new things?
(15:35):
Yes.
Yes.
Awesome.
Okay, so we're gonna look ahead.
I want you to think aboutwhen you're grownup.
Asher, when you're a grownup,do you think you'll eat veggies?
Yes.
Isaiah, what about you?
Do you think that when you moveout of the house and you don't have
to cook what mom makes you, do youthink you'll eat veggies on your own?
(15:56):
Yeah.
Because I'll come to you for dinner.
I'm gonna cook for you for forever?
Yep.
That's your life plan?
Yep.
That's mine too.
Isaiah will drive me there since I'm notgonna be able to drive yet, Isaiah will.
All right.
I'm just gonna feed you guys for forever.
Don't you want to learnhow to cook on your own?
(16:18):
A little bit?
Yeah, a little bit.
I want to at least knowhow to make mac and cheese.
Mac and cheese the staples of life, right?
You kind of know how tomake mac and cheese already.
Kinda, kind of not.
What about the red orzo that we make?
That's, uh.
It's, I don't, I would say likespaghetti, but it's so much better than
(16:38):
spaghetti, um, that has spinach in it.
Would you make that on your own?
If I can remember how.
Well I can give you the recipe.
Well then yeah, I would make it again.
Okay.
All right.
What is one thing you've learnedabout food from being in our family?
That food is way better when you cook it.
(17:02):
Like when somebody cooksat home, it's better?
Yeah.
Or you just like my cookingbetter than everyone else's?
Is that what you're saying?
Yes, definitely.
If you could give one pieceof advice to other kids about
eating veggies, what would it be?
So there's moms listening to thispodcast and maybe their kids don't
(17:26):
really like veggies that much.
What would you tell them?
I would tell them to find, um, a goodrecipe to put veggies in and then
maybe that would make them better.
What's your favorite way to eat veggies?
If you had to be like, try themlike this, what would you recommend?
Um, different kinds of saladbecause a lot of kids only eat one
(17:48):
kind of salad a lot of the time.
Mm-hmm Asher, what about you?
What's a yummy way to eat veggies?
Well, I make a hole in the, um,tomatoes and, um, I, I drink the juice.
Then I dip it with someranch and I eat it.
You like to drink thejuice from the tomato?
Yes.
Yes.
(18:08):
I did that with almostall double tomatoes.
Okay.
One last question.
This is fun.
Okay.
If veggies were superheroes, whichone would be the strongest and why?
The strongest one would be, um, tomatoes.
(18:29):
Because it's super round.
It's super round.
Yeah.
If like something tries, like,if like another one tries to hit
it, it can just roll under tothe right and hit it in the back.
Oh, the tomato can rolland, and hit the bad guy?
Mm-hmm.
That's what makes it a superhero.
Mm-hmm.
Awesome.
Isaiah, what about you?
I don't know.
(18:50):
Broccoli is a, you know what theycall broccoli is super food, right?
Mm-hmm.
You said that broccoli wasone of your favorite foods.
Yeah, so I think broccoliwould be a superhero.
Because it would look like a tree.
It looks like a tree, but you know what?
It's also called a cruciferousvegetable, which helps detox your body.
It helps fight cancer, and it givesyou all kinds of vitamins and minerals.
(19:16):
That sounds pretty super to me, huh?
Yeah.
So it could be a superheroflying around, fighting bad guys.
Or it could be a superhero inyour body flying around in your
body, like fighting the bad guys.
Like, bam, bam.
That's weird.
That's weird?
Asher, what do you think about that?
Do you like that?
(19:37):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't want to fight going onin my body when I'm sleeping.
Well, your, immune systemdoes that all the time.
You know that right?
Well, then I don't likemy immune system anymore.
And if you didn't have an immunesystem, you'd be sick all the time.
Okay.
That's it for today's episode.
(19:58):
Thanks for hanging out with us.
Bye, and go eat your veggies.
Wasn't that fun?
I loved hearing what my boys had to say.
Some of it made me laugh, and some ofit reminded me just how far we've come
in building this food culture at home.
Here's what I hope you take away today.
Kids really can learn to love veggies.
(20:19):
Not perfectly, not overnight, butlittle by little with consistency
and with a culture that makes healthyfood normal and even enjoyable.
And if my kids who once thought anythinggreen was disgusting, can now talk about
their favorite vegetables on a podcast.
I promise you, mama, there'shope for your home too.
(20:42):
Thanks for joining mein this bonus episode.
Be sure to tune in next week for anotherspecial surprise to close out this series.
Until then, remember.
Small steps really do lead tobig wins, and you are building a
legacy of wellness your kids willcarry with them for a lifetime.
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