Your Kid Hates These Foods Because Of The Way You Cook Them
Chances are there are some foods you grew up thinking you absolutely hated, but in reality, the food wasn’t the problem at all; it was how it was cooked. Now that you have your own kids, you might be doing the same thing to them. Here are the top offenders and how you might be cooking them wrong.
1. Brussels Sprouts
Lots of parents just boiled Brussels sprouts and then served them for dinner, no wonder kids wouldn’t eat them. There are so many tasty ways to prepare Brussels sprouts that the whole family will enjoy, like roasting them, sauteing them, or shaving them in a salad!
2. Asparagus
Sorry, parents, but asparagus is not meant to be limp, poured out of a can, heated, and served. It’s meant to be bright, crisp, and fresh. It’s also another perfect veggie for grilling, roasting, making salads, or sauteing for maximum flavor.
3. Green Peas
Green peas out of a can may have their place in a recipe, but straight out of the can and onto the plate, isn’t it. Many adults find that they love the taste of green peas when they are fresh or cooked from frozen and not out of a can. Particularly when they are mixed into pasta salads.
4. Pork
Back in the day, it was common for parents to cook pork until there was no pink left. The result? Dry, flavorless, shoe leather-like meat. Perfectly cooked pork should have a little pink and still be flavorful and juicy. That said, pork should be cooked to at least 145 F. for food safety. Anything less than that, and you’ll make the kids sick instead.
5. Tofu
When cooked properly, tofu can be quite delicious and absorb the flavors of what it is cooked with. If it’s not cooked properly, it turns into a mushy mess with no real flavor, which is quite unenjoyable. But if it’s truly soybeans they don’t like, then try making chickpea tofu instead. It’s just as delicious and just as versatile.
6. Mushrooms
Mushrooms from a can are not very appealing to look at, and they don’t have much taste, so it’s not surprising to find out that many people grew up thinking that they hated ALL mushrooms. As it turns out, a lot of people do like fresh mushrooms; it’s just the canned varieties that they find to be icky. Try cooking them with some garlic. It’s life-changing.
7. Eggs
Scrambled eggs are another food that many people thought they hated because mom and day would cook them until they were dry, rubbery, and tasteless, all in the name of protecting the family from salmonella. Please don’t cook your scrambled eggs until they turn to rubber. Here’s how to cook them like a pro instead.
8. Burgers
Having a kid who doesn’t like burgers is practically committing a crime against humanity, but it was the reality for a whole generation of kids. Parents were told that fat was bad, so the meat used for burgers was super lean (i.e., flavorless), and then it was cooked to death to avoid the risk of e-coli. Poor kids. These days, you can improve the health of a burger without sacrificing flavor. Both kids and adults love turkey burgers.
9. Salmon
Many parents would make salmon patties from canned salmon or put canned salmon in a casserole. Canned salmon has its place, but many people grew up thinking they hated ALL salmon. If you are one of these people, please try some properly cooked fresh salmon. Even adding some sauce can really help change your mind.
10. Sweet Potatoes
Contrary to once popular beliefs, sweet potatoes aren’t only good for mashing with brown sugar and topping them with marshmallows. Many adults have discovered that they actually prefer sweet potatoes when they have been tossed in savory spices and roasted to perfection. You can stuff them, mash them, or even turn them into savory casseroles.
This post was inspired by this thread.
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This originally appeared on The Gracious Pantry.