How DO you get a kid to eat carrots?

To which you should ask, “ah, how old’s the kid?”

My short list:

1. Add sauce.

2. YOU have to eat it (and look like you’re enjoying it).

3. Do a song and dance number about how much you LOOOOVE carrots.

4. Don’t make it into a big deal.

5. Try again another day.

Take a few locally grown carrots (carrots are in season right now in New Orleans), shred them finely, then:

add sauce

Because as soon as you add a delicious sauce, well, we all know that’s a game changer.

Plus, veggies by themselves are kind of….boring.

Take a few bites for yourself, rub your belly while saying “MMmmmm, so delicious!”, et voila.

Is it always that easy?

Um. No.

But lately it has been. I’ve made this dish for K a few times now and he’s coming around to it.

I’ve learned that giving him just ONE dish at a time helps him to stay focused and not avoid the food he may not be particularly fond of.

So, carrot salad a time or two a week works well to deliver some raw fiber and that important astringent, sweet, bitter taste combo that does a Pitta baby so well.

Bon Appetit, Bebe!

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Carrot Salad

You can use your average variety of orange carrots for this exquisite and simple dish, 

but if you have access to the multi-colored varieties, try them for their subtle flavor differences!

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2 medium-sized carrots, shredded finely

Balsamic vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried herbs: rosemary, thyme, & oregano work well, but use whatcha got

salt & pepper to taste

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The best way to shred a carrot? I use the small side of the same box grater I use for cheese and ginger. (When I’m shredding more than a couple, I break out the food processor, for sure.)

Put all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk together for a minute until all ingredients combine. This will make more than you need for a baby; use the rest of the dressing for YOUR salads. Nothing beats freshly made salad dressings for a pop of flavor and you need not limit it to just salads.

Toss 1/4 cup of shredded carrots in 1-2 teaspoons of the vinaigrette, mix well. Store the rest for future attempts, or enjoy it yourself. I personally think it’s freaking delish.

So far, this is working for me. He’s sixteen months old. I’ll get back to you in a year and let you know if he’s still eating carrots.