Food names make a difference. A cousin of mine won’t eat yogurt just because he doesn’t like the word yogurt. And he’s not the only one.
People might refuse to eat stuff if they don’t like what it’s called.
I blogged about this yesterday.
Well apparently, it’s no different for kids. Children respond better when food has a cool name. According to one study 4-year old girls ate almost twice as many “Xray Vision Carrots” as regular carrots even though the dish they got served was exactly the same.
So folks, if you’re trying to get your children to try something new or to eat a particular vegetable or other ingredient that might not be a favorite, maybe if you give it a good name your child might actually try it and better yet, like it!
X-Ray Vision Carrots
- 1 pound carrots
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
- salt to taste
Peel the carrots and cut them into 1/2-inch chunks. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the carrots and cook for 5-6 minutes or until nearly tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the shallot, ginger and orange peel and cook for one minute. Stir in the orange juice and maple syrup and cook for one minute. Add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until the carrots are hot, tender and well glazed. Season with salt to taste.
Makes 4 servings