Question for “Ask the Dietitian:” I need vegetable help! My kids will eat steamed edamame, steamed broccoli, green beans, peas and corn, but that is about it. I need some good alternatives (or recipes) because the rotation is getting old. Every once in a while we do cauliflower (with cheese), but I try to stay away from peas and corn (starchy right?). Good alternatives / options? Definitely trying the purple potatoes by the way!

It is easy for all us to get stuck in a rut. I find myself rotating the same few vegetables too until we tire of them. Then I find a new rotation and keep repeating the cycle! Cooking vegetables a different way can spice things up a bit as well. If you usually eat steamed veggies (which is the healthiest cooking method besides raw), then try roasting or adding veggies in a stir fry. With grilling season coming up, that is a great alternative as well. Adding different seasonings can help add variety too.

As for the peas and corn they are starchy vegetables, but still vegetables. There is no reason to avoid them. If you or anyone in your family is a diabetic, then you would need to include them in carbohydrate counting. For more information about their nutritional value check out my post Peas Please and Corn on the Cob.

I’m not sure what you have tried before, but here is a list of veggies that you can try:

• Kale (check out these Kale Chips)
• Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, Zucchini, Yellow Summer)
• Asparagus
• Bell Peppers (Yellow, Green, Red, Orange)
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Celery (kids love it with peanut butter and raisins – “ants on a log”)
• Eggplant
• Okra
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes (try cherry or Caprese Salad)
• Cucumber
• Jicama
• Jalapeno

I hope this list helps give you a fresh look on veggies! For ways to get your kids to eat more veggies, check out how to make your kids veggie lovers. 

Did I leave out a vegetable that your family eats? Please share with the rest of us!