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How To Get Your Children To Love Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts, to be honest, do have something of an image problem. One of the greatest Christmas cliches is that kids (and some adults) won't eat them. You know how it goes.

"Eat your sprouts dear", you say in your most cheerful voice.

Child pulls pouty face.

"No Christmas Pudding unless you eat your sprouts!"

To your relief your child starts to attack the sprouts with great gusto - until you notice that they are being mashed but not eaten.

How To Get Your Children To Love Brussels Sprouts #brusselssprouts

"Sorry, hiding them under your knife and fork doesn't count."

"I'm not eating them, they're nasty" replies junior, sulking.

"Just one then. Just eat one sprout. You have to eat one sprout on Christmas Day."

Let's face it, they're one of those foods which you tend to grow to appreciate more as an adult than you do as a child.

However they are a fantastic food; 1/2 cup of Brussels sprouts contains 80% of the Recommend Daily Allowance of Vitamin C, so if you can get your children to eat sprouts they will be eating something really healthy as well as enjoying their Christmas dinner.

Top Tips For Making Brussels Sprouts A Christmas Treat

Brussels Sprouts Growing on a Stalk
  1. Buy Brussels Sprouts on the stalk if possible. They look really silly, and children will have great fun pulling them off the stalk. (I must confess that I only discovered how they grew about 15 years ago. I laughed a lot).
  2. Get the children to help to prepare them by removing the outer layer and then washing them in a small bowl of water.
  3. Should you cut a cross into the bottom of your sprouts? It probably makes no difference at all. Cut them in half, or just pop them into the pan as they are.
  4. One of the most popular and tasty ways of cooking Brussels sprouts is to cook them with bacon. Once your sprouts are cooked, chop up some streaky bacon and fry it up with your sprouts. Yum!
  5. You can also try sprouts shredded, either eaten raw in a salad or flash-fried.
  6. To add that seasonal treat, throw in some chestnuts.
  7. Mix the Brussels sprouts with mashed potato to make Bubble and Squeak then cut into Christmas shapes before frying until golden brown.
  8. If you are completely evil you could try this.

Fun Fact: Brussels Sprouts are so called because they were very popular in Brussels, Belgium from the 13th century. However they probably originated around the Mediterranean and are thought to have been cultivated in ancient Rome.

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