We are excited to bring you a new monthly series from Katie Blauser, the creator of Eat Pretty Darling. Each month on our blog we will feature a "Color of the Week" that corresponds with Veggie Buds Club's veggie of the month. We're featuring BEANS this month so we can't wait to focus on GREEN veggies!

​Let’s face it, we don’t all have access to farm stands and gardens year round to source our fresh produce each week. It’s not always feasible to have our kids helping to grow the food we eat either. Most of us have to count on the grocery store to fill our bellies, but there’s still a fun way to get the kids involved!

Each week we head out to to grocery store with a color to find! We stick to the produce section and try to pick 4-5 items that fit our color. Sometimes it’s the color on the outside, sometimes it’s the color on the inside. It’s a great way to get the kids excited about trying new things! Let your kids pick the items out. We try to get at least one thing he likes and some other things he hasn’t tried or is still learning to like. Even if I’ve offered him something a million times, he gets more interested in trying it if he had a hand in picking it out. Getting kids involved every step of the way can help your picky eater become a little more adventurous. Now go explore your grocery store! A colorful bounty awaits.

Now what to do with all of your colorful food? Try to incorporate these items into your weekly meals. How about a totally green meal such as these Green Bean Sticks with Green Dip?!

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh green beans ends removed and cut in half
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 avocado pitted and diced
• 3 green onions, remove roots and dark green
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

  Instructions

1. Blanch green beans in lightly salted boiling water 2-3 minutes until beans are tender. Quickly plunge beans in ice water. Once cooled, drain beans and place in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Put basil, lime juice, avocado, green onions, honey, Parmesan, and garlic in a food processor. While pulsing, drizzle olive oil through top until dressing is smooth, scraping down sides if necessary. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the bean sticks & dip right away or place covered in the fridge until chilled.

The dip can also be used as a sauce over zucchini noodles (another all green meal!) or even spread on a piece of toast.
 
Get the kids involved in cooking!
​Here’s some ways they can help for this recipe:

• Tear up the basil leaves
• Break off the ends of the green beans
• Press the button on the food processor
• Pull the beans out of the ice bath

This delicious soup will have your children "eating the rainbow"! Dry alphabet pasta makes this recipe souper kid-friendly but if you can't find any at your local grocery store any small pasta shape will do.

This recipe was developed by Happy Kids Kitchen for Veggie Buds Club.

Get your kids involved in the kitchen! They can peel the carrots, chop the veggies, add the veggies to the pot, and stir in those fun alphabet noodles.

​Check out our shop for products that teach kids to learn to love veggies! This includes veggie activity boxes, kid-safe knives, interactive placemats, and more.

Micro basil is a type of basil that has been harvested when it is very young and the leaves are small. Another name for micro basil is baby basil! They are most commonly used as an herb to add flavor to a variety of dishes, the basil flavor is more concentrated and very delicious.

​Growing your own veggies can be so rewarding for kids and it is a great sensory activity for toddlers too. Research shows that kids are more likely to try new veggies if they know they have grown them themselves!

Micro basil is a delicious garnish on many dishes such as pasta, tomato salad, pizza, and salads. Here at Veggie Buds Club we focus on kid-friendly meals, below are some kid-approved ways to enjoy micro basil!

• Boil any shaped pasta and add frozen peas for the last 2 minutes of boiling time. After draining, mix in butter and Parmesan cheese. Serve with micro basil on top.
• Top veggie soup with micro basil! Check out our Easy Alphabet Veggie Soup recipe.
• English muffin pizzas topped with micro basil! This is a fun one to get your kids involved with. Make a pizza topping station: lay out English muffins, pizza sauce in a bowl, mozzarella cheese in a bowl, and topping options. Have your child spread the sauce with a spoon, sprinkle the cheese, and top with preferred toppings. Next, bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes. Top with micro basil after they come out of the oven.

Check out our shop for products that teach kids to learn to love veggies! This includes veggie activity boxes, kid-safe knives, interactive placemats, and more.