Peas
Understanding Veg
Have you heard the famous story of the princess and the pea?
Once upon a time a handsome prince is looking for a princess to marry, but he cannot find one that he loves. One dark and stormy night a young woman, soaked by the rain, knocks on the castle door. The prince answers the door and is immediately smitten by her beauty. She claims to be a princess, but the prince’s mother – the Queen – is not so sure. So that night she sets out a bed for the young woman with twenty soft mattresses stacked one on top of another, and beneath the bottom mattress she places a single pea. The next morning the young woman tells her host that she endured a sleepless night, kept awake by something hard in the bed. “Rejoice,” said the Queen, “for she is truly a princess” and the prince and princess get married, and live happily ever after. The End.
Nutrition
These small peas pack a punch as they’re rich in thiamine, this is a B-vitamin that supports heart function. Peas are also a great alternative to get your vitamin C in, plus they’re high in fibre to keep you fuller for longer.
Shopping Guide
Look for pods that are full and perky with dry stems as this can indicate the freshness. Limp pods can be slightly bitter. Frozen peas can be found in most local supermarkets all year round.
Storage
Fresh peas are stored dry in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for up to a week. Frozen peas are a household staple to keep in the freezer for those last minute dinners.
Serving Suggestions
To prep fresh peas, tear open the pods and scoop the peas out. For frozen, just heat through until piping hot! You can simply boil them or microwave with a little water for a few minutes.
Coming In:
May
At Its Best:
June - September
Engage
Here are some of our favourite ways to engage kids with peas:
Arts & Crafts
Start simple with some non-food based engagement. This is especially helpful for a fussier child or those with sensitivities around food.
DOWNLOADS:
Puzzles & Games
Puzzles and games are all about fun and centering them on veg brings a positive association with it. Like arts & crafts, this is great for those who aren’t yet ready to interact physically with the veg, but it can still be fun for all!
PLAY NOW:
Pea-Doku – act fast to get all these peas on the plate
Sensory
Sensory exploration can be a wonderful introduction to physically interacting with veg. Turn it into a positive, pressure-free experience by starting off with the golden rules of “You don’t need to try and you don’t need to like.” Reassuring a child that, while they have a chance to taste a veg, they don’t have to, and are not expected to like it if they do, can make them more happy to engage with it.
Get a handful of frozen peas and let your child explore them through touch, feeling how cold it is fresh out of the freezer, then how it warms up in their hands. See if the feel reminds them of anything. Perhaps it feels like tiny pebbles or necklace beads? Encourage their creativity and imagination and see if cooking a few and offering them warm and cooked changes their mind about how they look and feel.
WATCH:
Sensory expert Ruth Platt from TastEd explains how to use senses to introduce your child to peas.
Kids in the Kitchen
Children who help to prep and cook veg are more likely to eat it. If you feel your child is ready to help and could benefit from it, keep the stress and mess to a minimum by choosing one simple task for them to do as part of the prep, meaning they can be involved and feel like the recipe is in part ‘theirs’, but also not make the process too much longer or more complicated.
For a younger child, why not get them pushing the microwave buttons to cook the peas, or mixing a little butter or oil through before serving.
For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to give them ownership of a side dish – could they make buttery peas from start to finish by pouring frozen peas into a microwaveable bowl, microwaving until cooked and stirring through butter and some salt and pepper while you are making dinner?
DOWNLOADS:
Use our Kitchen Ninja chart and videos to find simple ways for kids to help in the kitchen.
Your Food
Find your go-to meals in our family favourites section and see what veggies work best with them.
Find out how to add more veg to your suppers here.
If You Like Peas…Try
Does your child enjoy peas? That’s great! Peas are usually mild and creamy, so why not try a similar texture and/or taste…
Serving
The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it!
The first thing to do is remove the pressure. If the veg doesn’t get eaten, it’s not the end of the world. There will be other days, other dinners, other chances. Fun is key here – try not to worry about mess, perfect table manners, or playing with food. Instead, focus on making the process of getting the food to the plates, readying the table, and the actual eating relaxed.
The best principles for success here are the Three Rs (role modelling, rewarding, re-offering) which you can read about here.
But there is one more way you can serve for success, and that is giving your child a role. You don’t have to do this every time, just encourage them in their strengths through it when you can.
Here are some of our favourite ideas:
Design a menu
Come up with a silly name or story for a dish
Help with making a meal plan and choosing veg for dinners or snacks
Help to serve up the meal on dishes, lay the table or create a centrepiece to be involved in the physical ‘serving up’ process
The Wonderful World of Veg
Check out our vegepedia. When to buy in-season. How to store them to keep for longer. How to engage children with each veg, and simple ideas of how to prepare and cook them for maximum taste and minimum waste. Select a veg…