Making Friends with Fruits and Veggies

Last year, I started getting fruits and vegetables delivered to my house. Now before you think I’ve gone all hoity-toity, they get delivered because it’s a vegetable delivery service. Not because I’m too good to shop for myself.

I had a friend of a friend tell me about Papa Spud’s, a local company that distributes locally harvested and/or organic and/or pesticide-free and/or sustainable produced and harvested fruits and vegetables. For a set price every week, I pick the fruits and veggies I want delivered to my house. I usually go with locally grown (meaning, in season) and organic, whenever possible.

What that meant is that I started ordering (mostly) vegetables that I had never heard of, let alone eaten. It’s been an education for the whole family. And it got me to thinking, how many kids truly know about fruits and vegetables? How many know what they look like and where they come from and more importantly, even they even like them?

I set out to find out in a couple of fun and devious sort of ways. First, I put my son to the test. I quizzed him. I asked him if he could identify a smorgasbord of fruits and vegetables. I’d say he did pretty well. More importantly, he’s awfully darn cute in this video.

Clearly, fruits are hit in my household. Clearly, veggies are not. I’ve tried it all. Some days he likes them and some days he doesn’t. And I thought it would be just fabulous if I could get him to eat more. And I’m not above trickery.

So I thought it would be a totally appropriate time to review a new line of frozen foods specifically designed for kids. Kidfresh asked me if I’d be interested in trying out their new line of natural, healthy frozen food.

Two things sold me on this offer. First, Kidfresh meals were started by a dad who wanted to find healthier, more convenient options for feeding his kids (i.e., they snuck veggies into the meals). I’m down with that. Second, they were letting me try it for free. I’m definitely down with that.

So I tried all the varieties I could. I ate them. I formed opinions. But who am I to judge? These are for kids. Let them decide. So that’s what I did. Yes, I’m making you watch another (shorter) cute video of my kid.

Now here’s a quick synopsis…

Wagon Wheels Mac + Cheese = Yummy for mom and kid. Big win for both of us.

Muy Cheesy Quesadillas = Yummy for mom and kid but I think mom liked a little better. The cheesy texture is different but still…yummy.

Spaghetti Loops Bolognese = Mediocre for mom, not so great for kid. A bit on the bland side but I dressed it up with salt and cheese and promptly finished it.

What you really want to know…

• I had to drive a bit to go to a “natural” grocery (in this case, Whole Foods) which is a bit out of my way. I didn’t really mind, though, because that store is like a treat to shop in.

• The price was $3.99 for each frozen meal. Yikes. That can add up. I’m a mom who typically packs a lunch and keeps it on the cheap. But if you’re a mom shelling out for things like Lunchables, this is a much better alternative.

• The primary vegetables were carrots and tomatoes  - relatively easy vegetables to get my son to eat. Would have loved for them to sneak some green stuff in there somehow.

• I love that the ingredient list was simple. And understandable.

• Everything was thoughtfully created from the nutrition to the packaging to the ingredients.

• Overall? Thumbs up.

What do you get out of all of this?

I like to share. So here’s what I can offer you. I have ten (10) $1.00 off coupons for the new Kidfresh frozen entrees and I want you to try them. But I have to be a little self-serving here.

Just leave me a comment telling me the most popular vegetable at your house AND tell me the one fruit that my son couldn’t identify in the video (yes, it’s a ploy to get you to watch). Hint: it starts with the letter M.

Find out more by checking out Kidfresh on Facebook and following @KidfreshFoods on Twitter.

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Disclosure: As you’ve probably already guessed, Kidfresh Foods provided me with four coupons for free frozen meals. I was not compensated in any way other than food (which is a good way to pay me). All opinions are my own, of course.