Are you trying to eat more vegetables but unsure of where to begin? Eating a variety of vegetables can be difficult if you do not know what they are, or if you are not familiar with how to prepare them. If you are not familiar with many veggies, starting with produce that is in season in your area is a great way to diversify your veggie intake while practicing sustainability! Take this quiz to test your veggie vision and see if you are a produce identification expert!
Can you name these roots? This earthy vegetable is a good source of folate, fiber, and potassium, and can be recognized from its deep purple stem and root. The root's vibrant maroon color can be used as a substitute for red food coloring, and the plant's leaves can be eaten as well! Have you guessed its name yet? These are beets! Beets are cool weather crops that are frost resistant, which allows them to grow almost year-round in the Nevada climate. If you missed this one, don’t beet yourself up!
Do you recognize these edible flowers? These perennial plants may look like weeds, but you can find them in your local grocery store this spring. These plants are both drought and frost tolerant, and though they only flower from spring to summer, they can be harvested several times a year! While the flower may not be familiar to you, you may recognize this vegetable better as a garnish atop your baked potato. These are chives! You won’t want to eat them in large amounts, just a tablespoon of minced chives can provide 3% of both your Vitamin C and Vitamin A for the day, making them perfect to sprinkle on top of any dish and chive in!
Can you name this cool-temperature crop? This leafy vegetable is a great source of Vitamin C, folate, fiber, and potassium. This above ground plant has more than 400 varieties, comes in an array of colors, and is cousins with broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. You may enjoy this versatile vegetable in salads, stir fry, or inside a fish taco. Have you guessed it yet? This is cabbage! Cabbage can be harvested in both the spring and the fall in Nevada; now is the perfect time to enjoy it and start making plans to grow some in your garden this fall!
This root can come in a variety of colors. The different varieties have slightly different tasting roots and leaves, and their greens can be eaten. Have you guessed it yet? These are turnips! Turnips are not very heat tolerant, and grow best in the cooler season, so be sure to try them before spring and mother nature decides to turnip the heat!
Do you know the name of this vibrant above ground plant? This leafy plant is a great source of vitamin a, c, and k, as well as providing fiber and phytonutrients, which is why many consider it a superfood. Its thick edible stems come in every color of the rainbow, making it a beautiful addition to any garden. Can you name this colorful veggie? This is Swiss chard, or less formally, chard. This crop is currently in season but is chard-ly limited to growing in the spring. Swiss chard can tolerate heat and frost, making it unique to some of its cousins that are limited to the cooler seasons.
Can you name this cruciferous flower? You may not find this flower at your local florist, but you can find it in the produce department this spring. This cool weather crop provides us vitamin c, vitamin a, folate, and fiber. Have you guessed the name of this edible flower? This is broccoli! You may not think of broccoli as a flower, but the part that we eat is the bud of the plant, and they can even turn purple!
If you missed some of these, don’t let it kale your vibe. Trying new vegetables can be intimidating, but challenging yourself to eat locally grown produce that is in season can be a great way to support farmers in your community and expand your palate. There are so many ways to prepare each of these plants that can appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. Exposure to vegetables in childhood is one of the most important factors that determines our vegetable intake as adults. This exposure can come through not only eating these veggies but being involved in preparing them or even harvesting them.
Are you up for the challenge? Join us here at the Urban Roots Farm for our upcoming Little Chefs workshop April 27th to taco-bout trying new foods with a registered dietitian and increase your child’s exposure to vegetables through learning. All our little chefs will get to learn about a variety of fruits and vegetables, harvest an ingredient from the farm, and make their very own yummy tacos!