Guacamole: A VegOut Inspired Love Letter

Guacamole is amazing for so many reasons. Here are a few of my personal favorites: It’s DELICIOUS, it’s easy to make so also-- hard to screw up. You can dip things into it, you can plop it on top of things, or you can just grab a fork/spoon/finger and eat it all by itself.

Guacamole is also magical. When I make a meal for my kids I often put sliced avocado on their plates. Half of the time they just eat it without comment and the other half I get a “I don’t like avocados, REMEMBER?” That’s when I feel like reminding them they happily ate avocados two days ago for lunch, but, you know, pick your battles. I take their plates, scrape the avocado into a bowl and mash it with a fork. Here’s where the magic happens…  I sometimes honestly don’t add one thing, I just mash them, put it back on their plates and then my kitchen blows up with all kinds of “Oh, GUACAMOLE! I love this. It’s the best EVER.” So there’s something we can all agree on.

Making guacamole is pretty fool proof and almost every recipe you see will offer a measurement and then say “or to taste” because it’s really about what you like. When you have a recipe like that it is always a good one to plan ahead and get your kids involved. The only special tool I would recommend is a potato masher for young kids. It tends to be easier than a fork for them to handle and mash with.

Step 1: mash

First things first: Find some medium sized non-breakable bowls that your kids can go to town on with a fork or a masher. Next set out a big selection of things they can add and let them get busy. That’s what my kids love to do. Some ideas for things you can experiment with when you make your own guac:  kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, red onion, white onion, green onion, onion powder, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne or your favorite hot sauce.

Step 2: sprinkle, switch to fork

Step 3 : SQUEEEEEEZE

Even though I have a recipe, in real life I never follow the same recipe twice. I see what I have in the fridge, throw in a pinch of this or that until it tastes just right. Make sure and keep some extra veggies on hand, because (another magical quality) guacamole is a vegetable (and also technically a fruit) that you can dip other vegetables in. Pure genius. We like to put out sweet peppers, carrots, celery, tomato slices, hollowed out cherry tomatoes, raw and roasted cauliflower, and the list goes on. If you have these out while the kids are busy mashing, they automatically have something to dip and try out their creations.

Step 4: Dump

Here are two of my favorite guacamole combos. The one I make most often for the kids is quick and easy. The other one is great when you have a group and all of the ingredients on hand. I cut the quick recipe down to 1 avocado portion so you can multiply by the number of avocados you use. The other needs a few more to back up the fresh garlic and jalapeno. Both recipes use large hass avocados that will be close to the size of your hand from wrist to mid fingers.

Quick and Easy Guacamole

1 large haas avocado
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp maldon flaked salt or ¼ tsp of regular kosher salt
a few cranks of fresh pepper
1 to 2 tsp of lime juice

Throw it all in a bowl and mash. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.

Party Guacamole

3 large haas avocados
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ of a red onion, finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2-3 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
3 tsp maldon flaked salt or 1 ½ tsp regular kosher salt
1 lime, juiced (should be 2 tablespoons of juice)

Throw it all in a bowl and mash. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.

If you ever find yourself with fresh pico de gallo, you can make the easiest guacamole in the world by throwing it on top of fresh avocados and mashing away. 

My last bit of guacamole love is reserved for how much it helps me introduce new foods to my kids, making it a perfect tool when you VegOut with your family. Certain foods that seem a little different are much friendlier when you can dip them in guacamole. It helps us get past that initial new appearance or strong flavor hurdle.  Get creative with your guacamole and have fun with your kids in the kitchen. 

Getting Ready to VegOut!

Our house is about to VegOut! for the third year in a row, and I’m so excited to get my kids back in the kitchen trying new vegetables and new recipes.   As a mom who splits time between home and the office, it’s easy for me to fall out of the habit of involving my kids in all the cooking prep and execution that happens between “what would you like to eat?” and “dinner is ready.” Doing VegOut! as a family gets everyone involved in the shopping, cooking and eating process. Involved kids are excited kids and excited kids try new foods!

Taking on 30 days of 30 vegetables with young children does have its challenges, but it also has huge benefits. One of the biggest ways to combat picky eating later in life is to introduce your children to as many different foods as possible between the ages of 4 months and 2 years. My son was eight months old for his first VegOut! and will be two and a half this time around. I am really excited about tracking our vegetables on the new free app this year. The instant gratification that it provides is going to be a huge hit with my almost five year old, and I’m looking forward to easy access to all of the great recipes and prep ideas.

Roasted red pepper sauce with helpers.

Parents have a tendency to get a little stressed when it comes to the food their kids eat. Is it healthy enough? Are they eating enough? Are they eating too much? I’ve learned a few things along the way that helped make this a fun and stress free event for our family.

      GIVE YOUR KIDS SOME POWER
When kids have power they have ownership in the situation and they are more likely to enjoy being part of it all. Let them pick out a new vegetable at the farmer’s market or grocery store. Pull out a cookbook or go online and discuss the different ways you can prepare the veggies, and then let them decide which way they want to try. Find some age appropriate tasks for them to take on in the prep/cooking process.
 
WHENEVER POSSIBLE, EAT TOGETHER
I did a 30 day program that required me to sit down at a table for every meal. As a consequence I ate a lot more meals with my kids. It was a huge eye opener. When I was having something different from them, they always wanted to try a bite. This led to my 2 year old requesting hot sauce and kale for his scrambled eggs, and my 4 year old eating grapefruit and spinach salad. Eating together also creates a familial environment where you are less likely to face a power struggle over food.
 
PICK YOUR FOOD RULES AND STICK TO THEM
Growing up it was usually “you have to finish your plate” or “you have to eat all of your vegetables.” I knew the rules ahead of time and that my mom was sticking to her guns. To eliminate a lot of back and forth, start smart and try to create meals for your kids that are balanced and healthy. Here is the number one rule in our kitchen: You have to try everything on your plate. If you take a bite and decide you don’t want to eat it today, that is totally fine, but you HAVE TO TRY IT. If you have a really picky eater and need a baby step, then start with licking and lead into biting and chewing. Celebrate the small steps and you’ll get there eventually.
 
LIMIT SNACKING IN BETWEEN MEALS
A hungry child is much more likely to try something new or different. A hungry toddler also does a lot less fork banging and feeding the dog from the table (is that just my kids?) and a lot more shoveling food into his sweet little mouth.

Not a fan of the roasted red pepper juice.

 MOST IMPORTANT: HAVE FUN
Fun is contagious. The number one thing your kids want is to have fun with you. Make a plan that fits your family, get your kids involved and HAVE FUN together. Let them start to chop vegetables, let them crack an egg and spill half of it on the floor, make the kitchen a fun and safe zone to learn and try new things. Realize that the green beans your three year old devoured yesterday might be her worst enemy tomorrow, and that’s ok. Young kids are more than a little unpredictable. Don’t let one bad reaction cause you to put a food in the “dislike” category. Kids change their minds from one second to the next. Enjoy and embrace the momentary chaos. And last of all -- age appropriate kitchen clean up. Four year olds love to sweep and two year olds are really good at throwing trash away.

So get out there and get ready to VegOut with your kids or your students or your friends. Make sure and join the party online using hashtag #VegOut2016. Track your veggies and find recipes on the VegOut app. Get in the kitchen and have some fun!