What can I substitute arugula with that's not green?

Question

Try as I might, my 5 year old refuses to eat any herbs or vegetables that are green. Even while watching Food Network, she'll love a dish until she sees peas, or green beans, or parsley. Then she'll say yuck and doesn't like it anymore.
I know arugula has a peppery taste, and I really want to try it, but we don't believe in making a separate dish or meal for our children just because one doesn't like something.
So, what else can I use?

She still gets served the green stuff, so she's not being deprived of the opportunity of eating it. But if anything green is mixed into the food, she won't even touch it. She could find peas hidden in the meatloaf even if she were blindfolded.

Answer 1

You might try raddichio which is purple and soft:

http://images.google.com/images?q=raddichio&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

Other non-green salad fixings that she might be able to stomach:

- cucumbers with the skin peeled off
- zucchini with the skin peeled off
- califlower
- roasted red, yellow or orange peppers
- mandarin oranges
- baby corn
- marinated artichoke hearts
- sliced apples
- sliced pears
- nuts
- jicama
- melons
- roasted eggplant
- sliced shallots
- turnips
- peaches
- dried cranberries

Does she not like green things because she thinks they are bitter? Maybe she would like spinach or green beans if they are sweetened.

Heck, even George Herbert Walker Bush in his 60s or 70s refuses to eat broccoli. Someone tried to make me eat things when I was 4 or 5 years old. I still remember it and I still won't eat them.

Answer 2

nothing. Can't substitute for a salad green with something that isn't a green. 1 bunch of arugula costs about $1.50 splurge on yourself. Or maybe try Radicchio, but it's quite bitter.
As far as your kids, at 5 years old they are going to be fussy. The trick is not to let your food attitudes infect her thought process. She needs to decide what she will eat. Make your arugula dish, and make something to go with it. Let her see you enjoy it & maybe she'll try it also. But DON'T do what a lot of parents do and make a big deal about "how tasty this is !!!"
Kids know what you're trying to do, that is a sure way to turn them off to trying anything. And it will bring up trust issues later.

Answer 3

Conceivably, any young, flavorful lettuce...raddichio, watercress, etc. But arugula has an almost unique flavorful--a slight, almost peppery bite, with a tinge of bitterness. The flavor of the final dish will probably change significantly by switching greens.

Answer 4

While I understand your theory in not making different dinners for the kids, to not try something because your child won't eat it is ridiculous. My mother always insisted that we at least try something to see if we liked it. I would work on breaking the green issue, many healthy foods are green and this sounds more like a control issue than a food problem. Try some pistachio ice cream or green candy, find something she really likes and get it in green and see what happens. This sounds like a quiet tantrum to me.

Answer 5

Try some radicchio it's kind of a reddish purple. I't crunchy like lettuce and it's not green. Great in salad.

Answer 6

Well I have raised two sons and NEVER caterer ed to anything that they did not like. The rule in my home was to always try a new thing just once. So your doing well with your daughter. Koo dos!!

Now will she eat anything purple? If so try purple cabbage it is always a great thing to add to a salad.

Answer 7

Try the dish as is... sounds like you are catering to her and thus reinforcing her behavior.

you can try Radicchio.