Nutrition

Asparagus contains vitamin A, C and K which supports our eyes, skin, immune and bone health and folic acid which is important for making blood cells.

Shopping Guide

Avoid stalks that look to be soft or wilted. Asparagus season is from the end of April to the end of June so look to buy the produce at the time for better value.

Storage

To store asparagus, stand the stems in a jar or glass of water and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Preparation

Boil, steam, bake, roast or even griddle or BBQ, then allow them to cool a little and serve with a knob of butter and pepper. Or sprinkle with parmesan and roast for 12 mins at 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. There’s a reason serving them with eggs is a classic – they are a perfect pairing.

Kids in the Kitchen

For a younger child, why not put them in charge of prep. Kids love this – once they have washed their hands and the spears, show them how to find the bit near the bottom of the asparagus where it naturally bends and let them snap off the woody ends!

For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to show them how to safely cook over heat. Let them prep the asparagus spears and toss in a little oil and salt, then show them how to get a pan nice and hot and safely fry or griddle the asparagus in it until just starting to char and go a beautiful bright green colour.

Find more ideas for involving kids in the kitchen here.

Sensory

Asparagus is perfect for exploring through sight and smell. Get a few spears and see if you can describe the different parts and what it looks like or reminds you of. Are they mini-spears or giant blades of grass? Do the tops remind you of a bunch of flowers or perhaps a door knob? Try smelling the asparagus. What do they smell like? Snap one open – does the smell get stronger. Try cooking one – what does it smell like now? If your children feel up to it, show them how you can crunch through a raw asparagus and chomp on a softer cooked one, and describe the difference in taste and see if they want to join in (you could bring a dip in here if it helps).

Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!

Serving

Next time you make a meal with asparagus, try to get your kids involved in small ways wherever you can – when serving it up, why not let your child help you plate it and see if they can come up with a funny name for the dish.

Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.

Activities

Why not try drawing the top with colouring pencils or pens and a magnifying glass so you can see it up close? Or use multiple asparagus spears to create an edible meadow or forest scene with some other veggies.

Or move more into puzzles by counting with them. Can you tally number by lining up four asparagus spears and then crossing with the fifth and starting again?

Kids more into science? Did you know that asparagus makes some people’s wee smell? Kids love testing this theory – if you try eating some, what happens? Stefan Gates has some other amusing ideas for veg science for kids who love a bit of toilet humour! You can find more at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.

Find loads more free veg-themed crafts here and games here.