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Veg Namesx35_FINAL_COMPLETE-Cauliflower

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is often a hit with kids when cauliflower cheese is served, but this affordable white veg is also amazing roasted – toss in a little oil and salt, roast until going golden and tuck in! Or try some of the cauliflower trends that were going round a few years ago – cauli rice, cauliflower pizza base and cauliflower “steaks” are all just as delicious now as they were in 2019!
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Understanding Veg

Cauliflowers are usually white, the size of a small football and look like a bit of human brain.  Super gardener Peter Glazebrook holds the record for the world’s largest ever cauliflower – it was six feet wide. He also holds the world records for beetroot, parsnip and onion.

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Nutrition

Cauliflower is another member of the cruciferous vegetable family and contains nearly every vitamin and mineral. It is particularly high in vitamin C making it a great support to our immune system.

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Shopping Guide

Look out cauliflower heads that are firm and tightly closed. White varieties should be very pale, try to avoid any heads that show signs of softness or brown spotting to maximise freshness at home. 

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Storage

To store it, keep it in a bag in the fridge for up to 4 days, just make sure there is a small opening in the bag to allow airflow, and storing it stem up will help keep the head from getting too wet. Only wash it just before using.

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Serving suggestions

Cauliflower can be eaten raw, roasted, steamed, boiled or grilled. Cauliflower cheese is a classic for a reason. To prep the cauliflower, slice a head of cauliflower in half, then cut out the stem and pull apart the florets. Chop and roast the stem (along with any leaves), it’s a game changer! Or grate into soup or curry along with any other odds and ends of veg.

Coming In:

June

At Its Best:

July - April

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Engage

Here are some of our favourite ways to engage kids with cauliflower:

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Your Food

Find your go-to meals in our family favourites section and see what veggies work best with them.

We’ve gathered together 15 of the nation’s favourite meals and given you step-by-step ways to make small improvements, helping you to make healthier dinners the easy way, and even showing you which veg work best with which recipes.
 
Find out how to add more veg to your suppers here.
cauliflower

If You Like Cauliflower…Try

Does your child enjoy cauliflower? That’s great! When cooked, cauliflower can be soft and a little bit bitter and savoury (or sweeter when roasted), so why not try a similar texture and/or taste…

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Serving

The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it!

The first thing to do is remove the pressure. If the veg doesn’t get eaten, it’s not the end of the world. There will be other days, other dinners, other chances. Fun is key here – try not to worry about mess, perfect table manners, or playing with food. Instead, focus on making the process of getting the food to the plates, readying the table, and the actual eating relaxed.

The best principles for success here are the Three Rs (role modelling, rewarding, re-offering) which you can read about here.

But there is one more way you can serve for success, and that is giving your child a role. You don’t have to do this every time, just encourage them in their strengths through it when you can.

Here are some of our favourite ideas:

Design a menu

Come up with a silly name or story for a dish

Help with making a meal plan and choosing veg for dinners or snacks

Help to serve up the meal on dishes, lay the table or create a centrepiece to be involved in the physical ‘serving up’ process

The Wonderful World of Veg

Check out our vegepedia. When to buy in-season. How to store them to keep for longer. How to engage children with each veg, and simple ideas of how to prepare and cook them for maximum taste and minimum waste. Select a veg…

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