Parsnips
The Roman Emperor Tiberius was so fond of parsnips, he imported them all the way from Germany across the Alps to Rome. In fact, he loved them so much he accepted parsnips instead of gold as payment from the Germanic tribes. Why did he love them so? Cos them parsnips are so sweeeeeeet. The frost turns the starch in the white roots into sugar.
Nutrition
These sweet treats are high in folic acid which contributes towards mental alertness and reduces tiredness.
Shopping Guide
Try and look out for bags of parsnips where the sizing is small to medium otherwise selecting larger ones may result in a woody or tough texture.
Storage
To store, keep in a cool dark cupboard, or better yet, the fridge. They will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
The best way to prepare parsnips is to peel and cook them with a roast just like spuds or cut them into “Pars-chips”. Put the Pars-chip in a roasting tin, coat with a little oil and roast in a preheated oven at 220C/200C fan/Gas 7 for 30 mins.
Seasonality
Buying veg in season is not only great for the planet, it can be good for your wallet, too! Seasonal veg are often cheaper and frequently taste better, so can be a better time to try with a child as the often sweeter, riper taste is more enjoyable.
At Its Best:
September - March
Engage
Here are some of our favourite ways to engage kids with parsnips:
Arts & Crafts
Start simple with some non-food based engagement. This is especially helpful for a fussier child or those with sensitivities around food.
DOWNLOADS:
For parsnips, why not try making a parsnip face mask by printing our carrot one and changing the colour when colouring in?
Science
Science allows for curiosity, play and hands-on experiments. It helps kids to become fascinated with veg – how it looks, reacts, smells, cooks and more. Finding fun and simple experiments to allow kids to play with their veg makes them curious about it and helps them approach it in a positive way.
If you feel like taking on a silly DIY-confident science experiment, all you need is a drill, a large parsnip and a straw! Watch Stefan Gates’ carrot flute experiment and have a go using parsnips, it’s a giggle for kids to watch and play!
Sensory
Sensory exploration can be a wonderful introduction to physically interacting with veg. Turn it into a positive, pressure-free experience by starting off with the golden rules of “You don’t need to try and you don’t need to like.” Reassuring a child that, while they have a chance to taste a veg, they don’t have to, and are not expected to like it if they do, can make them more happy to engage with it.
Explore parsnips with your sense of touch. Pop a parsnip in a clean(!) sock. Better yet, put a carrot in a different one. Without peeking, can your kids tell which one is which? Get them to describe what it feels like, what it reminds them of, what they think it might be. Then take them out of the socks and see if it was what they thought. Now they can see it, does it look different to what they expected? Does it feel different? What colours can they see?
Kids in the Kitchen
Children who help to prep and cook veg are more likely to eat it. If you feel your child is ready to help and could benefit from it, keep the stress and mess to a minimum by choosing one simple task for them to do as part of the prep, meaning they can be involved and feel like the recipe is in part ‘theirs’, but also not make the process too much longer or more complicated.
For a younger child, why not get some frozen parsnip chunks and help them open the packet and lay out on a tray. Show them how to safely turn on the oven to preheat it and demonstrate safely putting the tray in and out of the oven. Get them to set a timer so they know when ‘their’ parsnips will be ready!
For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to learn some essential knife skills – why not use a couple of parsnips to help them learn the claw grip by slicing into rounds?
DOWNLOADS:
Use our Kitchen Ninja chart and videos to find simple ways for kids to help in the kitchen.
Your Food
Find your go-to meals in our family favourites section and see what veggies work best with them.
Find out how to add more veg to your suppers here.
Recipes
If You Like Parsnip…Try
Does your child enjoy parsnips? That’s great! Peppers are usually chewy or soft and sweet, so why not try a similar texture and/or taste…
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…