Tips for feeding summer produce to picky eaters from newsletter authors
8 reported
NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe interviewed Greta Caruso and Fanny Singer, authors of The Green Spoon Substack newsletter about feeding children. The two friends, who had children within a month of each other in 2022, started the newsletter after struggling to feed their own kids despite being professional cooks. They found that many parents, including professional chefs, felt guilt and shame about what they fed their children. Caruso and Singer shared tips for using summer produce, including setting out a crudités platter with dips before dinner and making a “polenta pizza” with fresh corn. Singer noted it can take up to 14 or 18 exposures to an ingredient before a child may decide they like it.
What’s reported
Greta Caruso and Fanny Singer are friends of over 20 years who had children within a month of each other in 2022.
They write The Green Spoon, a Substack newsletter about feeding and cooking for children.
Caruso said they were “shocked at how hard” feeding their kids was, despite being professional cooks.
Every parent they spoke to expressed guilt and shame about what they feed their children, Caruso said.
Singer said some professional cooks admitted their kids ate only “white food” (pasta, bread, cheese) for years.
Caruso recommended a crudités platter with dips before dinner to reduce pressure.
Caruso described a “polenta pizza” recipe: polenta with fresh corn, Parmesan, butter, salt, set on a greased sheet pan, topped with tomato paste, cannellini beans, basil, mozzarella, and other summer produce, then baked.
Singer said it can take up to 14 or 18 exposures to an ingredient before a child might decide they like it.
Key figures
Ayesha Rascoe – NPR host
Greta Caruso – co-author of The Green Spoon newsletter
Fanny Singer – co-author of The Green Spoon newsletter
Sources: NPR
