4 Steps to an Organic Lifestyle with Marcela Valladolid

Kids should eat organic, but sometimes that’s not as possible as we would like. Food Network chef Marcela Valladolid has some fun fixes for that. 1. Keep a produce garden

Sourcing your own vegetables doesn’t only keep your kids away from chemicals. “There’s a superiority of flavor,” says Valladolid, “[My oldest son] Fau tastes the difference between organic and conventionally raised. He’s educated in it, so he doesn’t crave junk. It can be as simple as growing cherry tomatoes.”

2. Get the family involved

“Fau made pinto bean-cotton ball art at school. He planted the bean seeds in our garden bed. Couple weeks later it was a large vine, and we picked and cooked them. It’s mind-blowing to [kids] — going from a seed to a fruit. It gets them excited about the process of food.”

On weekends, Valladolid makes dinnertime an event. “The music’s playing, we open a bottle of wine, my son picks the tomatoes, my fiancé chops. There’s no rush to get to the dinner table. We cook for two hours, sit for two hours bonding and talking.”

3. Be willing to experiment

If you’re not sure how to best cook a vegetable — experiment! “Grill it, braise it, boil it, steam it. See which version of it you like the most.”

Or go raw. “In Mexico, we’re used to shredding vegetables and throwing salt and chile lime powder on them. It’s a really appetizing snack.”

4. Keep it visible

“Fau comes home from school and sees strawberries sitting out, not Twinkies. He’ll take the strawberry, chop it, and eat it while playing video games. Make it their only option.”