Kids and vegetables don’t seem to get along. Sure, we all like sweet, if not entirely healthy, treats like cookies, cake, doughnuts, and ice cream. There’s no mutual exclusivity: you can eat something healthy and then follow it up with a decadent reward. But kids are kids…
If you’re a parent, you’ve undoubtedly had to deal with a little one trying to trick you by spreading vegetables around the edge of the plate or hiding them in a napkin. If there’s a dog in the house, they’re likely enjoying a vegetable-rich diet!
Parents do their best with counter-trickery, hiding vegetables in other foods or trying to make a game out of it (pretending a forkful of spinach is an airplane or that broccoli are little trees). The problem is, children are smart enough to see through these ruses.
Green beans are great for you and if adequately cooked are quite tasty, but try telling that to the baby boy in the video you’ll find posted below. It seems mom worked her best but couldn’t get the little fellow to eat his green beans.
Not to worry, dad has a fantastic trick: using the power of music to get those vitamin-rich vegetables down the hatch! He’s taken some creative license with Bill Withers’ 1972 hit “Lean on Me.” The result: “Bean on Me.”
Dad has a beautiful singing voice, and maybe that’s why “Bean on Me” is so effective. His baby boy may not understand the words, but he sure appreciates the tune and seems to get that it’s one way his dad says, “I love you.” His first mouthful of green beans produces some consternation as if he’s thinking, “Wait! What? I thought this was going to be ice cream!” But dad’s singing is so lovely that the little guy’s face lights up with a smile. As dad continues the serenade, he scarfs down more green beans without any fuss.