The other day I squandered a few minutes reading an article about kids and vegetables. The big question was how do you get kids to eat vegetables? Sneaking them into food doesn’t work and only generates resentment. Bribery fails because kids know you don’t have to bribe someone to do something enjoyable. One recommendation suggested stressing fun—you avoid saying “vegetables are good for you” and instead say “they’ll help you run fast” Yeah, right. Even if my mom could’ve convinced me I’d become the next Carl Lewis, I wasn’t going near that asparagus.
Whenever I see articles like this, I picture a newsroom editor shouting about being on a deadline and needing some filler, quick.
Given all we know about science and genetic modification, this should be a no-brainer. Somebody simply needs to make arugula taste like bacon. If we can figure out nanotechnology, I’m sure we can discover how to cross arugula genetics with pig genetics. The vegetable would still look the same and wouldn’t include those nasty artificial flavorings made in New Jersey, because the flavor would be in the spliced genes.
Facts About Pigula™
1) Whoever develops a vegetable that tastes like something kids want to eat will OWN the vegetable market. Plain old corn can’t compete with Cadbury Bar Corn™
2) Parents will pay ANYTHING to make the bribing, prompting, begging, and trickery end.
Kids will even eat bok choy if it tastes like Fruit Loops. Guaranteed.
I’ll have the bacon-arugula salad, hold the arugula please.
LOL! Okra that tastes like chocolate. Kale chicharrones. I’m in!
This is exactly why knowing Southern cooks cook beans with dollops of bacon grease. Mmm mmmm.
Oh, and I LOVE the word “pigula.”