Food is beautiful, especially in color. On a market tour in Paris, my teenagers also came to this realization as their eyes fixated on the bright displays of the season’s harvest. As we cruised through the stalls, we shared a basket of cherries and satiated in the summer’s sweetness popping in our mouths. The purple and white radishes, funny curvatures of the zucchini, and long, thin eggplants slowed our steps. Eyes widened over the variety of mushrooms and lettuce, and even full fish laying over ice, waiting to be deboned and likely fried in copious amounts of butter. Their curiosity peaked as every display was a true feast for the eyes and it’s this intrigue that encouraged them to try new flavors.

While we have farmer’s markets in our area, Paris markets carry that infamous French je ne sais quoi and their love for cuisine is palpable. Lucky for the French, markets are prominent, serving as each meal’s muse. We hosted a French teenager for a couple of weeks one summer and the way in which he spoke about food was amusing to my kids. When the subject of vegetables arose during lunch one day, with a bewildered look and tone, he questioned how someone could possibly not appreciate such food, as the range is wide and offer so much flavor. I believe his exact words were, “To not love vegetables is being narrow minded.” Je suis d’accord ( I agree).

I’ve always cooked to showcase ingredients, rather than hide them for fear my kids would go on a food strike. They won’t; once hungry enough they’ll eat and will likely surprise you with what they enjoy. To naturally achieve a bright dish, eating seasonally is key. Leaning into the natural hues of fruits and vegetables invites vibrancy on the plate and like with the markets, we eat with our eyes first. As a result, I’ve always been a proponent of my children understanding food and the beauty in each season’s offerings. Appreciating flavors, textures and how they serve not only one’s eyes and palate, but understanding their nourishment for the body, cultivates a mindset of valuing food. It also encourages a path of making wise decisions, ditching the processed middle aisles and ultimately becoming one’s own chef. Does that mean I want them to prefer an asparagus spear over chocolate? Well yes, but totally not realistic. I myself would always choose chocolate mousse over a bowl of kale. However, like with anything in life, there needs to be balance as this serves the body, physically and mentally in so many ways.

So, ditch camouflaging those fruits and veggies; they’re simply too beautiful, inside and out.