If you’re a parent, you’ve probably seen this before: your kid’s clean plate with a little pile of brussels sprouts left over. Let’s face it—kids generally think brussels sprouts are icky (right up there with liver and eggplant), but like most things that kids hate and are really good for them, there’s a way to trick them into loving it!

I learned a few methods to mellow out the strong, bitter taste of brussels sprouts when I was first trying to get my older boys to eat them, and I continue to use the same methods today. The key is you want to make the bitterness milder and highlight the natural sweetness of the sprouts with seasoning. When choosing brussels sprouts, try to get ones that are fresh on a stalk, and get a stalk with smaller buds (the younger sprouts are generally milder in taste). For flavor, I love to roast the sprouts with maple syrup because it’s an incredible antioxidant and is filled with nutrients like zinc, iron, calcium and potassium. So, not only do you get the anti-inflammatory, cancer preventive, and fibrous benefits of brussels sprouts, you also get an anti-oxidant double-punch with the maple syrup! Try this Roasted Maple Syrup Brussels Sprouts recipe on your kids and I guarantee there won’t be any little piles of leftover sprouts ever again!


WHAT YOU WILL NEED

  • 1 stalk young brussels sprouts
  • 1 cup high quality (preferably organic) maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim the brussels sprout stalk down to a clean stalk with undamaged sprouts still attached. Rinse the stalk well under lukewarm water and wrap the damp stalk in saran wrap.

Heat the wrapped stalk in the microwave for 5 minutes on high to steam the brussels sprouts. Remove the plastic wrap and carefully trim the brussels sprouts off the stalk, then place them onto a baking sheet.

Mix together ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil with 1 cup of maple syrup. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the liquid mixture. Pour the mixture over the brussels sprouts and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the sprouts are caramelized. Be sure to toss the brussels sprouts every 10 minutes or so to ensure the maple syrup mixture covers the entire sprout.

Pull the sprouts out of oven and serve immediately. You might want to get two stalks of brussels sprouts and make twice the amount listed above because I promise these will be gone in a snap! Enjoy!