It’s no secret that vegetables are good for you. Vegetables are a great source of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber, and they are low in cholesterol, fat, and caloric density. As part of an overall healthy lifestyle, eating adequate vegetables may reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes, cancer, and high blood pressure.

However, rumor has it that some kids don’t like vegetables as much as, say, macaroni and cheese. At Boys Home, houseparents ensure that all students eat at least three different food groups at every meal, including a fruit or a vegetable. For some students, especially faced with unfamiliar foods, it can be a struggle. But once it becomes a habit, most of the young men at Boys Home find that they enjoy the fresh produce. In fact, during lunch and dinner, it’s often things like the trays of green beans, corn, asparagus, and salad that need to be refilled first!



Thinking through all the vegetables grown at Boys Home this summer, we decided to host a vegetable popularity contest! The students voted in the first round; the staff voted in the second round, and then we added the totals. Here are the results:













Students
Staff
Total




Cucumbers
1
4
5




Kale
0
4
4




Lettuce
1
1
2




Okra
2
0
2




Onions
3
5
8




Peas
4
1
5




Peppers
5
1
6




Hot Peppers
13
2
15




Radishes
0
0
0




Tomatoes
7
11
18




Zucchini
5
3
8








Although it came down to a close contest between the students’ preference (hot peppers) and the staff members’ preference (tomatoes), we are proud to announce that the winner of the Boys Home vegetable contest is tomatoes!