Swede
Known as “neeps” in Scotland where they are most popular, swede is often confused with turnips, but has a mellower, sweeter flavour and different colour. Use them as you would turnips or other root veg – cubed and boiled or steamed for about 15 mins. or roasted for 45 mins to an hour, sliced into “fries” and roasted then sprinkled with Parmesan, turned into root veg mash, or added to winter warming one-pots like soups or stews.
Nutrition
Swede is another great way to pack in your Vitamin C.
Shopping Guide
Try to pick up a swede that is on the smaller side for a sweeter flavour with smooth skin that’s free from blemishes.
Storage
They can be kept in the fridge whole or in a slightly opened zip-lock bag.
Preparation
Try in place of potato or with other root veg to make a mixed veg mash, or diced and popped into a stew. Alternatively, diced or cut into fry shapes, swede makes delicious chips if tossed in oil, a pinch of salt, and roasted until golden and sweetened. Sprinkling over some Parmesan is strongly recommended, too!
Kids in the Kitchen
For a younger child, why not give them a bowl with some chopped swede that they can toss in oil and salt and lay out on a tray ready for roasting. Get them to set a timer for you, and maybe even show them how to set the oven temperature to preheat.
For an older child, it could be a great opportunity to teach some essential knife skills. Show them how to safely chop the swede using the bridge and claw grips.
Find more ideas for involving kids in the kitchen here.
Sensory
Explore the look and feel of a swede. What does it look like? What colours do you see? What does it remind you of? What does it feel like? Is it bumpy, smooth, soft, hard, rough? How would you describe it to someone who had never seen one before?
Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!
Serving
Next time you make a meal with swede, try to get your kids involved in small ways wherever you can – when serving it up, why not let your child help you plate it and see if they can come up with a funny name for the dish.
Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.
Activities
For swede, why not try making a swede face mask by printing out our carrot face mask and colouring with swede colours instead?
Kids more interested in science? Get inspired for at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.
Seasonality
Buying veg in season is not only great for the planet, it can be good for your wallet, too! Buying swede over the autumn, and especially the winter will get you the best flavour and price, so keep an eye out from September.
Coming In:
August
At Its Best:
September - April
Your Food
Swede’s bitter flavour can be a tough sell, but some kids will love this, and including it in meals with sweeter ingredients or roasting it can make it taste delicious! Use our favourite dishes that work well with swede to bring everyone around to this British-grown veg.
Family Favourites
More Recipes
The Hairy Bikers’ Winter Vegetable Soup
Si King & Dave Myers (The Hairy Bikers)
Serving
The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it!
The first thing to do is remove the pressure. If the veg doesn’t get eaten, it’s not the end of the world. There will be other days, other dinners, other chances. Fun is key here – try not to worry about mess, perfect table manners, or playing with food. Instead, focus on making the process of getting the food to the plates, readying the table, and the actual eating relaxed.
The best principles for success here are the Three Rs (role modelling, rewarding, re-offering) which you can read about here.
But there is one more way you can serve for success, and that is giving your child a role. You don’t have to do this every time, just encourage them in their strengths through it when you can.
Here are some of our favourite ideas:
Design a menu
Come up with a silly name or story for a dish
Help with making a meal plan and choosing veg for dinners or snacks
Help to serve up the meal on dishes, lay the table or create a centrepiece to be involved in the physical ‘serving up’ process
The Wonderful World of Veg
Check out our vegepedia. When to buy in-season. How to store them to keep for longer. How to engage children with each veg, and simple ideas of how to prepare and cook them for maximum taste and minimum waste. Select a veg…