15 Colorful Crops Your Kids Will Love to Eat and Harvest

Getting kids to eat their vegetables can sometimes be an exercise in patience, and I can’t say I blame them. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the taste of veggies; I do. But sometimes, I want something a little more colorful on my plate. Studies show that children do, too!

Not only are there plenty of fun, different-colored vegetables to grow with little ones, but those different colors all have their own nutritional value. Anthocyanins, for instance, which turn plants red and purple, also have many health benefits. 

In spite of their different appearance, most of these colorful options still contain the nutritional value of their conventional forms. Some even more! They typically have a similar flavor, so there aren’t any big surprises when it comes to dinner time. 

Here are some of our favorite Epic veggies that your kids will love to harvest and look forward to eating. Let’s take a look at the rainbow!

Burgundy Beans

Our Rating

Royal Burgundy Bush Bean Seeds

View at Botanical Interests

Romanesco

Our Rating

Romanesco Cauliflower Seeds

View at Botanical Interests

Burgundy Broccoli

Our Rating

Burgundy Sprouting Broccoli Seeds

View at Botanical Interests

Bush Bean ‘Royal Burgundy’

	botanical name Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Royal Burgundy’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 15”-20”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Bush beans are a Southern garden staple. Kids and adults alike enjoy their tender texture and sweet, fresh flavor. Beans also help to enrich the soil by adding nitrogen back rather than taking it away, which means they make great companions for heavy-feeding plants. 

If you love the snap of a crisp green bean but want something with a bit more personality, ‘Royal Burgundy’ is beautiful! This variety is more cold-tolerant than most bush beans, so it’s great for northern gardens. Its purple pods are also pest—and disease-resistant, so they are easy to grow and provide a great harvest.

Cauliflower ‘Romanesco’

	botanical name Brassica oleracea var. botrytis ‘Romanesco’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 36”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Do your kids turn up their noses at plain, white cauliflower? Try growing Romanesco. This broccoli-cabbage relative has a fascinating appearance. The flower heads are lime green instead of white and form an interesting spiral shape. The flavor is similar to cauliflower but with a more dynamic, nutty flavor. 

Cauliflower is a cold-weather veggie. It’s frost tolerant so in warmer climates, you can plant this in the fall for a winter crop. Harvesting ‘Romanesco’ is fun because the heads are large and heavy. Harvest this one in the morning. 

Broccoli ‘Burgundy’

	botanical name Brassica oleracea var. italica ‘Burgundy’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 36”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Speaking of broccoli, ‘Burgundy’ is a beautiful variety that forms deep purple heads instead of green. My kids love broccoli already, but this one really dresses up the dinner plate. It grows quickly, so impatient young gardeners won’t have to wait so long to taste the fruits of their labor. 

Purple broccoli varieties tend to be tolerant of a wider range of temperatures. The florets are tender and tasty. To get a better crop of tender florets, pinch the first main floret as soon as it appears. This encourages branching and lots of yummy broccoli. 

Eggplant ‘Jewel Amethyst’

	botanical name Solanum melongena ‘Jewel Amethyst’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 22”
	hardiness zones 10-12

A purple eggplant is nothing out of the ordinary, but these tiny little eggplants sure are cute. ‘Jewel Amethyst’ is a great variety for your container garden. It’s compact and easy to care for. The flavor is mild and its firm texture makes it great for breading and frying, or however you like to cook them. 

Eggplants are heavy feeders and belong to the same family as tomatoes. Plant them with your burgundy bush beans for a beautiful and beneficial companionship. 

Watermelon Radish ‘Mantanghong’

	botanical name Raphanus sativus ‘Mantanghong’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10″
	hardiness zones 2-11

Radishes tend to be a bit strong and spicy for some small palettes. Watermelon radishes have a milder, sweeter flavor with just a faint peppery hint. They have a fun surprise hidden beneath their pale green to white exterior. Slice open a ‘Manhangtong’ radish, and the inside looks like the cross-section of a watermelon. 

Radishes are so easy to grow and frost tolerant. Kids will enjoy unearthing them when it’s time to harvest. They mature quickly, too, so they won’t have to wait half a year to see the fruits of their labor. 

Swiss Chard ‘Celebration’

	botanical name Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris ‘Celebration’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height Up to 20”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Chard is a tasty, leafy green that has tons of nutrients and a refined flavor compared to other greens. It’s frost-tolerant and grows well under the same circumstances as kale and spinach. 

Grow some ‘Celebration’ chard with your family and watch them marvel at the variety of colors! The leaves of this variety remain green, but the stems are extra special. Expect to see stems in bright shades of red, pink, yellow, white, magenta, and orange. 

Tomatillo ‘Purple’

	botanical name Physalis philadelphica ‘Purple’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Tomatillo isn’t just fun to say; they are delicious and nutritious, too! These veggies are similar to tomatoes but have a brighter, tangier flavor. Their flesh is denser and easy to work with. They make a mean salsa. 

Mix things up by planting ‘Purple’ tomatillos this year. It’s fun to watch them develop inside their green papery skins. Wait until the outer husk splits to reveal the beautiful purple fruits, and then harvest and enjoy.

Scallion ‘Italian Red of Florence’

	botanical name Allium cepa ‘Italian Red of Florence’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 2-11

You can add scallions to just about anything to make the dish even more delicious. Their delicate flavor and pungent aroma make them great for foods that need a gentler answer to other types of onion. 

‘Italian Red of Florence’ has a fancy name for a fancy-looking scallion. Most scallions have white bulbs and green leaves. This variety has bright red bulbs, and they look wonderful, diced raw, and tossed on top of just about anything except for dessert. 

Tomato ‘Artisan Bumble Bee Blend’

	botanical name Solanum lycopersicum ‘Artisan Bumble Bee Blend’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6’+
	hardiness zones 2-11

Tomatoes play a starring role in many national cuisines. Their delicious balance of sweetness and acid brings richness wherever you use them. Tomatoes are easy to grow, and some varieties, like cherry tomatoes, are fast to mature. I find that my kids want to see things happen in the garden quickly, and small-variety tomatoes do the trick. 

‘Artisan Bumble Bee Blend’ is a blend of three different colors of the fun ‘Bumble Bee’ variety. Pink, purple, and yellow fruits have mottling or striping in contrasting colors. Their flavor profile is sweet and tangy, and you can eat them right off the vine. 

Corn ‘Martian Jewels’

	botanical name Zea mays ‘Martian Jewels’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Sweet and full of sweet and savory flavor, corn is always welcome on my dinner table. It takes some work to grow it, but the harvest is fun, and there are so many ways to prepare this tasty vegetable. Add a bit of sweetness to soups and chili, or eat it off the cob. 

‘Martian Jewels’ is like no corn I’ve seen before. Deep purple husks peel back to reveal pale yellow kernels. They’re not quite the sweetest variety, but they are wonderful for adding flavor and texture to your favorite dishes. Eating this corn off the cob makes for a wonderful surprise. The cob is purple, too!

Corn ‘Strawberry’

	botanical name Zea mays ‘Strawberry’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4’
	hardiness zones 2-11

Did you know you can grow your own popcorn? Varieties that are good for popping contain less moisture and have a hull that is just the right thickness for splitting when heated. These varieties aren’t as sweet as field corn, but they have a starchy center that pops up light and fluffy.

Kids and grownups will love growing ‘Strawberry’ popping corn. The harvest is fun, too. Inside tan husks are small cobs covered in little red kernels. They are almost too pretty to eat. You can also use these decoratively around the fall holidays. 

Kohlrabi ‘Purple Vienna’

	botanical name Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes ‘Purple Vienna’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10”-12”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Kohlrabi looks like a root vegetable, but it grows above the ground, where kids can monitor ripeness. You can eat it raw or cooked to enjoy its sweet, nutty flavor. It packs a major vitamin C punch.

‘Purple Vienna’ is an heirloom variety with large, purple bulb-like vegetables. These are fun to-grow members of the cabbage family and a great way to introduce some new and interesting foods. 

Lettuce ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’

	botanical name Lactuca sativa ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8”-12”
	hardiness zones 2-11

There are so many lovely types of lettuce. These cold-weather greens are nutritious, full of fiber, and taste delicious, too! Lettuce is a great cool-weather crop. You can grow it all winter in milder climates. It is frost-tolerant, and the flavor sweetens after a cold snap. 

‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ is not your average, run-of-the-mill lettuce variety. This heirloom has stood the test of time with its rich red leaves and bold green veins. In a salad or on a sandwich, ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’ makes a lasting impression. This butter lettuce variety is good for warm climates, as it doesn’t bolt easily. 

Pepper ‘Orange Sun’

	botanical name Capsicum annuum ‘Orange Sun’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 32”
	hardiness zones 2-11

The sweet crunch of a bell pepper is my favorite part of a veggie tray. Bell peppers are so versatile and pretty that they add more than just flavor to dinners. They are easy to grow and fast to mature, making them great for growing with kids. 

‘Orange Sun’ is a large, sweet, gorgeous orange variety. You can pick it green or let it ripen. It will be sweeter when it turns a rich shade of tangerine. Eat them raw to enjoy the sweetness, cooking them takes some of that flavor away. 

Carrot ‘Atomic Red’

	botanical name Daucus carota ‘Atomic Red’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10”-12”
	hardiness zones 2-11

Sweet, crunchy carrots are a kid’s favorite. Roasted with honey and thyme, or raw, dipped in ranch, are favorite ways for my crew to eat this nutrient-rich root veggie.