Who should we thank for making everyone associate “green” with fresh foods? The farmer? Or, is it just nature that makes us think green for fresh veggies? Many food logos tend to be green – showing you “we really are fresh!” Or…maybe it was the Green Grocer?

The term came to mind as I was enjoying our latest box* from Hello Fresh and low and behold, the name is really more generic than I thought it was… “greengrocer” is the name of someone in Britain who sells produce, whether at a produce-only market or the grocery market (of course, the “market” in Britain isn’t what we think of when we picture a Super Market.)

Most of us, get less greens than we need in our diet.  There are just too many fast food, QSRs, drive-thru spots and even with the increasing fast casual, healthier restaurants, they too succumb to popular demand and throw those lovely, little, julienned potatoes in the fryer.

I am not judging, just stating an opinion based on the observations I make as I go through my days.

Oh, yea, and right here, at home – I assure you – we are guilty, too.

Why? Well, everyone prefers something else other than green salads and leafy vegetables. Fries for example. They’re “good”, right? Not (obviously) the same, but so are carrots – they’re “good for you”, right? Well, sort of, yes but not as your only vegetable. For your entire life… (hoping the kid grows out of that habit and opens his veg repertoire to more options that are actually green.)

He’s not the only guilty one, both he and my daughter call Brussels sprouts little green demons. Of course, she will eat them when we caramelize them with olive oil, garlic, hot pepper flakes, sea salt and…. Ta Da! Bacon. But, sadly, even bacon won’t convince him…and clearly they would both prefer fries – as a double vegetable.

So, to combat the perceived problem, I have been trying to add more greens, but it isn’t easy. They take up a lot of space in the fridge, they go bad quickly – certainly faster than the half-and-half which I just bought that expires on 12/28/15 – wow! Really?

Now, I’ve done what any responsible parent does… I decided to enlist a little help. Thus, the box.

Maybe Hello Fresh will help, maybe not.

If it was the 70s, we would have been able to refer to the news “expert” who called himself The Green Grocer. His real name was Joe Carcione and he – surprisingly? – died of cancer at the age of 73, way back in 1988 – and here I am in 2015 thinking of him but not really, totally, remembering how I knew that name. Here in the US, it has become a brand. Maybe he was the first, or maybe not, but there is clearly still an association with the name, and the color, too.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl

PS I am pretty sure that Joe aka The Green Grocer would not have gotten too far in his promotional messaging had he started calling any of the recommended produce “demons” – he had enough trouble in the 70s convincing us to eat broccoli.

PPS * There are several other brands all over the place that are similar… a few actually use the name “Green Grocer” in some form or another.