Healthy eating
If what you are is what you eat
Beware of what goes past your lips
And make quite sure you stay away
From quantities of greasy chips

Reports come out from time to time
That certain foods can take their toll
Steer clear of milk and eggs and cheese
Or suffer from cholesterol

Now don’t eat mashed potato, dates,
And never ever pumpkin pie
Or parsnips, rice or bread that’s white
‘Cause they don’t have a low G.I.

I’m sure you’ve noticed, as have I
When choosing what to put on plate
That ‘good for you’ and ‘good to taste’
Almost never correlate

And so to find the perfect food
I started with the blandest taste
I’ve found it and will share because
Research should never go to waste

So are you ready? Here’s the food
For breakfast, dinner, lunch and tea
It’s not on any warning lists -
Banal and boring broccoli!

What a disappointing food
No taste, as far as I can tell
As boring as a lettuce leaf
And with a very funny smell

The colour worries me a lot
After steaming, just not right
It looks unnatural, I think
The green is really much too bright

By far the most upsetting thing
Is the speed with which it cools
Broccoli gives rise to sev’ral [sic]
Interesting eating rules

Ignore the meat and fish and spuds
Eat Broccoli before the rest
It still won’t be very hot
Broccoli’s lukewarm at best

And never go back for some more
Even if you’re feeling bold
I can tell you, guarantee it
The rest will all be very cold

Now you may like this veg’table [sic]
My wife tells me that many do
But if you need a little help
Here’s a recipe for you

Place the florets in a dish
Cover them with grated cheese
Place in oven for half an hour
At one seventy degrees

You can then transfer to your plate
But before you smack your lips
Make quite sure you also have
A generous amount of chips
​
© 2011 Philip Barnett