My name is Mia, and I’m 17 years old. I love spending time with my friends, especially when we talk about fun things like food. Last Saturday, my friends and I met at my house for a picnic in the backyard. It was a sunny day, and we sat on a big blanket with snacks and drinks. Somehow, we started talking about our favorite vegetables and fruits. It was such a fun conversation, full of laughter and stories. Let me share what happened, so you can feel like you were there with us.
There were five of us: me, my best friend Hana, our classmate Leo, Hana’s cousin Aiko, and Leo’s neighbor Sam. We had a basket of fruits and vegetables on the blanket—apples, carrots, grapes, and more—because we were making sandwiches and a fruit salad. As we cut the food, Hana picked up a tomato and said, “This is my favorite vegetable! Well, I know it’s technically a fruit, but I eat it like a vegetable.”
“Why tomatoes?” I asked, passing her a knife to slice it. Hana smiled. “They’re so juicy and bright red! My mom makes this amazing tomato soup with basil, and it’s warm and comforting. I also love them in salads or just with salt. They taste like summer.” She took a bite of a tomato slice and closed her eyes. “So good!”
Leo laughed. “Tomatoes are okay, but my favorite vegetable is broccoli. It’s green and looks like tiny trees!” We all giggled at that. “No, really,” he said. “My dad steams broccoli with garlic, and it’s crispy and tasty. Plus, it’s super healthy. My grandma says it makes you strong like a superhero.”
Aiko made a face. “Broccoli? No way! It smells weird when it cooks. My favorite is sweet potatoes. They’re sweet and soft, like candy but healthy. In Japan, we have roasted sweet potatoes in winter, called yaki-imo. The street vendors sell them, and the smell is amazing. I eat them with butter, and it’s like a warm hug.”
I nodded. “I love sweet potatoes too, Aiko! Especially in fries. But my favorite vegetable is spinach. It’s so versatile. My mom makes spinach with eggs for breakfast, or we put it in smoothies. It doesn’t taste strong, but it’s full of vitamins. When I was little, I thought it would make me strong like Popeye!” Everyone laughed, and Sam pretended to flex his muscles like a cartoon character.
Sam picked up an apple from the basket. “Vegetables are great, but I’m all about fruit. Apples are my favorite. They’re crunchy and sweet, and you can eat them anywhere. I take one to school every day. My grandpa has an apple tree, and we pick them together in autumn. The red ones are the best, but green ones are good for baking pies.”
Hana shook her head. “Apples are nice, but strawberries are better. They’re so red and cute, like little hearts. My family goes strawberry picking every spring, and we eat them fresh with cream. They’re sweet but a little tart, and they make me happy. I even have a strawberry phone case!” She showed us her phone, and we all smiled at the bright red design.
Leo grabbed a bunch of grapes. “Strawberries are cool, but grapes are my favorite fruit. Purple or green, I don’t care—they’re like candy you don’t feel guilty about. My mom makes grape jam, and it’s amazing on toast. Also, they’re fun to eat. I toss them in the air and catch them in my mouth!” He tried it right then, but the grape bounced off his nose, and we all burst out laughing.
Aiko put down her sandwich. “Grapes are good, but my favorite fruit is mango. It’s so juicy and sweet, like sunshine in your mouth. My aunt sends us mangoes from the Philippines, and we cut them into cubes. Sometimes we make mango smoothies or eat them with sticky rice. It’s messy, but so worth it. When I eat mango, I feel like I’m on a tropical island.”
I picked up a carrot and took a bite. “You all have great choices, but my favorite fruit is watermelon. It’s perfect for hot days. My family has picnics in summer, and we always bring a big watermelon. We cut it into wedges, and the juice drips everywhere. It’s sweet and refreshing, and we have competitions to see who can spit the seeds the farthest. I always win!” Everyone clapped, and Sam said, “Challenge accepted next summer!”
As we ate, the conversation got deeper. Hana said, “I like tomatoes because they remind me of my mom’s cooking. When I’m at school, I miss her food, and tomatoes make me feel at home.” Aiko nodded. “That’s like me with sweet potatoes. They remind me of winter nights with my family, sitting by the heater and sharing yaki-imo. Food can bring back memories.”
Leo agreed. “Broccoli makes me think of my dad teaching me to cook. He’s not great at it, but he tries, and we have fun. Also, grapes remind me of my mom’s garden. She loves growing them.” Sam smiled. “Apples are special because of my grandpa. He tells stories about his childhood while we pick them. It’s like a tradition.”
I thought about it. “Spinach and watermelon make me think of my family, too. My mom always says, ‘Eat your greens!’ and spinach is my green. Watermelon is summer with my cousins, laughing and playing outside. It’s funny how food connects us to people we love.”
We kept talking, and Sam asked, “What’s the weirdest vegetable or fruit you’ve tried?” Aiko said, “Durian! It smells bad, like garbage, but tastes sweet. My uncle loves it, but I can’t eat it without holding my nose.” Hana laughed. “I tried bitter melon once. It was so bitter, I spit it out! My dad said it’s good for you, but no thanks.” Leo said, “I ate a cactus fruit in Mexico. It was spiky outside but juicy inside. Pretty cool!”
I told them, “I tried okra once. It was slimy, and I didn’t like it. But my aunt makes it in soup, and she says it’s amazing. Maybe I’ll try it again.” Sam grinned. “I ate a starfruit. It looks like a star when you cut it, and it’s sweet and sour. I want to grow a starfruit tree one day.”
As the sun went down, we kept sharing stories. Hana told us about a tomato festival in Spain where people throw tomatoes at each other. “I want to go!” she said. Leo talked about a grape festival in Italy where they make wine. Aiko shared how mangoes are used in dances in some countries, and I told them about watermelon carvings in Thailand that look like art.
We ate our sandwiches and fruit salad, and everything tasted better because we made it together. The air was warm, and the sky turned pink and orange. I looked at my friends and felt happy. Talking about vegetables and fruits wasn’t just about food—it was about our lives, our families, and our dreams. We decided to have another picnic soon and try new fruits and vegetables, maybe even cook something together.
That night, I lay in bed and thought about our conversation. I never knew food could mean so much. Tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes, apples, strawberries, grapes, mangoes, watermelon—they’re not just things to eat. They’re part of who we are, where we come from, and what we love. I can’t wait to talk with my friends again and learn more about their favorite foods. Maybe next time, we’ll try durian together—who knows?