20 Foods That Start With M | Fun Foods from A to Z
When you live with picky eaters – whether they are your children, your spouse, or maybe even yourself – you have to get creative with how you introduce different foods into your meals. Eating a variety of foods can be fun when you turn it into a game. We decided to try a new food from A to Z, and created this list of foods to have options to choose from. Here is our list of foods that start with M, including fruits, vegetables, and other fun things to eat!
Why eat foods from every letter of the alphabet?
When you step outside of your food comfort zone, you have the opportunity to discover a new food that you never knew you could enjoy. There are so many foods that we haven’t tried, for various reasons – because our parents never cooked them, they weren’t available in our area, they are popular foods in different cultures, or just because we didn’t know they existed!
Trying different foods, especially fruits and vegetables, can provide our bodies with a variety of nutrients that we wouldn’t normally have. It can also get us out of the “what’s for dinner” rut when we get bored of eating the same old things over and over again.
These food lists are also great when teaching the alphabet, or when looking for a fun food for show and tell day at school!
If you’re looking for a little flavor in the kitchen, or a way to spice up your life, try one – or all! – of these foods that start with the letter M.
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Vegetables that start with M
Malabar Spinach
Malabar spinach is a leaf vegetable native to India and Southeast Asia. This healthy food is commonly used in stir-fry and has three times the Vitamin C as regular spinach.
Miner’s Lettuce
This plant got its name from the miners during the California Gold Rush. They would consume the leaves, as you would a salad, to help prevent scurvy. Scurvy is a disease that is caused by a lack of Vitamin C. The miner’s lettuce is a great source of Vitamin C.
Mung Beans
Mung beans are a very nutritional type of legume. They are cultivated in East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. These beans are used in both simple and savory dishes. They are also a common ingredient for curry in Indian cuisine
Mustard Greens
There are different varieties of mustard greens. Chinese mustards, Indian Mustards, brown mustard, vegetable mustards and more. The fresh leaves are a very popular food for the French, the Chinese and in the South United States.
This dish can be as simple as just boiling the leaves in seasoned water, or combining them in a pot with bacon or other pork meat to add a delicious flavor.
Fruits that start with M
Mandarin Orange
Mandarins are sweet oranges and typically smaller than other oranges. This small citrus fruit is great for a healthy snack and is commonly added to fruit salad. This type of orange is extremely juice and is a great choice for making fresh squeezed orange juice,
Mango
A mango is a tropical fruit that has a sweet and refreshing taste. Mangos are used in different types of dishes.My favorite is Mango ice cream, so creamy and delicious. Mango chutney is another example.
Mango chutney’s common use is as an Indian condiment. It is made up of mangos, chili pepper, raisins and onions. It has a very sweet taste. It is used on a variety of foods such as pork or sheet pan chicken. It can also be served with a cheese such as brie or cream cheese, or spread on a slice of bread.
McIntosh Apples
These yummy apples are the national apples of Canada. The sweet flavor provided from the McIntosh apple makes it perfect to use in many different ways. It is great in delicious foods such as apple pie, apple tarts, applesauce and apple butter. It is also perfect for fruit juice.
Mountain Cranberries
These wild cranberries are very popular from Eurasia to North America. They are used in the same ways as the typical cranberries, such as a sweet and tart cranberry sauce or a fruit preserve. They can also be used for a cranberry alcoholic beverage.
Other foods that start with M
Macha Manteles
Macha Manteles is a stew in Mexican cuisine. To make this stew, you will need a long list of foods with different flavors, such as peppers, onions, pine apples and bananas. Add to this stew different types of meat such as pork, turkey and chorizo.
Minestrone Soup
A fantastic Italian dish is minestrone soup. There is no set recipe for this soup. It is made up of a variety of fresh vegetables with tomato sauce and typically served with rice or a type of pasta.
Make sure you pronounce it correctly before you order it from an Italian restaurant! It’s “min-uh-STRO-nee” not “MINE-strohn” soup. 😉
Mince Pie
Mince Pie is an English Christmas tradition. It is very similar to fruit cake. The main ingredient in mince pie is dried or candied fruit peel. The fruit is mixed with spices and baked into mini pies.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup can come from any species of maple trees, however, the red maples and sugar maples are the most popular resources. Canadians and Americans love the sweet taste of maple syrup. It is delicious poured over pancakes, waffles and biscuits.
Macadamia Nuts
Want to hear some fun facts about the macadamia nuts? 70% of the trees planted can be traced back to one single tree in Australia! These nuts are a very healthy snack being that they are very low in sugar and carbohydrates. These nuts are commonly eaten by themselves or baked into yummy cookies usually paired with white or milk chocolate.
Miso Soup
Miso soup is a Japanese staple food made primarily from broth, seaweed and sometimes contains small blocks of tofu. This soup can be used as a condiment, marinade or even a glaze. When served as a soup, it is usually paired with a noodle or rice dish.
Margarine
Margarine is a more healthy butter substitute. Instead of being made from dairy, margarine is made from vegetable oils. Margarine can be used for flavoring a variety of food items or for greasing a pan to keep food from sticking. This is a great addition to any refrigerator.
Milk
There are a variety of milks to choose from now. No matter your health condition, if you enjoy the creamy texture of milk to add into your cereal grain, there is milk out there that is safe. Almond milk can be bought as a liquid, or you can purchase almond paste and make your own almond milk.
Manicotti
Manicotti is a popular Italian dish that consists of large noodles with an oval shape that are stuffed with ground meat and cheese. These noodles have a soft texture once cooked.
This dish is great as a full meal and you won’t need anything else for an entree. However, this pairs nicely with red wine, white wine and any type of garlic bread.
Moon Pie
Americans love moon pies. If you have a sweet tooth and haven’t tried one of these, you are in for a treat. They are made from two circular graham cracker cookies that are held together with a gooey marshmallow filling. They come dipped in either chocolate or banana icing.
Mahi Mahi
Mahi Mahi is a wonderful fish for cooking. It has firm white flesh and can be paired with many different flavors. A nice garlic butter mahi mahi, covered in aromatic herbs, drizzled with lemon juice, or topped with a fresh fruit salsa made from mango and pineapples. This dish goes great with a side of green beans or sweet potato fries.
Mushroom
A mushroom is an edible fungus. They are the edible fruit of microfungi. They have a very distinct flavor that some would describe as earthy. They enhance the flavor of many dishes, such as red meats, chicken, pork, beef, many vegetables and so many more.
Mushrooms are commonly stuffed with cheese or other ingredients, or fried and served as an appetizer.
Which “M” food is your favorite?
Do you have a favorite food that starts with M that isn’t on our list? Or even a favorite recipe? We’d love to hear about it, so leave us a comment below!
