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Denise Scott

Improving Your Child’s Vegetable Intake

This week’s article follows up on the last two weeks regarding fiber and anti-inflammatory eating. Since vegetables are crucial for increasing fiber and decreasing inflammation, I will share easy ways to improve your child’s intake.


Children sharing a plate of veggie sticks and hummus.


WHY EAT VEGETABLES?


Vegetables provide multiple health benefits, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and plant-based antioxidants not provided by other foods. They help to prevent constipation and feed the gut microbiome with their fiber.


HOW MUCH SHOULD A CHILD EAT?


According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and My Plate, the following daily intake is recommended:


Age (years) Vegetables


2-3 1 cup

4-8 1 ½ cups

9-13 girls 2-4 cups

9-13 boys 2 ½-4 cups

14-18 girls 2 ½-4 cups

14-18 boys 3-4 cups


Of course, there is no limit on intake.

Start with small portions and divide the total among meals, snacks, even desserts!


WHAT’S A PARENT TO DO?


The following 20 tips should help! Be aware it can take offering a new food up to 20 times before a toddler/child will begin eating it.


  1. Be a good role model by preparing and eating vegetables at each meal. If you want your child to eat more vegetables…you must eat more yourself.


2. Provide vegetables in as many colors, shapes, and textures as possible. Make a game of who can eat the most colors in a meal.


3. Discuss the importance of different vegetables and what they do for the body. 


4. Try and try again - remember that it can take offering a new food up to 20 times before a child will eat it.


5. Keep cut-up vegetable sticks available in the fridge to serve as snacks. 


6. Load up salads, soups, sauces, pizza, scrambled eggs, smoothies, casseroles, and even hamburgers with finely chopped, grated, or pureed veggies. Use veggies in foods your child already likes.


7. Add vegetable noodles, such as zucchini noodles with regular noodles, or look for vegetable-based pasta.


8. Make vegetarian meals a couple of times a week.


9. Involve your child in meal preparation. Studies reveal that involving your child makes it more likely they will try what they help prepare. Allow your child to play with a few veggies as you prepare them to see, feel, smell, and taste them. Have your child help to choose which veggies to buy at the store.


Children cooking with parent. Involving your child in meal preparation increases the likelihood they will eat what they helped make.


10. Use veggies for dips and spreads, such as carrots with hummus and celery with nut butter. 


11. Maintain an enjoyable mealtime atmosphere by offering veggies every meal but not pressuring your child to eat them.


12. Try different ways of preparing the same vegetable, such as roasting, air frying, baking, etc. For example, prepare potatoes in various ways - mashed, baked, or roasted.


13. If so inclined, plant a garden and involve your child with planting, growing, and harvesting a few vegetables. They will be excited to try them if they have been involved from seed to final product. This can be done in outdoor pots.


14. Make muffins, cookies, brownies, and bread with veggies. There are a plethora of delicious recipes online.


15. Read books to your child about vegetables. There are many delightful ones available, such as “I Can Eat a Rainbow,” “Oliver’s Vegetables,” “Eating the Alphabet,” and many more. 


16. When your infant is ready for solids, start with vegetables and introduce a variety before giving any fruits.


17. Consider rewarding your child with stickers (not sweets) for trying new foods.


18. Fill half your child’s plate with vegetables and fruit at each meal. That is the recommendation, according to MyPlate.gov.


19. Consider serving veggies as a meal starter, when everyone is their hungriest. You can serve veggie sticks and dip, a salad, or soup.


20. Don’t give up! Repetition and patience are key since your child’s taste preferences will continue to evolve.


The words "adding color adds nutrients" surrounded by a variety of vegetables and fruits. Different colors add different nutrients.


Offering multiple veggies prepared in various ways or added to recipes can quickly increase your family’s intake. Doing so improves their daily nutrient content.


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