Do you have a child that refuses to eat vegetables? Many prefer fruit over vegetables because of their sweet taste. However the combination of fruit and vegetables offers our body’s a great source of vitamins and minerals and each color offers their own really great nutrients…which is why we encourage you to eat a colorful diet. As many of you know, we recommend getting at least 2 fruits a day and fresh or frozen are best. Be careful of the juices and canned fruit as they often times have more sugar and lack the fiber which is beneficial for us. To help increase vegetable intake (strive to get at least 3 servings/day), try using a variety of preparation methods such as raw, steamed, or roasted. Here are some tips to help your children increase their intake of vegetables:
- Allow your children to pick out the vegetables for dinner
- Use cut-up vegetables with dip as a snack
- Vary the choices to keep it interesting
- Have kids help wash, peel and slice vegetables if they are old enough.
Including them in the decision making and preparation gives them ownership and makes eating them more satisfying! A really great website for learning more about increasing your fruit and veggie consumption is: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. Check it out!
-Kelsey
Reference: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442450985
