The benefits of fruits and vegetables for kids are numerous as they provide vital nutrients to support their growth and development. Additionally, sufficient intake reduces the risk of major chronic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes and hypertension. However, feeding children adequate amounts of fruits and veggies is a challenge since children tend to be picky eaters. But first, we must be aware of how much fruits and veggies children need daily. Keep reading to understand how you can encourage children to eat fruits and veggies, their possible health benefits, and some interesting facts about these food groups that your child will love to know.
Why Are Fruits And Vegetables Important For Kids?
Fruits and vegetables help provide several nutrients necessary for the rapid growth and development of children. Foods from these two groups help in:
How Much Of Fruits And Vegetables Should Children Eat Every Day?
The Dietary Guidelines For Americans 2015-2020 recommends the following number of cup-equivalents per day for different age groups of children (4) (5).
Recommendation for boys
Recommendation for girls
- Cup-equivalent refers to the amount of food from each food group with similar nutritional content (6) The total number of cups of fruits and vegetables can be spread across multiple servings per day. Consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables ensures health benefits to kids in the long run.
Health Benefits Of Fruits And Vegetables For Children
Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential micronutrients, dietary fiber, and bioactive compounds. These substances can provide several health benefits, as mentioned below (7). The nutrients of fruits and vegetables together provide several general health benefits (19).
Fruits And Vegetables Chart For Kids
It is good to select seasonal varieties of fruits and vegetables as they are fresh and readily available (20). However, you can also include their alternative forms, such as frozen, canned, and dried produce. Below is a list of seasonal varieties of fruits and vegetables that you can add to a child’s diet.
How To Make Your Kids Eat Fruits And Vegetables?
It is not easy to convince a child to eat adequate vegetables and fruits. Hence, here are a few tips to motivate them to eat sufficient fruits and vegetables every day (21) (22). With the best of your efforts, kids can start eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. However, at times, they may simply refuse to eat a particular vegetable. In such a situation, you could follow some simple steps to set things right.
What To Do When Children Refuse To Eat Fruits And Vegetables?
If your child is refusing to eat a fruit or vegetable, then you may follow the below steps (23). Convincing a kid to eat what they don’t like is not easy. However, while you try, share some fun facts about fruits and vegetables with them.
Interesting Facts About Fruits And Vegetables
Learning more about a fruit or vegetable might make a child curious enough to try it.
Interesting fruit facts for kids
The fruit is the simplest food available as it needs no cooking. It can be used as an ingredient in a meal or a food item, or eaten raw! Here are a few fruit facts you can share with your kids.
Interesting vegetable facts for kids
Here are some fun facts about veggies.
