Learn to ‘veggify’ your child’s diet





Helping a child develop a voracious appetite for vegetables is not the easiest of tasks. In fact, 69 percent of mothers believe their children are eating too few vegetables. This notion is backed by data from the American Dietetic Association, which says 70 percent of children ages 2 to 9 are falling short of the recommended daily servings. So what’s the biggest barrier? Taste.

“Flavor is number one when it comes to kids,” said author and family nutrition expert Liz Weiss, MS, RD. Weiss suggests “veggifying” a child’s diet by finding delicious, simple ways to weave more vegetables into snacks and mealtime.

Most mothers recognize the importance of serving children 100 percent fruit juice versus other sugary drinks. Smoothies are another simple way to get children to consume more fruits and veggies. Blend 100 percent juice, low-fat vanilla or fruited yogurt and fresh or frozen fruits for a refreshing, nutrient-packed treat.

Weiss said, “Try pouring the smoothies into plastic or paper cups, cover with foil, place a craft stick in the center and pop them in the freezer. Give it a few hours, and you’ve got homemade popsicles chock-full of vitamin C.”

A little creativity goes a long way when it comes to a child’s nutrition. Instead of forcing children to finish that cauliflower before leaving the table, try integrating vegetables into what they already eat. For instance, shred a carrot to mix up into tuna salad. Or saute bite-sized pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast with some finely diced orange or yellow bell peppers (which are sweeter than the green ones) in the skillet. Roll the chicken and peppers into a flour tortilla, add in a little salsa and low-fat cheese, and there’s a quick, great-tasting meal with veggies included.

It’s difficult to find foods picky eaters will eat, and then when you do, families run the risk of serving them too often.

“To avoid the ‘we eat the same thing every day’ response from my kids, I constantly have to challenge myself to serve new foods that appeal to their need to have fun while eating,” said Weiss.

She suggested mixing it up and not being afraid to serve vegetables that children may not be familiar with, such as edamame. Buy these baby soybeans fresh or frozen, shelled or still in the pod. “I like to buy the ones still in the pod because it’s a fun finger food for my kids,” said Weiss. “Just boil them up, sprinkle with a little kosher salt and extra virgin olive oil, and you have a kid-friendly side dish. Just remind kids to eat the beans, not the pods.”

Teaching children the benefits of healthy eating will help them develop important lifelong habits. For useful tips and tools, log on to www.harvestsurprise.com to find the “Kids Nutrition Report Card,” an interactive tool that shows how a child’s daily diet stacks up against the USDA’s MyPyramid for Kids guidelines. In three simple steps, the Kids Nutrition Report Card calculates personalized nutrition results for a child and lets you see how small changes can make a big difference. The “Kid Friendly Foods” section provides creative tips on how to veggify a child’s favorite foods. Also available are colorful “Healthy Eater Award” stickers to reward a child and make healthy eating fun.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.


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