Health Benefits of Vegetables for Kids

A healthy diet should include plenty of vegetables, while variety is just as vital as quantity. Even though you are aware that vegetables are good for health, feeding them to children might be challenging. They prefer eating junk food and sweets over wholesome items like vegetables. However, we must not ignore the vegetables’ health benefits for children and must find a method to include them. Continue reading for suggestions on how to get kids to eat their veggies.

Why should kids consume vegetables?

Your youngster gets energy, vitamins, antioxidants, fibre, and water from vegetables. They aid in preventing your child from developing chronic illnesses later in life, such as heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. So, eating a lot of veggies along with a wide variety of foods from the other major food groups constitutes a healthy diet.

Also check, 6 healthy fibre rich recipes for kids

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF VEGETABLES

• Essential minerals including magnesium, calcium, salt, zinc, iron, and many more are abundant in vegetables.
• Vitamin A, B7, B9, and other B vitamins are abundant in vegetables like spinach, kale, and other dark green vegetables.
• Potassium is abundant in vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, etc.
• Vegetables have generally higher calcium absorption rates by the body than dairy products.

Also check, 8 Healthy recipes for picky eaters using fruits and veggies

VEGETABLES HEALTH BENEFITS

We all have heard that vegetables good for health. Let’s discuss some of the main benefits of vegetables:

1. Boost immunity: 

Regular vegetable consumption boosts children’s immunity and lowers their risk of catching numerous diseases. By keeping the immune system strong, a healthy gut flora enhances overall health. Additionally, vegetables supply necessary vitamins, minerals, and bioactive chemicals that are also important for sustaining immunity.

Also check, 6 Best immunity boosting drinks in winter for kids

2. Prevent and control diabetes:

One of the healthiest foods for diabetics to eat is non-starchy vegetables. They’ll fill you up because they are rich in fibre and also contain vital vitamins and minerals that assist control your blood sugar.

Also check, 10 Foods rich in fibre to treat constipation

3. Provide energy:

The majority of veggies don’t have a lot of carbohydrates, however a few of them do include enough calories and complex carbohydrates and as a result, act as an energy source. You’ll get an energy boost from some starchy vegetables for a brief period of time, while others digest more slowly and provide you with long-lasting energy.

4. Prevent diseases: 

Consuming a lot of veggies can protect you from cataract and macular degeneration, two main causes of vision loss, as well as heart disease, stroke, blood pressure control, some types of cancer, and diverticulitis, a painful digestive condition.

Also check, Health benefits of fruits for kids

VEGETABLES GOOD FOR HEALTH FOR KIDS

TYPE	VEGETABLES LIST	BENEFITS
Root vegetables	Beetroot, carrot, turnip, parsnip, potato, sweet potato, yam, taro, raddish	Packed with fibre and antioxidants, folate and potassium, and low in calories, fat, and cholesterol.
Red coloured veggies	Tomato, red bell pepper, red lettuce, red cabbage, rhubarb, red onion	Rich in lycopene and anthocyanin. Lowers the risk of heart disease, safeguard the eyes, and prevent infections.
Green coloured veggies	Spinach, fenugreek, moringa, broccoli, beet greens, watercress, lettuce, kale	Packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber but low in calories. Reduce risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline.
Purple and deep coloured veggies	Beetroot, eggplant, purple potato, purple asparagus, purple cabbage, cauliflower and bell pepper, yellow pepper, pumpkin, corn	Provides fibre, minerals, and vitamins. High in anthocyanin, which protects against heart disease, inflammation, and brain damage.
White coloured veggies	Cauliflower, white mushroom, leek, white corn, turnip, raddish, cabbage, ginger	Rich in fibre and resistant starch. Also rich in potassium and magnesium. Improves digestion and gut health.

HOW TO ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO EAT VEGETABLES?

• Make the produce easily accessible. Everything you give your child should be presented elegantly because appearance is crucial.
• In their three meals, try to incorporate some veggies .Increase the amount of vegetables you use in the meals by being more creative.
• Let your child choose his favourite vegetables  when you take him to vegetable shops. Give the whole veggies instead of the powdered or paste form. Rather than unhealthy snacks, give your child vegetables like cucumber, carrot etc with tasty seasoning. Create a little vegetable garden because children will enjoy eating what they have grown.
• Put a variety of hues on your child’s plate to make eating vegetables enjoyable. Take your kids along while you prepare different meals.
• Whenever your child tries to consume a new fruit, praise him for his efforts so that they tend to eat more.

DAILY VEGETABLE CHART FOR KIDS

Age/Gender	Serving size (in cups)
2-3 years	1
4-8 years	1.5
9-13 years boys	2.5
9-13 years girls	2
14-18 year girls	3
14-18 year girls	2.5

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PRODUCTS:

Make it EASY to feed a daily dose of vegetables, greens, dal, and prebiotics. 1 serving of Veggies and  Dal powder equals 30-50g of fresh food. Helps to provide daily nutrition for Immunity, Brain, Digestion, Bones, Healthy Weight, Height, Eye health and Growth. Get yours now!

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CHECK MORE PRODUCTS FOR:

Immunity, Gut health, Digestion, Weight, Brain development, Speech delay, Epilepsy, Eye health, Hormones, Sleep, Hyperactivity, Bones and Overall growth

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