PLATE EXPECTATIONS
Getting your kids to eat their fruits and vegetables.
Trying to get children to eat their fruits and vegetables is a war that's been waged in households across the country for decades. As parents know, these foods are regarded for their vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, all of which help keep the body strong and decrease the risk of diseases like diabetes mellitus, heart disease and cancer. Children develop a taste for food early in life, so it's important to introduce as many varieties of fruits and vegetables as possible as early as possible. Ideally, to maximize disease-fighting phytochemicals, one should strive to eat a colorful diet each and every day.
The goal is to get your little ones to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Serving sizes differ depending on the child’s age, but usually it's one cup of raw or cooked vegetables or 100 percent vegetable juice, and one cup of fruit or 100 percent fruit juice. A half cup of dried fruit can be considered a serving for the fruit group. An easy way to measure serving size is to think of a child’s fist volume as one serving. A child’s finger length is the diameter of one fruit serving. Keep in mind fruits and vegetables can be eaten fresh, frozen, canned, dried or as 100 percent juice.
Infants are exposed to fruits and vegetables as early as 4 months old and for the most part they eat well for the first year of life. Once table food begins, the child may become more particular with fruits and vegetables. Even if your child stops eating certain fruits or vegetables, keep introducing them because they may give it another chance. It is important to continue to serve the same fruits and vegetables your child is already eating regularly and add new produce to the menu daily. A child’s taste for certain foods continues to develop and the more variety of produce they are exposed to, the more likely they will eat more fruits and vegetables.
Four tips for getting your child to eat more fruits and vegetables:
1. Eat fruits and vegetables to set an example for your children.
2. Serve fruits and vegetables regularly, with every meal.
3. Keep introducing the produce, even in small amounts, and vary how it is served (i.e. raw avocado vs. guacamole).
4. Be creative. Come up with fun names for each fruit or veggie dish; cut produce into various shapes for dipping or use the fruit and vegetables as a topping or stuffing.
Although it is best to eat whole foods to obtain vitamins, most children still need a multivitamin supplement. Keep in mind that the vitamin is a supplement and not a replacement for a healthy diet.
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