Kids Don’t Crave Vegies

Fruit and vegetables. Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My kids don’t enough food, let alone veggies, and I thought this was not good, until I read this article from Holistic Kid – 4 Food Groups All Kids Should Eat. In the article it says that children are born with “weak digestive “Qi” (energy) so it makes sense that in their formative years, kids need foods that are easier to digest than brussels sprouts.” This might be true, as my girls don’t eat a lot of veggies and if they do, maybe a bite here or there.

I have been trying to hide, vegies and fruits into foods and sometimes it is a winner and sometimes not. Do you try and hide food so that your child gets more nutrition? I add vitamins to the girl’s milk and they actually ask for the medicine in the milk, they must like the taste. I must have the only kids that actually want the vitamins added to their milk.

The reason for the vitamins in the milk is that my girls have always been under weight, and have never eaten a lot. I would like to make sure that they are getting adequate vitamins for growth (and who knows when a growth spurt will strike) and also to keep the girls well from colds and flu.

So what does the article recommend kids eat? Good question, they are broken down into four areas, and they are:

Saturated Fats – Whole dairy, eggs, nuts, avocados, healthy oils, olive oil and so on
Bone Broth (this surprised me, but makes sense – Mums homemade chicken soup “The minerals, gelatin, and glycosaminoglycans in bone broth promote proper development of bone and dental structure, as well as healthy hair, nails and joints. Bone broth can also help with digestive problems, food allergies, and immune health.”
Cultured Foods – Yoghurt, “Cultured foods contain naturally occurring probiotics that provide kids with a wide variety of health benefits by populating the digestive tract with healthy bacteria.”
Seasonal, Local Produce – Although the article says that we as parents should not lose sleep over kids not eating more fruit and veggies it states that kids should at least have some every day. The recommendation is to take your kids to the markets and purchase local produce. Local produce is meant to taste better as it has a more flavour.

Do you think your kids are not getting enough vegetables? My girls seem to have fruit it is just the veggie issue; however with the view of the Holistic Kid article it appears that if they are having a bit that is fine too. Send in your comments.

Suzanne Robinson

Next A Day of Walking »

Previous « Pig Tails

View Comments

health and wellbeing says:

July 25, 2012 at 2:22 am

Choosing the best vitamins and supplements for children can be tricky. Ideally, your kids would be getting all the nutrition they need from their diet, and indeed that is where you should focus the majority of your efforts.