The Power of Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies are important for three reasons, Dr. Pandya says. First, they contain nutrients that are difficult to find in other food sources, including folate, magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber and vitamins A, C and K. Second, they reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Third, they are naturally low in calories when prepared without adding fats or sugars – which helps maintain a healthy weight.

The most nutrient-rich vegetables are dark green, such as broccoli, spinach, collards and turnip greens,” she says. “Bright red and orange vegetables, such as tomatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and red peppers, also tend to have a lot of nutrients. It’s best to eat whole fruits or fresh canned, frozen and dried fruits as opposed to juice, which often contains fewer nutrients and more sugar and other additives.”

Easy Ways to Add More Fruits and Veggies

There are several ways you can serve up more fruits and veggies. Dr. Pandya gives the following tips to her patients:

• Serve fruits and vegetables when your child is hungry. “When your child gets home from school and is ravenous, put out a plate of veggies, such as carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers – along with hummus or another healthy dip,” she says.
• Encourage your child to try new fruits and veggies. If your child is resistant to trying new foods, implement the “try it first, then you can say no” rule. “Even if your child rejects the new food after the first one or two tries, he or she may grow to like it over time,” Pandya says.
• Market the health benefits of fruits and veggies using fun kid language. For example, tell your child carrots will give him or her “superhero vision” or spinach makes kids “strong like Popeye.”
• Engage your kids in shopping and cooking. “Many children enjoy making their own food choices and helping to prepare meals – and they are often more likely to eat what they select and cook,” Pandya says.
• Make fruits and vegetables easy to access. Keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter and stock your fridge with chopped-up, easy-to-grab veggies so that when your child goes hunting for a snack, healthy options are readily available.
• Find ways to add more fruits and veggies to your child’s favorite meals. For example, add pureed veggies to quesadillas and add chopped bananas to hot or cold cereals.
• Be a positive role model. “Your child is watching everything you do, so be sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables as part of your daily diet,” Pandya says.

Supporting the Vegetarian Child

Practicing vegetarians know they need to take extra care with their diets to make sure they don’t miss out on nutrients most abundantly found in foods that come from animals. This is especially true for kids and teens whose bodies are still growing, but they are also less likely to have the nutritional know-how experienced vegetarians have.

“Children can get all the nutrients they need from a vegetarian diet – but only if the diet is well planned and balanced,” Dr. Pandya says. “This is especially important if the diet doesn’t include dairy and egg products. And you’ll need to adjust the diet to meet the changing nutritional requirements of your child as he or she grows.”

Your child may be exploring a vegetarian diet for many reasons, and not all vegetarian diets are the same. Here’s a quick guide to the most common types of vegetarians.

• Vegans eat only food from plant sources.
• Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but no meat.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat dairy and egg products, but no meat.
• Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but no eggs or meat.
• Semi-vegetarians eat poultry or fish, but no red meat.

“A properly planned vegetarian diet is high in fiber and low in fat,” Dr. Pandya says. “This offers many health benefits, including better cardiovascular health, lower blood cholesterol and reduced risk of obesity.”

To reap the maximum health benefits of a vegetarian diet, your child should consume adequate calories and the following nutrients in the proper amounts for his or her stage of development, she adds.

• Protein, found in dairy products, eggs, soy products, beans and nuts.
• Calcium, found in dairy products; broccoli; dark green leafy vegetables; dried beans; and calcium-fortified products such as orange juice, soy and rice drinks, and cereals.
• Vitamin B12, found in dairy products; eggs; and vitamin-fortified products such as cereals, breads, and soy and rice drinks.
• Vitamin D, found in milk and vitamin D-fortified products such as orange juice.
• Iron, found in eggs, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, dried beans, dried fruits, and iron-fortified cereals and bread.
• Zinc, found in wheat germ, nuts, dried beans, and fortified cereal.

“No matter how you dice it, eating lots of fruits and vegetables is important to your child’s health,” Dr. Pandya says. “Start buying, chopping, and serving up those fruits and veggies as much as possible to help your child enjoy a longer, healthier life.”