- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- recipes today articles
- recipes today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Veggie Wails
Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables Without the Whine
By Crystal Patriache
Perhaps you are one of those lucky mothers whose children eat vegetables like candy.
"I'm fortunate; my kids love veggies and will eat them almost all the time," says Ivy Pressendo, an Arizona mother of two. "They munch on raw green beans when we're at the grocery store instead of free cookies from the bakery."
But if you're like most parents, getting kids to eat vegetables is a battle – one that we all tend to fight because of the benefits of vegetables in the diet.
"Most kids are not having anywhere near the recommended amount of fruits, vegetables and, therefore, fiber in their diets," says Penny Ross, a registered dietitian in Scottsdale, Ariz. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables and grains and is important in the digestive process of children, Ross says.
Fiber also slows down the absorption of glucose (sugar) into the blood stream. If food has little fiber and lots of sugar, it causes reactions like difficulty concentrating and becoming tired immediately after a meal high in sugar. That is why it's important to get fiber into your child's diet, Ross says. After a meal that is high in fiber, sugar enters the blood stream more slowly and does not cause that peak and then sudden drop in blood sugar level.
A diet high in fiber also helps decrease episodes of constipation and gives kids a feeling of fullness so they are not overeating or hungry all the time. "Fiber is particularly important for children's diets because it is essential for optimal bowel movement and health so that the child does not get constipated and then uninterested in eating," says Kathleen Mahan, a registered dietitian and a nutrition counselor in Seattle, Wash. "Sometimes constipated children are moody and uncomfortable, just like adults."
In addition to dietary fiber, vegetables have vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and folate, which are necessary in a child's diet.