Importance of vegetables in the diet 

Vegetables are a type of food that greatly helps children’s development. Along with fruit, they are considered fundamental for the well-being of young children.

Doctors recommend eating two vegetables a day, preferably one of them uncooked. In addition, many campaigns are launched by different public bodies to raise awareness in society about a good and balanced diet, especially among children.

Vegetables are a very versatile food that can be eaten at any time of the day; you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner or in between meals. Introducing vegetables into children’s diets is key to their health, as they provide a large number of benefits for their bodies.

5 benefits for the body

Some of the benefits of vegetables are:

– They prevent the development of diseases in the organism. They are usually a source of vitamin C and antioxidant compounds. Thanks to vitamin C, there is greater immunity in the body and the antioxidants help to neutralize the formation of free radicals that are toxic to the body.

– Vegetables improve intestinal transit, as they contain a high percentage of fiber.

– They contribute to maintaining a good body composition, as they have so much fiber that they are very filling foods, by eating vegetables you can avoid snacking between meals.

– They keep our bodies hydrated. This is key, as it is not only important that we drink enough water, but also that we eat foods that help retain water in our body. Vegetables are this type of food that will help us retain some of the water we drink.

– They provide vitamins and micronutrients, which help to maintain the energy of children, who are usually very active and constantly on the move.

What should a balanced diet for children contain?

The childhood stage is fundamental for the proper development of the body through good nutrition.

Therefore, it is essential for children to have a healthy and balanced diet. For their diet to have these characteristics, it should include foods rich in starch (such as potatoes, bread, rice…), dairy products, meat and fish, beans, low amounts of fats and oils and limiting the amount of foods and drinks rich in fat and sugar.

But the main thing is that the diet has a large amount of vegetables and fruit, since, as we have said in previous sections, they provide very positive things for the life of the little ones, something that will make their health very good in the long term. Choose between different fruits and vegetables, up to 5 pieces a day, so that the child consumes a wide range of vitamins from different pieces.

 

At Nutty Scientists we have workshops that teach children, in a very fun way, the basics of good nutrition and healthy habits.