5 Veggies a Day
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5 Veggies a Day
The Food and Drug Administration tells parents to get kids to eat 5 veggies a day.
Sometimes, vegetables are the hardest thing to get kids to eat, but there is hope.
Understand, kids' tastebuds are far more sensitive than ours. What's slightly bitter to us is horribly bitter to kids. No wonder they avoid vegetables. They aren't sweet or salty.
To help them get used to these foods, it can take up to 10 exposures before they can tolerate the taste. So, start small. Give them or tell them to take one bite at first. If they like it, give them more. If they cringe, don't quit, try again later, but have them take at least ONE bite.
Pick a few vegetables each week and keep introducing them. Don't worry if your child likes broccoli and not carrots. Build on what they like and work on what they don't.
Keep starchy veggies to a minimum (corn, potatoes, yams, beans), but they are full of fiber so having them as part of a healthy diet is great.
Of course, if you don't eat any veggies, they won't either. The best example is to set a good one.
