Parents are responsible for providing their children with optimal nutrition and continuously strive to do so even if the child is resistant. It is challenging to persuade your children about a diverse diet, especially when it is about leafy greens. Moreover, greens’ is essential in a child’s development.
Greens play a crucial role in the overall well-being of a child’s physical and mental growth as they provide all the essential vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. However, it is also essential to understand that organic greens play a critical role in overall child’s growth.
Ghomoo’s organic greens in Chennai are one of the trusted sources in the city, which are packed with essential nutrients and contribute mainly to your kid’s well-being.
In this blog post, we will explore the vital role of greens in children’s development, with tips to encourage them to include leafy greens in their diet.
7 Reasons to Include Green Foods in Kids’ Diets
#1. Powerhouse Of Body Nutrients:
Spinach or greens are the powerhouses of all essential nutrients, containing elements like antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins for a child’s development. Spinach is a prominent source of vitamins A, K, and C, which are essential for a healthy eye, supporting the immune system, and proper functioning of blood supply.
Besides these vitamins and antioxidants, leafy vegetables are a source of magnesium, calcium, and iron, which promotes healthy bones, helps in muscle functioning, and enhances overall physical growth.
#2. Promotes Strong Teeth & Bones:
One of the essential nutrients needed for your kid’s strong bones and teeth is vitamin D and calcium. Calcium is the building block of bones, and vitamins help to absorb calcium. Greens are an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium that helps optimal bone health. Thus, incorporating these greens into kids’ meals will significantly reduce conditions like weak teeth and bones.
#3. Improves Overall Immune Function:
An excellent and improved immune function is crucial at a very young age as it protects the child from infections and illnesses. Greens have high vitamin C content, which supports the child’s overall immune system by increasing the white blood cells in the body. Hence, by including greens in your kid’s diet, they develop a robust immune system against deadly pathogens and maintain an excellent functioning system for a lifetime.
#4. Maintains Body’s Hydration:
This is crucial since it’s critical to consume meals that help the body retain water in addition to getting enough water to drink. Leafy greens will assist us in retaining part of the water we consume.
#5. Eliminating Diseases:
The two main causes of vision loss, cataracts, and macular degeneration, as well as heart disease, stroke, blood pressure control, some types of cancer, and diverticulitis, a painful digestive ailment, can all be prevented by eating green vegetables.
#6. Prevents Diabetes:
Non-starchy vegetables rank among the best meal options for diabetes. They’ll make you feel full because they’re high in fiber and have essential vitamins and minerals that help regulate your blood sugar.
#7. Provides Energy:
The majority of vegetables don’t have a lot of carbohydrates, but some of them do, and as a result, they can serve as an energy source because they have enough calories and carbohydrates. Some starchy veggies give you a quick energy boost, while others digest more slowly and provide you with energy that lasts all day.
What should a child’s balanced diet include?
It is crucial that kids consume a healthy, balanced diet. Foods high in carbohydrates (such as potatoes, bread, rice, etc.), dairy products, meat and fish, legumes, low amounts of fats and oils, and a moderate intake of foods and beverages high in fat and sugar should all be included in their diet for it to have these qualities.
But the most important thing is that a lot of fruits and vegetables are included in the diet because, as we’ve mentioned in earlier sections, they’re great for kids’ health in the long run and give many benefits for their daily lives. To ensure that the child gets a variety of vitamins from various fruits and vegetables, choose up to 5 different fruits and vegetables each day.
How To Serve Vegetables To Children?
Try to encourage your children to eat vegetables throughout the day rather than just at mealtimes. They can be served into their meals by being placed in sandwiches or brought as a side dish with dip. Put vegetables out on the counter, and let them eat as much as they like between meals.
Veggies can also be combined with other foods that are high in nutrients. The kids will appreciate your vegetables if you add a little sweetness with honey. However, honey is different from other sweeteners because it contains vitamins and enzymes and is a genuine, unprocessed choice.
How To Establish A Healthy Eating Habit?
- Parents should include children in meal planning, food preparation, and grocery shopping, which develops a curiosity to try new vegetables.
- Encouraging them in gardening by allowing them to grow vegetables in a small pot.
- Children should learn to listen to their bodies. Remind them to quit eating when they are satisfied and to only eat when they are actually hungry and not just out of boredom.
- Presentation is crucial! Make a rainbow-themed platter using colorful vegetables, or make sandwiches with cookie cutters. A toddler may find a plate that is visually pleasing to be alluring.
- From a young age, start exposing your child to a range of meals. Between the ages of 6 and 12 months, babies are more open to trying new flavors. You may mould their palate at a young age if you are patient and continuously serve a range of meals.
Conclusion:
Hence, leafy greens are a pack of essential nutrients which affect the child’s overall physical and mental health. Let us embrace the power of greens and help our children thrive by choosing the right source, like Ghomoo, for greens, vegetables, and the best organic milk in Chennai.
Furthermore, by including a variety of green vegetables in a child’s diet and instilling a love of them in them from a young age, we not only improve their general health but also pave the way for a future generation that is more aware of the significance of nutrition and sustainable food options.
It is our duty to make sure that kids have access to a healthy, wholesome diet that is rich in leafy greens. We can enable children to make educated food decisions that will support their development and wellbeing by educating them and demonstrating healthy eating habits. In the end, greens are more than just a side dish on the dinner table; they provide a foundation for a happy and successful childhood.