Everybody knows that five portions of fruit and vegetables are the recommended amount to maintain
a high level of health and wellbeing. Well, this may surprise you, but the experts believe you need
more veggies in your diet. When you think about it this way, it’s essential to at least stick to the
five-a-day routine.
Kids are the most at risk. According to the figures, children in the US ate 67% more whole fruits
for seven years. However, the number of vegetables they consumed was unchanged, and kids
were already flunking when it came to the five-a-day rule.
As a parent, it’s your job to try and set them up for the future. To do that, you must teach them
healthy eating habits to take them on board and continue practicing them as adults. Plus, you want
to boost their immune system and prevent dangerous diseases.
It’s not easy, but you can do it with these simple hacks.
Start At Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s also the least fussiest meal because people
aren’t as hungry when they have woken up. The metabolism hasn’t kicked in yet, so the taste buds
and hunger pangs aren’t as intense. As a result, it’s less challenging to slip in fruits and veggies in
the morning than at lunch or dinner.
If you’re wondering how the answer is through juices or smoothies. The debate about
juicing vs smoothies is real, but it shouldn’t matter to you or your children as long as you’re kids
are sneaking in their daily amount. Both have pros and cons, yet both are fantastic bases for healthy
ingredients because they contain lots of nutrients and are tasty.
Of course, it’s not wrong for them to have more than one thing. If they like a bowl of cereal or a piece
of toast, that’s fine as you can supplement it with a smoothie or juice.
Tweak The Portions
Vegetables cause the most concern with the youth, so let’s address them. The main one is that
they don’t like the taste, so they refuse to eat them along with the meat, potatoes, and whatever
else is on the plate. Sadly, it’s a tug-a-war, and it’s tempting to double down. After all, you know
what’s best for them in the long run.
However, increasing the portion sizes of the carrots and peas isn’t going to have the desired impact.
Instead, it’s smarter to reduce the amount in a single serving. Once you do this, you improve the
chances of them finishing their meal. And, if you do it three times a day, that’s almost the entire
recommended amount.
Little and often is a method that works. Don’t let your perceptions of portion control get in the way of
encouraging your children to consume vegetables.
Pick Friendly Dishes
Remember that kids are more likely to eat with their eyes because they are picky. If they see a dish
and it looks unappealing, they’ll flat out refuse to eat it. Therefore, it’s vital to prepare meals that
focus on the mental as well as the physical. In short, you need to hide them to shift their focus.
An incredible way to do this is to cook things with sauces. The liquid is not only delicious, but it
softens the vegetables (and fruits in some cases) to make the texture less of a problem. Curry is a
brilliant hack for these very reasons, and it’s healthy as long as you make a few simple alterations.
For example, you can use low-fat yogurt instead of full fat. You can also bake the meat in the oven
and add it to the pan to avoid unnecessary frying and saturated fats.
Mix Up Your Fruit & Veg Game
Do you get into a grocery rut? As a parent, you may like to lean on specific dishes and meals as you
know your kids will eat them. Of course, this means children can get bored after a while since the
novelty will wear thin.
Although it’s against your methods, it’s better to try new fruits and vegetables. That way, you can
add to your meal list and keep things fresh and exciting. You never know if they like avocado until
they eat it, but if they do, they can have it in everything, from smoothies to a sandwich.
Please don’t be put off if you don’t get the desired results. Keep plugging away and you’ll find foods
that they want to eat without any encouragement!
Do you have any tricks you’d like to share?
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