Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Children's diet - fruit and vegetables

baby carrot

cherry tomatoes

Colourful and crunchy fruits and vegetables can be an enjoyable part of your child’s diet. They also have many benefits for your child’s health. Both vegetables and fruit contain essential nutrients that are important for your child’s growth and development. If you eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables every day, your children will usually follow your example.

Children learn by example
Most babies eat fruit and vegetables as one of their first solid foods. After the first year, you may notice your child become fussier as they become more independent eaters. Often this fussiness may include fruit and vegetables.

Parents may worry if their child starts to eat less fruit and vegetables from time to time, but usually it causes no harm. It is not possible to force children to eat more fruit and vegetables. The best way is to set a good example for them by making fruit and vegetables a daily part of your whole family’s diet. It may take time, but this is how children learn best. So keep trying.

The benefits of fruit and vegetables
There are many reasons for everyone to enjoy eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. Vegetables and fruit provide important vitamins such as vitamin C and folic acid. They also have other plant substances that are thought important to help prevent certain diseases.

source: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Childrens_diet_fruit_and_vegetables