Why eating vegetables is important for children

Vegetables give your child energy, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and water. They help protect your child against chronic diseases later in life, including heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.

A healthy diet means eating plenty of vegetables, plus a wide variety of foods from the other main food groups.

1-2 years should have 2-3 serves of vegetables each day

2-3 years should have 2½ serves of vegetables each day

4-8 years should have 4½ serves of vegetables each day.

If your child finds it hard to eat enough vegetables, it’s important to keep encouraging them. If you help your child develop healthy eating habits now, it sets up healthy habits for life.

1. Set a good example with vegetables

Your child learns about food choices from you, so the best way to encourage your child to eat vegetables is to let your child see you eating and enjoying them yourself.

2. Keep trying a variety of vegetables

It’s normal for children to say they don’t like some vegetables when they first taste them. If your child doesn’t like a particular vegetable, try offering small amounts of the vegetable with another healthy food that your child likes. Also, keep encouraging your child to try and taste vegetables.

3. Use praise when your child tries vegetables

If you praise your child each time they eat or try vegetables, they’ll be more likely to eat vegetables again.

4. Get your child involved in cooking with vegetables

If you get your child involved in planning and cooking family meals with vegetables, they’re more likely to want to eat the vegetables they’ve helped to prepare.

5. Offer vegetables as snacks

Vegetables make great snacks. If you stock up on vegetables for snacks and limit unhealthy snacks in your home, your child will be more likely to choose vegetables when they’re hungry. Try an air fryer for added taste and texture.

6. Go for vegetable variety, taste, and fun

Try to choose veggies of different shapes, colors, textures, and tastes – the more variety there is, the more likely it is your child will find something that they’re interested in eating. If you serve new vegetables with food your child enjoys, the entire focus of the meal isn’t on new vegetables.

7. Get vegetables into meals in other ways

In the short term, you can disguise vegetables in foods you know your child likes to eat. For example, you could include pureed or grated vegetables in pasta sauce or soups.