My kids don’t like vegetables. Does fruit count instead?

By: Vandana Sheth, R.D., C.D.E.

While it may be a lot easier to get your kid to eat an apple than a salad, unfortunately the two are not interchangeable. Although many of the key nutrients found in veggies can also be found in fruit, that doesn’t mean you should give up trying to get your kids to eat their greens! Vegetables contain other essential vitamins and phytonutrients your kids simply can’t get from fruit.

Research shows that it may take anywhere from 10-20 introductions before a child accepts a new food, so it’s important to keep serving vegetables at every meal. Try cooking them in creative and interesting ways:

• Add to soups, casseroles and stews.
• Puree into pasta sauce.
• Steam and mash cauliflower and add it to mashed potatoes. (For an even bigger health benefit, substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes.)
• For a snack, serve fresh, cut-up vegetables or dried sugar snap peas on a platter with a healthy dip.

Most important, be a good role model and let your kids see you enjoying your veggies!

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/aldomurillo