Health of the Nation: How to pack more veggies into kids’ meals

Only one in three kids are eating vegetables every day. See these top tips on how to boost their veggie intake.

Only one in three kids are eating vegetables every day News Corp’s survey of the health of 3100 Australians found.

More than half our kids (55 per cent) eat chocolates and lollies more than once a week and three in four (74 per cent) eat potato crisps more than once a week, the survey found.

This is even though our dietary guidelines suggest these should be one off, once a week treats.

The latest ABS research discovered fewer than two per cent of primary school aged kids are meeting the national dietary guidelines for consumption of vegetables.

Here’s some fun ways you can pack more veggies into your child’s diet.

PACK MORE VEGIES IN

• Half of your plate should always be vegetables.

• If your child likes cheese, melt some cheese on broccoli or zucchini.

• Bring kids into food preparation so they know what they’re eating.

• Don’t overcook vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. Steam them for 3min or roast for 20-30min instead.

• Cook vegies on the barbecue, sauté them with onion, garlic and tomato, or try them raw with a dip.

Only one in three kids are eating vegetables every day News Corp’s survey of the health of 3,100 Australians found. Picture: iStock

• Make veggie burgers, pasta or pizza toppings.

• Canned and frozen vegetables have nutritional benefits and can be more affordable.

• If you do buy take away have carrots or salad on the side of your burgers, instead of buying four serves of chips buy two and share and add tomato wedges and some carrots.

• If vegetables have wilted saute them, add them to a frittata, juice them, pickle them or rehydrate them in water.

Sources: hw.qld.gov.au, raisingchildren.net.au, healthykids.nsw.gov.au, eatforhealth.gov.au

CORRECT PORTION SIZES

Children aged 4-8, daily serves

Boys: 4.5 serves of vegetables; 1.5 serves of fruit (150g per serve); 4 serves of grain; 2 serves of dairy milk, yoghurt, cheese; 1.5 serves of lean meat, poultry, fish eggs, tofu, nuts and seed, legumes;

Girls: 4.5 serves of vegetables, 1.5 serves of fruit, 4 serves of grain, 1.5 serves of lean meat, 1.5 serves of dairy (less than boys).

Vegetables (a serve is 75g): ½ cup of broccoli, spinach, carrots, pumpkin cooked or canned beans, peas or lentils, half a cup of sweet corn, half a medium potato or sweet potato, one medium tomato.

Fruit (a serve is 150g): A serve is 1 medium apple, orange or pear, 2 small apricots, kiwi fruit or plums, I cup diced or canned fruit with no added sugar

Grains: A serve is 1 slice of bread, half a medium roll, half a cup of cooked pasta, buckwheat, polenta or quinoa. Half a cup of cooked porridge or quarter of a cup of muesli

Dairy: A serve is 1 cup of milk, 40g of hard cheese or half a cup of ricotta, ¾ cup (200g) plain yoghurt.

Lean meat, poultry, fish: A serve is 65g cooked lean beef, lamb, pork, 80g chicken or 100g fish.

Eggs, tofu, nuts and seed, legumes: A serve is 2 large eggs, 170g tofu, 30g nuts seeds, or nut butter.

Children aged 9-11 daily serves

Boys: 5 serves vegetables, 2 serves fruit, five serves grain, 2.5 serves meat, 2.5 serves dairy (less than girls).

Girls: 5 serves vegetables, 2 serves fruit, 4 serves grain (less than boys) 2.5 serves meat, 3 serves dairy (more than boys)

Sources: eatforhealth.gov.au

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS OVERWEIGHT

It is important not to ridicule or shame an overweight child and you should go to your general practitioner for advice, according to University of Sydney paediatrician Professor Louise Baur.

“If the young person is clearly above a healthy weight one, they will know it already. They will need your love and support they don’t want you blaming and shaming them and talking about weight,” Prof Baur said.

“If you make changes to the child’s diet, make the changes for the whole family, don’t tell the child they can’t have chocolates but it’s all right for the rest of the family to eat them,” she said.

The latest ABS research discovered fewer than two per cent of primary school aged kids are meeting the national dietary guidelines for consumption of vegetables. Picture: iStock

The NSW and Queensland Governments have helpful online tools on how to make the family diet healthier.

Be Healthy Together explains the importance of drinking only water, eating fruit and vegetables and a healthy breakfast. There is advice on portion sizes.

And remember, you don’t have to have meat and meat and vegetables every night. If you are short on time, have oatmeal or eggs or baked beans on toast instead of takeaway.

Experts say it can take 15 or more tries to get a child to like a new food.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS UNDERWEIGHT

Paediatric dietitian Dr Jennifer Cohen said parents should “never ask children to take one more bite”, and instead look to increase the nutrient density of the food by having meals that are higher in protein and healthy fats.

“Add extra dairy, extra cheese, avocado, extra olive oil or nut butter if not allergic,” she said.

She also urged parents to speak with their GP or a specialist before making any radical changes, and stressed conversations about diet and weight concerns should be done without the child present.

Originally published as Health of the Nation: How to pack more veggies into kids’ meals