The idea of grating carrots into porridge or blending spinach into a morning smoothie may sound unappealing.
According to researchers, however, such strategies could help parents incorporate veggies into their children’s breakfasts.
They claim that the majority of youngsters do not consume enough vegetables and that there is “no reason” to omit peppers and cucumbers from our morning meals.
Researchers from Loughborough University concluded that a diet rich in vegetables throughout childhood is connected with a reduced risk of diseases in adulthood.
In a research published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, the authors stated, ‘The consumption of vegetables is crucial to the health and development of children. However, in many Westernized nations, the majority of youngsters do not get enough vegetables and consume a great deal of energy-dense and high-sugar foods.
It is crucial to “think outside the box” to address this significant public health challenge.
Less than one in five children in the United Kingdom consumes the daily recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables. Concerningly, one-third of youngsters aged five to 10 consume less than one daily serving of vegetables.
The researchers noted, “Through a process of repetition and reinforcement, vegetable consumption is frequently connected with midday and evening meals, as well as snacks; however, vegetables are rarely associated with and consumed during breakfast.” However, there is no dietary, physiological, or medical reason why children should not be consistently provided with veggies at breakfast.
They stated that children should learn early on that vegetables may be consumed at any meal and that parents or caregivers can begin to encourage this by consistently serving vegetables at breakfast and by setting a positive example by consuming them themselves.
According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Chris McLeod, there are numerous methods to add vegetables to a child’s breakfast depending on their age.
‘They can be included in foods such as an omelet with mushrooms and peppers, a smoothie with spinach, or porridge with grated carrot.
‘They could also be served as a side dish to the main breakfast dish, such as cucumber sticks, mushrooms, or sugar snap peas, in addition to their regular meals. In the end, any food can be consumed at any time of the day; it is only our acquired social conventions that cause us to assume that certain foods are “breakfast foods” and others are not.
He said, “Vegetables tend to be vitamin- and mineral-rich foods with a low-calorie content, so they are cost-effective in terms of health and weight maintenance for youngsters.”
