What to do if your baby doesn't like vegetables? The vitamins and nutrients in vegetables are irreplaceable by any other food, but some children just don't like them. So, what should you do? Don't worry, today the editor is here to offer you some suggestions, and also recommend 9 vegetables suitable for children. Don't miss out!
9 Vegetables Suitable for Children
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is rich and comprehensive in nutrition. Its fruit contains carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, and 17 amino acids needed by the human body. In addition, pumpkin also contains relatively high amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, iron, zinc, and more. Although the carotene content in pumpkin is slightly less than that of carrots, pumpkin is still a star in carotene content, with 8 to 20 times that of watermelon and a high-quality source of Vitamin A.
Shungiku (Crown Daisy)
Shungiku is a vegetable with relatively comprehensive nutritional components. It is rich in vitamins, various amino acids, fats, proteins, and a high amount of minerals like sodium and potassium. Its carotene content is also relatively high, 1.5 to 30 times that of vegetables like cucumbers and eggplants. Shungiku contains volatile oil with a special aroma that helps to soothe the middle, regulate qi, promote digestion, whet the appetite, and increase appetite. The rich dietary fiber helps intestinal peristalsis and promotes bowel movements.
Lettuce
Lettuce contains a large amount of water, dietary fiber, various vitamins such as Vitamin B1, B2, B6, and Vitamin C, E, as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and small amounts of copper, iron, and zinc. You could say lettuce is an "all-rounder"!
Carrot
Carrots are highly nutritious and rich in carotene (averaging 1.35 grams per 100 grams), ranking among the top in vegetables. Carotene can be converted into Vitamin A in the small intestinal wall and liver cells for the body's use. Normally, 70% of the Vitamin A the body needs comes from carotene. Vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes, enhancing immune function, preventing infections in the respiratory and urinary tracts, promoting children's growth and development, and participating in the formation of light-sensitive substances in the retina.
Pea
Peas are a nutritious food, containing 23% to 25% protein, 57% to 60% carbohydrates, and 4.5% crude fiber, as well as various minerals, vitamins, and trace elements. In particular, peas contain relatively high levels of trace elements like copper and chromium. Copper helps to improve the baby's blood-producing function and aids bone and brain development; chromium helps in the metabolism of sugar and fat and maintains the normal function of insulin. The choline and methionine in peas help prevent arteriosclerosis; the Vitamin C in fresh peas ranks first among all fresh beans.
Green Bean
Green beans are a summer vegetable. Their nutritional value is excellent, and they are also known as "meat among vegetables". Green beans contain relatively high-quality protein, unsaturated fatty acids, as well as Vitamins B and C.
Potato
The nutritional components of potatoes are very rich. 100 grams of potatoes contain about 2 to 2.5 grams of protein, and the quality of this protein is good, close to animal protein. It contains a special mucoprotein that not only has a laxative effect but also a lipid metabolism effect, helping to metabolize cholesterol. In addition, potatoes contain the 8 essential amino acids needed by the human body, as well as various vitamins, with a relatively high content of Vitamin C. Furthermore, potatoes also have high levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower, also known as broccoli, comes in white and green varieties. The nutritional value of white and green cauliflower is basically the same, but green cauliflower has a slightly higher carotene content. Cauliflower is rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It also contains abundant Vitamin K, which is not found in most other vegetables. At the same time, it is one of the foods with the highest content of flavonoids, and its calcium content can be compared to that of milk.
Tomato
Tomatoes contain more than 20 types of carotenoids, such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, with lycopene accounting for about 80% to 90%. You could say tomatoes are a natural warehouse for lycopene. In addition, tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E, which can enhance the baby's immunity.