The Best Vegetables for Toddlers
Vegetables can be one of the most difficult foods to convince your toddler to eat. It is important to feed your toddler vegetables because they contain key vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support healthy growth.
Vegetables can be one of the most difficult foods to convince your toddler to eat. It is important to feed your toddler vegetables because they contain key vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support healthy growth. "What to Expect," a website from the same creator as the "What to Expect" parenting book series, notes that providing an array of colorful vegetables is the best way to ensure that your little one gets the nutrients he needs. You might find it easier to convince your toddler to eat certain vegetables within these color groups than those you have been serving.
Red Vegetables
If your toddler will eat naturally sweetened fruit but not vegetables there are sweet ones that he may be willing to sample. Sweet red bell peppers are an option that supplies a good amount of vitamin C and numerous other nutrients. Steam the peppers until they are soft and offer them chopped or pureed into a soup. Tomatoes, generally well accepted by toddlers, are technically fruits but can count toward your child's daily vegetable requirement.
Orange Vegetables
You can sweeten several orange vegetables with cinnamon or honey to encourage your toddler to eat them. Orange vegetables should be a regular part of your toddler's diet because they are a healthful source of vitamin A. Steam cooked pumpkin, sweet potatoes or carrots until soft. Then drizzle them with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Butternut squash is another orange option your toddler may enjoy in this sweetened version.
Yellow Vegetables
If corn is the only yellow vegetable your toddler will eat, there are additional nutritious and sweet tasting vegetables. Chop sweet yellow bell peppers into pasta sauce or puree them as a nutritious soup. Bake yellow summer squash with cinnamon and honey just like deep orange vegetables. Add shredded yellow squash to bread and muffin recipes to encourage your little one to get the benefits of the nutrients present in yellow vegetables. Yellow tomatoes are an additional option that your toddler might enjoy.
Green Vegetables
Many toddlers turn their nose up at broccoli and brussels sprouts. If your toddler is one of these, try introducing other green vegetables that have a milder taste, but provide similar nutritional benefits. Many toddlers accept green beans. Peas are another option filled with fiber, and your child might find them fun to eat. Cucumbers or spinach are also healthful green vegetables your toddler may willingly try.