Dark green vegetables (DGVs) are rich in vitamins C and K, beta carotene, carotenoids, folate, and flavonoids, all of which are essential nutrients for growing children. DGVs include fresh, canned, or frozen vegetables such as spinach, kale, collards, and broccoli. Children typically show low preferences for vegetables, and many do not meet the national recommendations for vegetable intake. In the United States, as few as 1-3% of young children (2-6 years old) meet Dietary Guidelines to consume 1 cup/week of DGV's.
Low vegetable intake in children can occur for a variety of reasons such as taste pickiness, pressure from parents to eat vegetables, or limited availability and opportunity to consume vegetables. Generally, vegetables such as kale and spinach have high amounts of bitter glucosinolate compounds, and children tend to dislike this bitter taste. Therefore, it is essential to find creative ways to help children meet their dietary recommendations for DGVs. Moreover, childhood dietary patterns continue into adolescence and adulthood; and it is best to teach kids to learn about and enjoy vegetables by incorporating them into their meals to create long-lasting healthy eating habits.
To help children eat their vegetables, many parents may mask the taste of a food or presented it in a way the child does not recognize. Parents have also reported using techniques such as pureeing, serving in mixed dishes, and pairing vegetables with liked foods. However, there are significant disadvantages of masking and hiding vegetables, such as distrust leading to picky tendencies and more work for parents to prepare. More importantly, hiding veggies prevents children to learn about healthy foods through familiarizing them with texture, taste, and smell, which encourages an adventurous perspective on food.
A great way to incorporate DGVs in children’s diets is through ‘green smoothies’. Green smoothies are typically fruit-based smoothies that include dark green vegetables and are generally more accepted by children since they are less bitter than consuming vegetables alone. A recent study tested DGV consumption in preschool children (3–5 years old) and showed that children moderately liked green smoothies, mixed with fruits and DGVs, when provided during a snack session. The children's intake of green smoothies provided them with 31% of the dietary guideline's weekly recommendations for DGVs and 31-34 % of their daily recommended intake for fruits and vegetables.
Take home message: It is important for children to become familiar with vegetables at a young age to promote acceptance and liking in order to build healthy eating habits. Green smoothies may be a great way to increase vegetable consumption in children by pairing fruits and vegetables together for increased acceptance. Serving green smoothies 2-3 times per week can help children meet the recommendations for vegetable intake and ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients.
Reference: Rollins BY, Stein W, Keller KL, Savage JS. Preschoolers will drink their GREENS! Children accept, like, and drink novel smoothies containing dark green vegetables (DGVs). Appetite. 2021;162:105148. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105148
