The importance of eating fruits and vegetables in childhood

However, going back to reading the data from the work carried out jointly by the Observatory of Social Debt (ODSA) of the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA) and the Center for Research on Food Policy and Economy (CEPEA), within the framework of the PISAC-COVID- project 19 of the National Agency for the Promotion of Scientific Research, Technological Development and Innovation and are part of the Social Debt Study of Argentina 2021 (EDSA). It also shows the alarming situation of children’s nutrition in 2021, something that should not only make them think, but also calls for action now.

Then we should ask ourselves:

Why is it important to include vegetables and fruits in children’s diets?

In general, we should know that eating fruits and vegetables has many benefits, even more so for boys and girls and at an early age, this is important, because during this stage defenses are formed, eating habits are formed and both are in growth. In addition to all this, the most important reason why infants should eat fruits and vegetables is that they are the best sources of nutrients and vitamins, elements that they will need to prevent diseases, in addition towards the generation of healthy habits in a part of the population every day. increasingly prone to junk food and ultra-processed foods.

The large amounts of water that fruits and vegetables have will help keep them hydrated as well. This will make the process of eliminating toxins more efficient and the body will facilitate it. As for the fiber they have, they will help the digestive system to function properly. If they consume fruits and vegetables regularly, this will prevent the occurrence of constipation problems.

In the case of vegetables with a higher fiber content, we can find broccoli, asparagus, spinach, Swiss chard and carrots, among others.

We must take into account that if we talk about fruits, for example, apples can be found throughout the year and that they are ideal fruits to obtain fiber, vitamins, minerals, in addition to other components that we talked about before. We can also take advantage of seasonal fruits to offer them fresh to infants and exchange their consumption during the seasons that each of them offers us.

As can be seen, with the regular consumption of fruits and vegetables, boys and girls also strengthen the immune system, which is responsible for the body’s defenses. An important detail to know is that in order to benefit from all the properties that both fruits and vegetables have, it is important that they are fresh, as this way they will retain all their properties and benefits that mentioned earlier.

All of the above should prompt us to reflect on the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption at an early age, both in infancy and in the stage marked by childhood. So, knowing how far children are from consuming fruits and vegetables, we must remember that many of the health disadvantages due to the lack of these foods, as well as the benefits of their consumption, will come in the medium or long term, but as the child grows and develops, one or the other will become more visible.

The low quality of food that characterizes children’s diets today is a constant that ultimately leads to various events, such as childhood obesity. Therefore, it is a priority for fathers, mothers and families in general to realize the importance of improving the diet at home, cooking more vegetables, offering more fruits and avoiding over-processed and unhealthy food. The ability to generate action where consumption of fresh fruit and drinking water become habits for boys and girls is an ongoing process that will generate benefits in the future, and we need to act now.

Specialist in childhood obesity.