Getting your child to eat his daily vegetable servings can be a challenge. However, foods like frozen peas and soybeans still in the pod -- or edamame -- can add variety, fun and new tastes and textures to your child’s diet. Furthermore, these vegetables are low in calories and packed with nutrients and health benefits, and they can double as healthful alternatives to the high-calorie, no-nutrition snack foods in your kid's diet.
Nurition Profile
According to MyFitnessPal, a one-half cup serving of frozen peas provides 62 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 11 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of dietary fiber and 3.75 grams of protein. Frozen peas also provide 34 percent of the daily recommended value for vitamin A, 13 percent for vitamin C, 2 percent for calcium and 7 percent for iron, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
A single one-half cup serving of frozen edamame contains 110 calories, 4 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of dietary fiber and 9 grams of protein. It also provides 4 percent of the daily recommended value for vitamin C, 4 percent for calcium and 8 percent for iron, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Vegetable Recommendations
The vegetable intake recommendation for a 1-year-old child is three-quarters cup per day. The portion increases to one to three cups per day by the time your child reaches the age range of 14 to 18, according to the AHA. In order to reach that recommendation each day, consider replacing snack foods in your child’s diet that are high in processed sugars, fats and calories with wholesome alternatives such as frozen peas and soybeans.
Serve handfuls of frozen peas or soybean pods during your child's snack time, as mix-ins for side-salads or as toppings on pita chips dipped in hummus as a part of your child's school lunch.
Health Benefits
Soy beans and frozen peas are rich sources of important vitamins and minerals that are necessary for your child as his brain and body continue to grow and develop. These vegetables are also great sources for fiber. Fiber is an essential part of a child’s diet because it adds bulk to stool, aids in regulating bowel movements and helps to protect the heart and arteries against bad cholesterol build-up, according to the Mayo Clinic. Also, because of their low-calorie content, soybeans and frozen peas can help your child get the energy he needs without exceeding his calorie consumption, which in conjunction with an active lifestyle, can help him to maintain a healthy weight
Nutrition Guidelines
Families should strive to develop good eating habits and make healthful food choices in order to maintain healthy lifestyles. Kids should consume foods that are low in saturated fats and added sugars, and which provide plenty of carbohydrates, protein and essential nutrients. In addition, calories consumed should not exceed the amount burned every day. These recommendations from the American Heart Association suggest that soybeans and frozen peas are excellent snack choices for children, because they are nutrient-dense, low-calorie vegetables that provide essential nutrients that your child needs for successful development.
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