Although it can be considered a controversial subject, hiding healthy foods in children's meals has several advantages. Most children do not eat well-balanced meals. For many parents, it is a battle to get their children to eat fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods. Healthy eating is important for a child to develop and grow properly. Children can develop deficiencies and even become ill when certain vitamins and minerals are missing from their diet. Sneaking healthy foods into meals can be a good solution.
Picky Eater
Many kids are picky eaters. According to the Mayo Clinic, some children are perfectly happy eating the same foods day after day. They may refuse new foods, sometimes those of the healthy variety. Although this is a normal process of learning independence, it can be frustrating to a parent. One of the ways to combat a picky eater is to sneak healthy things like vegetables into their favorite meals. This way, a child is still exercising her independence without sacrificing nutrition.
Vitamin Deficient
Some children can become anemic or deficient in certain vitamins when they do not eat properly. These conditions can be serious, even life threatening. Something Fishy explains that diets low in vitamins can cause allergies, blindness, depression and can even affect bone formation. In this circumstance, sneaking healthy foods into a child's diet can be lifesaving. Depending on the deficiency, a parent can add fruits or vegetables to a child's favorite food to boost the amount of the vitamin that is lacking.
Recommended Daily
An article on MSNBC says that according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 75 percent of Americans decline to eat the recommended daily servings of vegetables and fruits a day. Even if a parent provides three healthy meals a day, a child may choose to skip the nutritious items on his plate. Hiding healthy foods like vegetables and fruits inside the foods a child is willing to eat can assure that he is receiving the recommended five to nine servings a day.
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