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Fruit and vegetables for kids



According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children are failing to meet the recommended amount of the essential fruits and vegetables that they should eat daily (CDC, 2014). More specifically, The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2010) explained that in 2007, 60% of children did not meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Patterns fruit intake recommendations, and 93% did not meet vegetable recommendations (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010). This inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables has become evident in recent years in the quality of children’s diets, and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic (Pearson, 2009).

Fruit and vegetables play a vital role in providing children with essential nutrients for healthy growth and development. The vast variety of essential vitamins and minerals provided by consuming a range of fruits and vegetables ensure optimal functioning of a child's body. Not only do a mixture of different fruits and vegetables supply the body with key nutrients but also assists in the prevention and resistance against disease.

Nutrients provide our bodies with the essentials for healthy growth, maintenance and repair (Lutz & Przytulski, 2011). A healthy diet is therefore crucial, as our bodies are unable to manufacture these key nutrients itself, consequently relying purely on our dietary intake to supply these fundamental nutrients (Lutz & Przytulski, 2011). Nutrients play several vital roles within the body; they perform as a source of heat and energy production, assist in the management of primary bodily functions and structure growth and maintenance of tissues. Diets with a high content of fruit and vegetables are vastly praised and renowned for their health-promoting characteristics (Slavin & Lloyd, 2012). For countless years diets composed of substantial amounts fruit and vegetables have held high precedence within dietary guidelines due to their contents containing high portions of these essential vitamins and minerals, promoting a healthy functioning body.


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