12 Reasons Children Should Have Green Vegetables In Their Diet

When you become a parent, you have to start taking care of every bit concerning your child’s health and happiness. You realise the importance of little things for your little one like their sleeping schedule, eating habits, and proper play-time. 

As you know already, kids need plenty of vitamins and nutrients for their growing little bodies. Whether they like it or not, green veggies are crucial components of your kid’s diet for their development. And here’s why:

1. Green leafy vegetables are abundant in Beta Carotene and Vitamin C. Your child’s growing body needs vitamin C as it cannot be produced on its own. So it may not be as easy as it sounds but as a parent, you have to ensure that your child eats a wide variety of greens and colourful fruits every day. Plant sources, including tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and kiwi, are also the best sources of vitamin C.
2. Green veggies are a rich source of calcium. For growing children and teens, getting enough calcium is crucial to building bone mass, which may help guard against osteoporosis and fractures later in life. 
3. Nearly 30,000 children in India under five years of age go blind every year because of Vitamin A deficiency. Carotene in greens can be an excellent source as they get converted in the body to form Vitamin A, which prevents blindness. Remember we are told carrots are good for eyes? Yes something like that.
4. Having a diet loaded with greens also boosts the immune system, which can keep your kids from getting sick. The immunity factor plays an important role since it wouldn’t be reasonable to contain the playtime of kids to protect them from exchanging germs at their school and playground. 
5. Dark green and leafy vegetables are particularly rich in mineral nutrients and iron. The deficiency of iron leads to anaemia, a common health problem in children.
6. Green veggies also contain some of the B-Complex Vitamins. Deficiency of Vitamin B may induce diarrhoea, dermatitis, weakness, nausea, and abdominal pain in kids. It can also cause depression, anxiety, and poor concentration in kids.
7. Cancer: Carotenoids, antioxidants, and flavonoids found in leafy greens protect from most cancer from the early stages in life.
8. Bone health: The high levels of vitamin K, Magnesium, and calcium in leafy greens produce osteocalcin, the bone builders.
9. Type 2 diabetes: The high level of magnesium and low glycemic index that can be found in greens is ideal for preventing and treating genetically-transferred diabetes. 
10. Weight management: Kids nowadays have a growing obesity problem around the world. Most green vegetables are low in calories. Your kids can eat as many greens as they like without putting on extra weight.
11. Cardiovascular disease: Greens are low in fat, high in dietary fiber, and rich in folic acid, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and phytochemicals. One extra serving per day can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by 11%.
12. Getting your kids to enjoy green vegetables early on is important. Starting good food habits early and getting them accustomed to green veggies nourishes them now and as they get older. It’s your job to set them up for a healthy life starting now.