Parental guidance: Fruits and veggies for kids
Parents and other factors influence children's food choices, according to new studies. Credit: iStock
"The average mom isn't going to go out and try to figure out if the child is eating the RDI for every vitamin and every mineral. That's really over-the-top," Smookler says. Averaging it by recommending a certain number of cups of fruits and vegetables per day simplifies things, she says. If your child is eating the recommended amount, he's likely getting all the recommended daily nutrients, she says.
Unfortunately there isn't a "bare minimum" you can console yourself with, she says. You could add vitamins to your child's diet to help meet daily recommendations, but Smookler doesn't consider that the best solution, as your child won't get the fiber and other added benefits of eating the food.
A better approach is to redouble efforts to meet the recommendations, she says. Visit a bookstore to find cookbooks with tricks for sneaking good food into kids' diets; fruitand veggieguru.com also has tips.
