HOO’s FIT Wise Choices for the You & Your dreaded Family
“V” W RD
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As parents, we know how vital veggies are to our kids’
health, whether they like them or not. But not all
vegetables are created equal. Each vegetable comes
with its unique combination of nutrients and benefits
– some are a powerhouse source of nutrition.
If you have a picky eater, it’s all the more reason to
have your child try a broad variety. There’s bound
to be a couple of veggies your child will dig if the
vegetables are prepared just the right way.
Kale. This dark green leaf packs a
whopping 684% of the RDA of vitamin K,
and well over the RDA of vitamins A and B6.
If your kids like salad, just add a mix of kale
to the lettuce. If they aren’t salad eaters, kale
makes a great addition to smoothies.
Sweet potatoes. Vitamins
A, B5 and B6, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, and
carotenoids makeup sweet potatoes.
Thanksgiving isn’t the only time of year you can eat
them. Sweet potatoes make yummy french fries,
which can even be baked rather than fried. Look for one
of oodles of baked sweet potato fry recipes out there.
Bell peppers. Red, orange,yellow,
or green, bell peppers are nutritious whatever the
color. All are high in vitamin C, with red bell
peppers containing 169% of the RDA. Also,
bell peppers are high in vitamin A and
other nutrients as well.
Do your kids live by the motto “everything
tastes better with ranch?” If so, give them bell
pepper slices for dipping. Bell peppers also go great
on pizza and sautéed to top hot sandwiches.
Brussels sprouts. Vitamins
K and C are what Brussels sprouts are particularly
noted for. But this veggie carries numerous other
nutrients in decent amounts as well.
Cut them in half, then stir-fry them in sesame oil with
other vegetables or roast them with olive oil and salt.
Asparagus. Folic acid is what
asparagus is especially noted for because it contains
60% of the RDA. But asparagus also contains a
healthy amount of vitamins K and C, as well as
several other essential nutrients.
Try Grilled asparagus. Brush them lightly with olive
oil then add salt and pepper. Place the spears on the
grill for 10 minutes, turn them, then give them a few
more minutes until they’re lightly blackened.
Spinach. Now here’s an RDA that’s
impressive. Spinach contains 987% of the RDA of
vitamin K. Spinach is also an excellent source of
vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron,
copper, and several other nutrients.
You can add spinach to both smoothies and pizza.
Spinach quiche & spinach pie are also dishes kids love.
Broccoli. Here’s another vegetable that’s
a rich source of vitamin K packing 245% of the RDA.
Broccoli also exceeds the RDA for vitamin C and is an
excellent source of chromium, folate, and fiber.
Mix broccoli into most any cheesy dish, and kids
will gobble it up. Broccoli cheese soup, broccoli
smothered in cheese, and other cheesy pasta dishes
with broccoli added are good options.
Pumpkin (canned). This
is an outstanding source of vitamin A, containing 2 ½
times the RDA, not to mention a fair amount of a host
of other vitamins and minerals.
Many desserts can be made from
pumpkin. So the next time
you’re in the mood to bake,
make something with added
nutritional value. Try
m a k i n g
pumpkin
pie, bread,
cookies or
cheesecake.