Veggie-free toddler? It’s time for a green revolution

In the 2011 documentary “Vegucated,” three happy-golucky meat lovers decide to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks, never expecting they’d be transformed mentally and physically by their encounter with all the stuff that grows from the ground. But they are, and it’s a pretty rough, though comic, journey.

Well, that’s a transformation your child should never have to go through. It’s essential that infants get a varied menu of fruits and vegetables when they first encounter solid foods. The right mix of plant-based nutrients shapes brain development and allows the child to reach his or her optimal emotional and intellectual abilities. And it sets them on a path of good nutritional habits for a lifetime.

But according to new research published in Pediatrics, in the U.S., 25 per cent of six to 11-month-olds and 20 per cent of 12- to 23-month-olds ate no veggies at all on the days they were surveyed from 2005 to 2012. And on any given day, most toddlers are more likely to eat French fries than a green veggie.

Our bet: Mom and Dad aren’t eating fresh veggies, either. So here’s our challenge to getting everyone vegucated: Serve your children at least one vegetable serving (quarter cup cooked or half cup salad) and one fruit serving (half a fruit) in every meal. And show them how good greens and root veggies are by making sure you get seven to nine servings of fruits and veggies a day, too. It can be a tasty and fun journey to better health.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune in to “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.