Teaching Kids About Vegetables Through Color

Every parent wishes that their child would eat more vegetables. It’s easy to worry that they aren’t getting the nutrients they need when every day is a fight to get them to even try the broccoli on their plate. It’s likely that you’ve used the phrase, “Eat your vegetables, they’re good for you!” hoping that it will be enough to convince them. But this statement is vague and doesn’t mean much to young kids, so it doesn’t provide much excitement or motivation for them to finish the serving of carrots on their plate.

Instead, try teaching your kids about the specific benefits of vegetables by their color in a way that’s easy for them to understand. Using color makes vegetables more exciting, and kids are more likely to be interested in their yellow pepper if they know that it can help their cuts heal faster, or that their green broccoli can help their bones stay strong. Keep reading below to learn how you can teach your kids about the health benefits of each color of vegetable, and maybe even learn something yourself!

Red

The red color in vegetables like peppers and tomatoes comes from an antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene is linked to good heart health and cancer prevention. Red vegetables can also be high in Vitamins A and C, which are important for immune health.

What to say to your child

Younger Children: "Red vegetables make your heart strong and help keep your body from getting sick!"

Older Children: "Red vegetables have something called lycopene in them that makes them red. Lycopene can help your heart stay strong and help your body protect itself from diseases and cancer as you get older! Pretty cool, right?"

Orange

Orange vegetables are rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene. Vitamin A is important for immune function and vision, which is why you were probably told that carrots were good for your eyes when you were growing up! Vitamin A is also important in cell growth which makes it an important nutrient for growing kids.

What to say to your child

Younger Children: Orange vegetables can help you see better! They also keep your body from getting sick and help all your body parts grow big and strong.

Older Children: Orange vegetables have Vitamin A and beta-carotene in them. Those nutrients help our eyes stay healthy and keep all our organs working well, which prevents us from getting sick!

Yellow

Yellow vegetables are high in Vitamin C, which plays an important role in immune function and wound healing.

What to say to your child:

Younger Children: Yellow vegetables can help your cuts get better faster when you get hurt!

Older Children: Yellow vegetables have a lot of Vitamin C that helps your body make proteins that can heal your cuts.

Green

Dark green vegetables are rich in Vitamin K, which can protect bones from osteoporosis and help prevent inflammatory diseases and cancer. Green vegetables are also great at preventing cancer because they are high in antioxidants and fiber, which makes them great for gut health.

What to say to your child:

Younger Children: Green vegetables can help you fight off sickness and keep your bones strong! They also feed the helpers in your tummy so that they can break down the rest of your food.

Older Children: Green vegetables have a lot of Vitamin K in them, which helps keep your bones strong and protect you from diseases. They can also feed the good bacteria in your stomach so that they can use the rest of your food to help your body grow.

Purple

Vegetables like eggplant or purple cabbage contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant that gives them their purple or blue color. Anthocyanins have been linked to benefits in brain health and cancer and heart disease prevention.

What to say to your child

Younger children: Purple vegetables can help give you a stronger brain!

Older Children: Purple vegetables have antioxidants that can help us remember things and prevent our brains from getting damaged.

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Try this bright pink and delicious beet hummus recipe from beautiful eats & things to get all the benefits of purple vegetables, plus some protein! Use it as a dip for crackers, or for even more veggies.

EASY ROASTED BEET & GARLIC HUMMUS

Servings 16

Author: Beautiful Eats & Things

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized beets peeled & chopped

6 garlic cloves peeled

1 tbsp oil

1 and ¼ cup canned chickpeas

5 tbsp water

4 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp tahini

Salt/pepper to taste

Optional fresh herbs, feta, sunflower seeds, olive oil for toppings

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spread beets and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt/pepper to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until beets are soft.

Once beets/garlic are done, let cool for about 30 minutes.

Add beets/garlic and chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until combined.

Add water, lemon juice, and tahini to food processor and blend until smooth. Add more water if you would like a thinner consistency. Season with salt/pepper to taste.

Top with fresh herbs, feta, sunflower seeds, and olive oil, if desired and serve!

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Information (1 serving): Calories 62, Carbohydrates 6g, Fat 3g, Protein 2g, Saturated Fat 0g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 1g