Kids Won't Eat Their Veggies? Here Are 4 Herbs & Spices That May Change Their Minds! Nutrition

The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old  eat 2.5 to 4 cups of vegetables daily. But “analysis of current consumption patterns suggests that only 2.1 percent of American adolescents meet these recommendations,” according to a recent study.

"Many vegetables contain bitter or sour qualities, and also lack sweetness which is a key factor for acceptance among children,” says the study. 

The good news is that the solution to getting kids to enjoy eating their veggies in schools may be as simple as adding more seasoning to vegetables. There are many delicious herbs and spices to choose from, too. “Herbs and spices provide flavor without adding significant energy, sugar, saturated fat or sodium. They have been used globally for centuries to add flavor to cuisine or for the treatment of disease prior to modern medicine,” according to the study published in Food Quality and Preference. The most-liked seasonings were:

• oregano (98 percent of students who marked familiarity)
• cinnamon (96 percent)
• garlic powder (94 percent) 
• black pepper (93 percent)

Even among students who reported familiarity, the least liked herbs and spices were:

• curry (50 percent)
• cloves (50 percent) 
• allspice (50 percent)

Read more about this nutrition study at phLabs.com.