Healthy Eating Habits for Kids {Broccoli Edition}

If you want to teach your kids about broccoli, or have a B week, I’ve got some fun activities and recipes to help you with your lessons.

One of my passions beyond healthy eating for weight loss, is teaching kids about healthy eating! If we can teach kids when they are young to enjoy healthy food, they may not be plagued with the same predisposition for obesity and chronic disease as we are today.

I’ve been selling these nutrition plates for teaching kids healthy eating since 2007! Literally almost 20 years. But recently, I bought a new business and her inventory for another healthy kids brand. Those new plates are here. I think they are such a cute and fun way to teach kids to eat their fruits and vegetables.

So, in light of this new product I have, I decided to do a series on teaching different fruits and vegetables for kids, starting with BROCCOLI!!

healthy eating habits for kids - broccoli edition

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When I was raising kids, I would plan a “food of the week” to teach them all about it, to have them try it, and to incorporate it in many different ways into my kids week. I had so much fun doing it. So, if you’re planning “B Week, or broccoli week, here’s some information and activities that might help you with your lesson plans!

Due to the unstoppable rise of different unhealthy foods in the market, it is alarming to us parents, if our kids are still getting the proper nutrition that is required for them, at school or even at home. Our responsibility is to ensure that our kids grow as healthy as possible.

Serving them vegetables is one of the things we can do to ensure that they get their daily vitamins and minerals from the foods we serve. Broccoli is one of the well-known vegetables all over the internet, and it is nutritious for kids and even for adults.

Broccoli Boost: Is This Green Giant Great for Kids?

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that resembles a miniature tree. It is a famous vegetable with green stems and a mass of flower buds at the top. It is known to be packed with nutrients and is rich in antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds.

It is one of the best vegetables to serve our kids nowadays. They are always on the top of the list when we think of healthy complementary food for our 6-month-old and above little ones and as healthy snacks for toddlers.

An in-depth study in 2023, emphasized the importance of broccoli in a balanced diet due to its many benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and potentially antibacterial effects.

However, vegetables, specifically broccoli, are often hated by many children due to their taste: a little bitter, sometimes bland, but with a slight sweetness. Sometimes, it is hated just due to the influence of what they see on how other people perceive broccoli.

Most children prefer sweet or savory foods to finish. We can’t deny that these are not the characteristics of vegetables, specifically broccoli, unless we cook them creatively and deliciously.

Broccoli Beginnings: Introducing the Green Goodness to Little Ones

Broccoli can be enjoyed raw or cooked, but it’s safer for the kids if it is steamed before serving, so bacteria will be eliminated and the flavor will be enhanced. Steamed broccoli also provides most health benefits.

Introduction of broccoli as early as six months or up makes the toddler familiar with its taste and texture and will have less chance of dislike at a later age. However, each child’s level of acceptance is different. This job is challenging for us parents, but we must not give up!

Tiny Tots & Broccoli: Why Start at 6 Months?

Here are some of the energy & nutrients in a cup (chopped) of Broccoli, according to USDA FoodCentral:

Nutrient, Vitamins or Mineral	Amount
Energy	30.9 calories
Protein	2.57 g
Fats	0.337 g
Carbohydrates	6.04 g
Fiber	2.37 g
Sugars	1.55 g
Calcium	42.8 mg
Iron	0.664 mg
Magnesium	19.1 mg
Phosphorus	60.1 mg
Potassium	288 mg
Sodium	30 mg
Zinc	0.373 mg

Raw broccoli is very low in calories; (print my list of veggies and their calories here). It only has 30.9 calories and 1.55 g sugar per cup (chopped) or 91 grams. It contains 90% water and almost no fats. It has many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. The table above presents only a few of Broccoli’s many vitamins. You may visit this link to view a complete list of the nutrients.

Broccoli Bonanza: Fun Ways to Serve Up the Green Goodness to Kids!

According to a study conducted in 2020, broccoli in pizzas is the most acceptable recipe for preschool. Offering broccoli in a pizza is a method to increase the acceptability and likelihood of eating it again rather than providing it raw or just steamed.

Aside from pizzas, check out some of these recipes for ideas!

Fun Ways to Get Broc’n with Broccoli!

Coloring pages and word search puzzles are great tools for familiarizing oneself with broccoli in a fun and engaging way. Here are some ideas and resources:

Coloring Pages: When they reach the age of 3 and up, you might like them to have more fun with broccoli, such as through coloring pages.

Word Search: There are also word search worksheet generators like this one. You can enter several words related to broccoli to make it more fun! Click Create a worksheet to generate.

Recipes for Little Chef: You and your little one may also try making a dish together like Broccoli Tots and make broccoli the show’s star. You can allow them to wash them, add some ingredients, chop them (with your guidance), cook them, etc. Then, let them taste the final output and give them credit for cooking them.

With these fun and engaging activities, you’ll be a broccoli buff soon!

Check out these broccoli related products!