While the previous federal dietary guidelines specified how many fruits and vegetables kids and adults should consume, the new ones released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are a little more vague. Some nutrition experts say they take away some of the specific guidance that could help parents know how much produce to feed their children.
About half of children under 5 already struggle with this — they don’t consume fruits or vegetables every day, according to a 2024 study. Daily fruits and vegetables are essential for “healthy growth and brain development,” and encouraging kids to eat them can influence how much produce they consume as they get older and promote lifelong health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Fruits and vegetables are critical for not only brain development, but also immune function, growth and development,” Stephanie Hanne, a clinical dietitian at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, told HuffPost.
“Inadequate fruit and vegetable intake is certainly an issue, especially in children and adolescents who are undergoing rapid growth and development, because not only does the body need the nutrients to grow and develop, but also to learn, remember what was taught, and expand upon education,” she added.
