Caity Robertson?s four-year-old daughter Bernadette won?t eat any vegetables. She isn?t really a fan of fruit either, except orange juice (which her mom barely counts as fruit).
?We thought Bernadette would be our great eater, because she ate a wider variety of foods as a baby compared to her picky older sister,? says Robertson, a mom of three from Victoria, BC. ?But one day when she was about one-and-a-half it was like a switch flipped and she no longer enjoyed cooked cut veggies, smoothies or even vegetable baby food pouches.?
Some kids go through a short phase of refusing veggies altogether, or will eat just one variety?say, cucumbers?without trying anything else. Others, like Bernadette, may go years without eating any vegetables at all, and have no plan to change their ways. The good news is, this isn?t cause for panic.  ?I certainly encourage my patients to eat lots of veggies,? says Aaron Lindzon, a paediatrician in Toronto. ?I also reassure parents that the kids who don’t eat veggies will be just fine.?
Wait, it?s OK my kid doesn?t eat vegetables"
Vegetables are important because they contain different nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and fibre, which are essential to normal growth and development. Some of these nutrients also play a role in warding off chronic diseases, like hypertension, heart disease and cancer.
But, these vitamins and minerals can be found in a wide array of foods beyond vegetables, including fruit, whole grains, beans and pou...