Potatoes tend to be well-liked by kids and can be a good source of potassium and dietary fiber for children aged one to three years, a study has found. The study shos potatoes provide 8 percent of the recommended daily value of fiber, which is important for the growth, development and overall health of children.
“It’s important that consumption of all vegetables, particularly those that are good sources of potassium and dietary fiber, be encouraged in children,” said Theresa A. Nicklas from Baylor University’s College of Medicine. “Dietary habits established during childhood often transition to adulthood, so it is hugely important to encourage children to enjoy vegetables as part of their diet in order to reap the nutrition and health benefits provided by vegetables into adulthood.”
Nicklas’s paper was published in the journal Advances in Nutrition.
The research demonstrated that children aged one to three years consumed just 67 percent of the dietary reference intakes (DRI) for potassium and 55 percent of the DRI for fiber. The study also found elementary school students are generally not consuming the majority of vegetables offered to them in school lunches. However, plate waste for white potatoes was the lowest among any type of vegetables. Therefore, the study concludes, including potatoes in school meals is one important way to help ensure children receive those key nutrients of concern.
Source: The Health Site