A child’s body is like a building under construction. Many different materials are needed to build it and keep it in good repair. But a human being is also a kind of machine. We require fuel and other substances to function, just as an automobile needs gasoline, oil, grease, and water.

To meet your child’s requirements, keep a balanced attitude. Don’t judge foods on calories or nutrients alone. In the long run, kids need a balance of nutrients from all sorts of foods, including low- and high-calorie foods. Fortunately, many good books are available to help figure this out.

Equally as important as reading any book, however, is knowing how to encourage your child to eat various vegetables from an early age. During your baby’s first year, you will want to provide them with many cooked vegetables, including spinach, peas, onions, carrots, asparagus, chard, squash, tomatoes, beets, celery, and potatoes. Before the end of their first year, you should gradually transition from purees to foods with a coarser, lumpier consistency. Naturally, some pureed and finely mashed vegetables can still be served, and peas should be mashed slightly to prevent them from being swallowed whole. Steamed vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and green beans make good first-time finger foods. Just make sure to cut them to an appropriate size.

Sweet potatoes or yams can be used at times instead of white potatoes. If you have been sticking to more easily digested vegetables up to the age of a year, you can gradually try introducing the less popular and sometimes less digestible ones, such as lima beans (mashed), broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, and parsnips. Much of their strong flavor can be removed by changing the cooking water twice, though this can destroy some of the vitamins. Some children like these foods and digest them well, but many won’t touch them. Have patience and don’t worry. Wait until two years to serve corn kernels. Young children don’t chew kernels, so they come through unchanged. Use only tender corn, and when cutting it off the cob, don’t cut too close to the cob. That way, each kernel will be cut open.

Children with good digestion can start on the more easily digested raw vegetables between one and two years. The best options are peeled tomatoes, lettuce, sliced string beans, shredded carrots, and chopped celery. Even organic produce should be washed. Go slowly at first and see how your kid is digesting them. Orange juice or sweetened lemon juice can be used for dressing. The best natural sweeteners for kids include carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, corn, and fruit.

Raw vegetable juices can be started at the same time. Raw vegetables and vegetable juices are healthy options for the child who digests them well.

If your child temporarily turns against plain vegetables, remember vegetable soups containing peas, tomatoes, celery, onion, spinach, beets, corn, or a mixture of these various vegetables. However, if you are considering feeding them commercially prepared vegetable soups, read the label carefully. Some of those soups are very high in sodium.

A child may sometimes refuse vegetables for weeks. What should you do? Will their nutrition suffer? Vegetables are a critical source of roughage and various minerals and vitamins. But in a pinch, fruits can supply many nutrients and the same amount of fiber. In other words, try not to fuss too much if your child dislikes all vegetables but likes fruits. If you don’t make a big issue of it, your child’s appetite will likely swing back around to them again.

This article has been adapted from New Century Nutrition—a former health internet site and publication developed under the leadership of Dr. T. Colin Campbell—and edited for consistency with CNS editorial guidelines.

A note from Dr. Thomas Campbell: Even if a child is not eating their vegetables, it is a good idea to keep having the child taste them. There are so many varieties of vegetables in terms of tastes and consistencies that if a child stops taking one then there are always others to try.