Why toddlers need more greens: Nutritionist shares essential vegetable tips for parents

As food prices continue to rise, families juggle health with affordability, and the question of what to feed children, especially toddlers, becomes a major concern for many parents.

In a conversation with The Eastleigh Voice, certified nutritionist Wincate Wangari emphasised that vegetables should play a leading role in a toddler's diet, not just for nutritional value, but also to shape long-term healthy eating habits.

Start early, stay healthy

Wangari stressed that all vegetables are essential, but the earlier they are introduced, the better.

“When vegetables are introduced early, ideally from around six months when weaning begins, babies are more likely to accept them as they grow,” she explained.

According to her, toddlers have an incredible ability to adapt, especially between six months and two years, a developmental window when food preferences begin to form. Introducing a wide range of flavours during this period can significantly reduce picky eating habits in the future.

“This early exposure shapes their palate and trains their brain to recognise vegetables as part of a normal, enjoyable meal. If you delay too long, their taste buds become conditioned to sweeter or blander foods like porridge or bread, making it harder for them to embrace the more complex or bitter tastes found in greens. What starts as fussiness can turn into a lifelong aversion.”

What vegetables should you prioritise?

While all vegetables are beneficial, Wangari highlighted some key ones for their nutrient density:

Traditional greens such as managu (African nightshade), Sukuma wiki (kale), and spinach and cruciferous vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Wangari says that these vegetables are rich in iron, vitamin A, fibre, and a range of phytonutrients that support immunity, vision, and digestion.

As a toddler grows, the form and consistency of vegetables should change too, starting from purees to mashed servings, and eventually small chewable pieces.

Is there such a thing as too much vegetables?

I asked Wangari if a child could have too much of a good thing and if parents should limit vegetable intake.

She said no need to limit, but balance is key.

“Vegetables are packed with nutrients, but overconsumption, especially of fibre-rich greens, can sometimes cause constipation or reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron efficiently, especially if not paired with vitamin C-rich foods,” she said.

She recommends that vegetables be part of meals rather than served on their own and always accompanied by small portions of healthy fats or proteins to aid absorption.

Carbs vs Proteins: rethinking the plate

In many Kenyan households, meals are often carb-heavy, with ugali, rice, chapati, or potatoes forming the base of every dish.

But is this always best for toddlers?

Wangari warned that while carbohydrates provide quick energy, they are not nutrient-dense.

“This over-reliance on carbs is one of the silent contributors to anaemia and gut issues in children. Carbohydrates mostly offer calories, but very little in terms of essential nutrients.”

She added that proteins, like eggs, legumes, meat, or even milk, should be given more priority in children’s diets, because they support tissue growth, immunity, and overall development.

“A child’s meal can be just vegetables and protein,” she said.

“Even vegetables have small amounts of carbohydrates. You don’t always need a heavy starch like rice or ugali.”

Affordability and access

Recognising the economic realities of many parents in Eastleigh and Nairobi at large, Wangari emphasised that affordability should not be a barrier to good nutrition.

“There are plenty of vegetables in the market, some as cheap as Sh10 a bunch. You don’t need exotic items. Even the traditional vegetables that people sometimes overlook are incredibly nutritious,” she said.

Her advice is to choose locally available vegetables and focus on what the child enjoys.

“If your child likes kunde or terere more than broccoli, that’s okay,” she said.

“Just keep it consistent.”

As the long school break and Eid holidays approach, parents can use this time not just to rest, but to experiment with better food habits at home.

Whether through smoothies, soups, or soft stews, vegetables can be made fun, flavorful, and most importantly, foundational.

Because, as Wangari reminds us, a healthy child does not start with medicine. It starts with what is on the plate.