Why is eating vegetables so important?

Eating vegetables is healthy and contributes to good growth and development. Yet many children do not eat enough vegetables. Parents often wonder how they can get their children to eat more vegetables. The Groenteboxjes programme encourages children to eat vegetables at childcare, so that they become accustomed to healthy food in multiple settings.

How does the Groenteboxjes programme work?

For three months, children aged two to four are offered vegetables every day at their daycare centre. The programme makes tasting vegetables fun and motivating:

  • Every time a child tastes a vegetable, this is recorded on a personal scorecard, for example with a sticker or stamp.
  • After tasting the same vegetable five times, the child receives a special vegetable card to take home.
  • When a child has tasted five different vegetables, they are crowned a ‘vegetable champion’ and receive a vegetable crown to take home.
  • At the end of the project, each child receives a vegetable box to continue practising at home. At ALDI supermarkets, parents can also collect free vegetables using the enclosed discount vouchers.

Scientifically proven to be effective

Research by Maastricht University shows that the Groenteboxjes programme is effective. After three months, children who participate eat more vegetables and also know more about them. This programme follows the earlier ‘Vegetable Snacks in 10 Steps’ campaign by JOGG Maastricht, which introduces babies from four months old to different vegetable flavours.

A healthy start for the future

The Groenteboxjes programme helps children become accustomed to vegetables through play, both at childcare and at home. This initiative is also part of the Healthy Childcare Centre in Motion educational programme, through which Maastricht Sport, together with other partners, is working towards a healthy future for the young people of Maastricht.

Anouk Reneerkens-Bisschops, JOGG coordinator for the municipality of Maastricht, emphasises the importance of the programme: “Young children become accustomed to different flavours through play. The earlier you start offering vegetables, the greater the chance that they will continue eating them later in life. With Groenteboxjes, we want to contribute to a healthier generation in Maastricht.”