Veggies Early & Often

During the critical early years, kids need real vegetables. We’re helping parents and caregivers introduce them in a way that encourages healthy, adventurous eating for a lifetime.

Studies suggest that the first few years of a child’s life provide a unique window of opportunity to shape their taste preferences. Through exposure “early and often,” kids can learn to love veggies — and become adventurous and healthy eaters.

Veggies Early & Often is our campaign to help parents across the country raise a generation of veggie lovers!

A Simple Guide to Healthier Eating

It’s often hard for parents to evaluate whether products marketed as having vegetables actually contain them in significant amounts.

It’s often hard for parents to evaluate whether products marketed as having vegetables actually contain them in significant amounts.

Our Veggies Early & Often icon makes it easy for consumers to identify “veggie-forward” food, menu items, and recipes to share with their kids.

Since March 2023, PHA has added 144 new meals, recipes and products to the PHA portfolio, meaning they meet our rigorous criteria of containing over 50% vegetables by weight and being free from additives. Additionally, PHA assessed 17 weeks of menus for Early Childhood Education Centers committed to developing an organizational strategy to increase veggies early & often during and outside of mealtime.

Building a Coalition for Good Food

PHA attended the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference, bringing our Veggies Early & Often First Food guides and engaging with medical professionals from across the country. These free guides in both English and Spanish include proactive tips and practical activities to build healthy eating habits at every stage of a child’s feeding journey.

More than 15,000 clinicians attended the conference, and PHA’s Manager of Nutrition and Health Programs, Amy Warne, was there to share our work and build relationships for the future.

Our Veggies Early & Often Partners

PHA is proud to partner with companies and early childhood education centers to introduce a new standard for vegetable offerings in the baby and toddler marketplace using PHA’s Veggies Early & Often guidelines.