Veggies Early & Often

Raising a generation of veggie lovers

Early childhood is a unique window of opportunity to cultivate healthy taste preferences and dietary patterns. Unfortunately, most young children do not meet recommendations for vegetable intake — failing to take advantage of this essential time.

Through Veggies Early & Often, PHA is convening leaders in industry, health professionals, and early childhood educators to raise a generation of veggie lovers. PHA designed this nutrition education campaign with a cross-sector group of partners to align on the evidence that supports why young eaters need vegetables early in life.

VEO Icon Vertical Square Together we are:

Disseminating the science behind why “veggies early and often” matters.
Sharing resources to make it easier for parents and caregivers to introduce veggie-forward products and approaches.
Hosting conversations to discuss innovative approaches to increase and sustain the consumption of vegetables among young children.

Only 10% of children consume the daily recommended amounts of vegetables.

Guides for Parents + Caregivers

Download the Raising Adventurous Eaters Guide for guidance on introducing a variety of healthy foods to young children. We recently updated the handouts to include an easy-to-use Food Allergen Exposure Chart to help assess food sensitivities.

Download the full guide (Eng + Sp) Discover all our guides

Additional Resources

Resource

Yes, Kids CAN Learn to Love Veggies!

A review of evidence to support why young eaters need veggies ‘early and often.’
Resource

Patient Infographic for Medical Professionals (English & Spanish)

A resource for medical professionals who are committed to working with families and caregivers to raise a generation of veggies lovers.

Our Work

Partnership for a Healthier America Launches COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund to Help Transform the Food Landscape in Pursuit of Health Equity
Good Feeding: The Start We All Deserve
Yes, Kids CAN Learn to Love Veggies
Nurture Life Launches New Branding, Product Offerings, and E-Commerce Initiatives Supporting their Mission to Deliver a Healthier World through Better Nutrition for Kids

Our Members

Shibani Baluja, Founder & CEO, lil’gourmets
Carolyn (O’Hare) Batyske, Co-founder and President/COO, Tiny Organics
Darlena Birch, MBA, RDN, Senior Public Health Nutritionist, National WIC Association
Jennifer Chow, Co-Founder, Nurture Life
Caree Cotwright, PhD, RDN, LD, Associate Professor, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia
Erin Croom, MS, CEO and Co-founder, Small Bites Adventure Club
Carrie Dooyema, MPH, MSN, RN, Team Lead, Early Care and Education Team, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Heidi DiEugenio, Founding Board Member, The Dr. Yum Project
Scott Drattell, Senior Brand Manager, Happy Family Organics
Kofi Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP, Community Pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Director of GW Culinary Medicine Program, Clinical Public Health Summit on Obesity and Community/Urban Health Scholarly Concentration at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, Founder and Director, The Dr. Yum Project, Owner of Yum Pediatrics
Betsy Fore, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Tiny Organics
Stephanie K. Goodwin, PhD, MPH, RD, Senior Manager, Government & Industry Affairs at Danone
Kendall Glynn MS, CGC, Co-Founder, COO, Square Baby
Diane Harris, PhD, MPH, CHES, Senior Health Scientist and Team Lead, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Jodi Kuhn, Director of Nutrition & Wellness, KinderCare Education
Lisa Mack, President & CEO, National CACFP Sponsors Association
Rupa Mahadevan, MD, FAAP, ABOIM, Assistant Professor of Medicine at LSU/Ochsner Health System Feist Weiller Cancer Center /Director of Culinary Medicine Integrative Medicine Physician
Lindsey Miller, MPH, Research Analyst, Healthy Eating Research, a National Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University
Michael L. Orenstein, SVP Brand Innovation & Special Projects, Yumi
Donna A. Pomerson, Senior Director Operational Compliance, Learning Care Group
Jennie Shen, Director of Brand Marketing, Serenity Kids
Nicole Spain, MS, LDN, RDN, Registered Dietician Nutritionist, Learning Care Group
Alexia Thex, MEd, Director of Policy and Partnerships, National CACFP Sponsors Association
Katie Thomson, MS, RD, Co-Founder & CEO, Square Baby