The Best Things You Can Feed Your Kids
The Best Things You Can Feed Your Kids
Kids love to eat for the most part, but the problem is that they love to eat chocolate, candy, fries, cookies, cupcakes, chips, and plenty of other not-so-healthy foods. When it comes to putting the good stuff into their little bodies, they shy away – not perhaps because they don’t like the taste, but because they understand that fruit and vegetables (especially vegetables) are something that their peers don’t like to eat, and they want to be the same as everyone else. Continue reading to learn the best things to feed your kids.
That can be a hard thing to combat. However, there are some great, healthy foods that children are more interested in eating than others, especially if you can prepare them in a fun way, so the next time you go grocery shopping, you might want to incorporate some of these items into your cart.
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Eggs
You may not realize it, but eggs are packed full of good stuff such as protein and vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. In fact, eggs are one of the very few foods that have naturally occurring vitamin D in them, which is just one of the reasons why they should be included in your child’s diet where possible.
Breakfast is the perfect time to eat an egg because the protein they contain will help keep your child feeling fuller for longer, so there is less chance of wanting or needing a mid-morning snack.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is another ideal breakfast item, but if you want to prepare it at other times of the day, that’s not a problem. However, it works for breakfast because it is great for helping kids concentrate at school, pre-school, or even at home with you or a childminder. That’s because oatmeal is full of fiber-rich whole grains, and these are digested slowly; that’s good because it provides the child with a steady stream of energy, keeping them active and more engaged for longer before they need a top-up.
If oatmeal alone doesn’t appeal, try adding chopped fruit (anything your child will eat) to it for extra taste. Don’t throw a ton of sugar into it, or you’ll undo the good effects. If it does need to be sweetened, try something else such as honey or agave syrup.
Fruit
Although it may not be high on your child’s list of favorite foods, fruit is something that all children should eat plenty of. Fruit in general provides all of the essential vitamins and minerals that your child needs to grow and thrive healthily, and you can add it to plenty of other dishes to bulk them out and make them tastier. We’ve already mentioned oatmeal above, but other ideas include making breakfast or snack time smoothies, juices like cinnamon and ginger carrot juice, and frozen yogurt.
As well as all the vitamins and minerals that your child will gain from fruit, it will also ensure that they don’t get constipated. As anyone who has ever had to deal with a constipated toddler or baby will know, it’s not a good thing at all and can be highly traumatic. So preventing this from happening is something that every parent should concentrate on. It’s best to eat a range of different fruits so that your child tries new tastes, but even if they do end up just sticking to one type, it’s far, far better than nothing.
Nuts
All nuts are incredibly good for kids (and adults) in moderation because they include healthy fats, which are great for keeping the heart well maintained, plus they offer a good burst of energy throughout the day. There are many ways to use nuts; sprinkled on breakfast cereal, for example, or eaten as a snack.
Of course, there are risks associated with nuts, so it pays to be careful. Nut allergies are dangerous things and if you don’t know whether your child can tolerate nuts, make sure you start them with just a tiny amount to see if they have any kind of reaction. Be careful also about sending your child to school with nuts as a snack – just because your own child doesn’t have an allergy, that doesn’t mean no one else does. Some schools have a rule that no nuts are allowed, and this seems to be the safest option.
Milk
Milk can be used in a variety of different ways and is great for creating fuel for the brain and body – milk contains calcium which makes strong bones and teeth, plus the protein milk contains builds brain tissue. Milk is ideal as a stand-alone drink, but of course, it can be added to cereal, porridge, smoothies, and much more so that you can incorporate it into a child’s diet easily. It’s easy to give them too, as they will have grown up on milk of some form, so adding a different kind (cow’s milk, for example, instead of formula or breast milk) won’t cause too much of a fuss.
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