People who feed their kids know; how stubborn the kids are when it comes to eating. It is very difficult to plan a healthy diet for kids that includes all the vitamins and minerals. Kids require nutritious food, it must contain all the necessary fats for their brains, calcium for their building bones, and all the vitamins and minerals vegetables provide with and many more. Here are some healthy foods for kids and healthy food habits for kids:
- Healthy foods for kids:
Giving a healthy diet to kids that provides them with iron, calcium or minerals is very important at the younger age as it is the developing stage. Healthy eating for kids is like water for plants. Here are some food items that one should include in the diet of their children.
- Beans: Beans are loaded with protein and fibre, also they’re cheap and take less time to prepare. Purchase and provide your kid with low-sodium canned beans like black beans, chickpeas or kidney beans. All you have to do is open the can, rinse them with clean drinking water to remove extra sodium and add to any dish the kids like.
- Eggs: One whole egg loaded with 6 grams of protein and also provide with vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron. Some eggs are mounded with omega-3 fatty acids, which help in brain development of your kid.
- Yoghurt: Yogurt is loaded with probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria that are important for maintaining a healthy gut of the kid. Purchase and feed your child with plain Greek yoghurt, which has zero added sugars plus it contains twice the protein of regular yoghurt.
- Sweet potato: Even if your kid is 6 months, 6 years old or 16 years old or even you, it doesn’t matter, sweet potatoes are enchanting for everyone. They’re loaded with vitamin A also fibre and potassium. Reducing the use of salt and increasing use of potassium helps in keeping the blood pressure and hearts healthy.
- Milk: Milk is the most essential part of a kids diet. It helps in building strong bones because it’s loaded of calcium and vitamin D. One whole glass of milk contains is high in phosphorus, vitamin B12 and potassium, and also contains 8 grams of protein. Babies shouldn’t drink cow’s milk until age 1 year. After age 2, kids can consume low-fat milk with a goal of three servings of dairy per day, yoghurt and cheese are also very important so their count matters too. If your kid doesn’t like to drink cow’s milk, there are a variety of alternatives in the market that your child can consume and they also taste good.
- Fruits and vegetables: Kids and adults are alike, both don’t eat enough veggies. If you can convince your kid to eat any vegetable-congratulations! However, the more colourful and the greater the variety of vegetables in the bowl the better, the presentation of salad in your kids’ bowl matter a lot. Each colour vegetable is known for its different nutrients: leafy greens vegetables like spinach and kale are rich with vitamin K, orange and red vegetables are rich with vitamin A, peppers are loaded with vitamin C, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower contain cancer-fighting compounds and also feed good gut bacteria, all these veggies are the key to a healthy child.
- Berries: One big cup of berries is rich with 4 grams of fibre and is also loaded with vitamin C and other antioxidants like anthocyanins. If berries aren’t in available season, purchase and provide you, child, with unsweetened frozen berries and mix them in with a bowl of oats or a smoothie.
- Make small shifts to healthy eating:
Make small changes in the diet of your kids, replace their regular milk with low-fat milk, white bread with whole-grain bread, butter with olive oil and many more. These small changes slowly and steadily will make your kids adapted to them without them knowing it.
- Limit sugar consumption:
The amount of artificial sugar consumption must be reduced and replaced by natural sugar supplements. Some of the food items that contain artificial sugar are chocolates, cakes and ice creams, replace them with fresh fruit juices and fruits. Providing them with artificial sugar must be reduced not erased. Give them homemade cakes but with a lesser amount of sugar.
- Fat consumption:
Instead of butter use olive oil in food. Provide kids with unsaturated fats, two unsaturated fats are:
- Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds should be brought into consumption.
- Polyunsaturated fats such as flaxseed, walnuts, or omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon or sardines.
Food is the most essential thing for kids in their growing age, providing them with a healthy diet is a challenge. This challenge can be met by following these few little steps.
Also Read: Why Healthy Diet Is Important For Your Kids in Covid-19 Pandemic?
