The Essential Guide to Nutrition for Children
Nutrition for children is a crucial part of their healthy growth and development. Plus, instilling good nutrition habits in young children can help set them up to make healthier choices for the rest of their lives!
The problem is that sometimes, getting children to eat healthy foods isn’t easy. With so many options in the grocery store, it can even be difficult to figure out which foods are nutritious and which ones aren’t.
With our simple guide to nutrition for children, you can learn how to approach nutrition even with the pickiest of kids!
Read on to learn the basics of children’s nutrition and help your kids make healthy choices.
Foods to Keep Stocked
One of the best ways to approach children’s nutrition is to think about food in terms of food groups. We want our kids to eat proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, and a limited amount of dairy.
Good proteins come from lean meats like chicken and fish. You can also incorporate non-meat proteins into your child’s diet by keeping your kitchen stocked with beans, nuts, and soy-based products like tofu.
When it comes to grains, whole grains are best. Oatmeal, quinoa, and rice are great staples to have on hand. When it comes to things like bread, look for whole wheat or multi-grain options.
When you’re looking for good fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, look for items that are “whole” or natural. Whole fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables are great. Milk and yogurt are also packed with important nutrients and help to fortify a simple lunch or breakfast!
Finally, let’s talk about our picky eaters. The truth is, getting kids to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables isn’t always easy, so how do you make up for the nutrients they may be missing? These Multivitamins for Kids from Vitabiotics are a great way to boost your child’s vitamin and nutrient intake.
Limiting Sugar
There’s one ingredient that kids tend to gravitate toward that is actually more addictive than we realize: sugar.
If you start looking at the ingredients list on packaged products, including things like fruit cups, flavored yogurts, and even pasta sauces, you’re going to find sugar on the list. A little sugar is okay, but try to replace foods that are packed with added sugars with whole or natural foods whenever you can.
Keep Nutrition for Children Simple
When we talk about nutrition for children, it can seem next to impossible to get the hang of–especially when you have picky eaters. By focusing on whole foods, supplementing their nutrient intake with vitamins, and limiting sugar, nutrition for children can be simple! In fact, it can even be fun to explore healthy options as a family and find the foods you love to prepare and eat together.
Looking for health tips to boost your lifestyle? Take a look at our health section for more information and advice that can make the approach to physical and mental health a little simpler.
