The Ten Best Foods For Children

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

We should not force our children to eat healthy foods that they do not like, or force them to "empty" their plates in which they are left.

Instead, it is better to focus on the healthy foods that children actually like. Parents often ignore these foods and focus directly on what they think children love, such as hot dogs, pizza, french fries, chicken nuggets, juice and sodas.

It would be much better for your children if they learn to avoid these high-calorie, high-fat foods, and instead enjoy low-fat, high-fiber, calcium, iron and other vitamins. and minerals.

Here they are The 10 best and healthiest foods for children:

1. Apples

Like most fruits, apples are a great breakfast. They are juicy, sweet and low in calories (about 90 calories for an average apple). They are also a good source of vitamin C and have about 5 grams of fiber per unpeeled whole apple. Instead of giving their children an unpeeled whole apple or a sliced whole apple, some parents often give peeled apples, apple puree, or apple juice as an alternative. Peeling an apple causes it to lose about half of its fiber, and apple puree also has a much lower fiber content than the whole apple. It also has a lot more sugar and calories.

2. Breakfast cereal

Some cereals can be a healthy part of your child's diet. When choosing a breakfast cereal for your children, try to look for one that cannot be eaten out of the box like candy. Good choices include whole grains that are fortified with calcium and have added fiber. Depending on the rest of your child's diet, you may want to look for a breakfast cereal that provides extra iron and other minerals and vitamins.

Add sliced banana or strawberries to the bowl and your kids will love it even more.

3. Eggs

Eggs used to be considered harmful because of their cholesterol content, but most nutritionists nowadays agree that eggs can be a healthy part of your child's diet. They are a good source of protein and contain little iron and many other vitamins and minerals.

Eggs do contain cholesterol, but they do not contain much saturated fat, which is the most important factor in raising a person's cholesterol level. However, one egg a day is perfectly acceptable for most children.

4. Fresh milk

Milk is a good source of calcium, vitamin D and protein and is recommended to be part of the diet of each childunless it is allergic to milk.

We often notice that toddlers and preschoolers love fresh milk, but as they get older, they start drinking less and less of it. This is probably not because they don't like milk, but rather because so many other drinks, including sodas and juices, are becoming available at home.

Depending on age, most children should drink between 2 and 4 glasses of low-fat milk (if they are at least 2 years old) every day, especially if they do not eat or drink other foods high in calcium.

5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a high-fiber food that is good for your children, just like most other whole grains. Most babies love oatmeal, but over time, many begin to prefer white bread and other refined grains and do not eat as much oatmeal and whole grains.

6. Peanut butter

Peanut butter is relatively high in fat, but contains mostly mono- and polyunsaturated fats, so it is preferable to other similar foods. Although peanut butter and jelly slices appear to be a staple food in most homes, many parents avoid peanut butter because of worries about food allergies and because it is thought to be high in fat.

There are also brands of peanut oil with reduced fat or enriched with vitamins such as vitamin A, iron, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc and copper. Peanut butter is also a good source of protein.

7. Sunflower

Sunflower seeds are rich in fiber and are a good source of iron. They also contain a lot of vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and folic acid.

Although eating sunflower seeds may seem like a bad habit, they are actually a healthy food that all children can enjoy - as long as they don't throw the shells on the floor and are big enough not to choke on the seeds. Although high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (these are the "good" fats), sunflower seeds are low in saturated or "bad" fats.

8. Tuna

Photo: ANONYM

Fish can be a healthy food, unless your children eat only fish sticks or sandwiches with fried fish. Sometimes neglected, tuna is quite a healthy fish that many children like. Parents seem to serve tuna less often these days due to concerns about mercury contamination, but it is important to keep in mind that like many things, tuna is healthy in moderation.

9. Vegetables

Of course, vegetables will fall into the list of the best foods for childrenBut that doesn't mean you have to force them to eat Brussels sprouts, broccoli and spinach. There are many vegetables that children like, such as boiled carrots, corn, peas and baked potatoes. Boiled carrots can be a particularly healthy choice as they are rich in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

Remember to offer your children a variety of vegetables at an early age, setting a good example by eating vegetables together. It's also a good idea to keep offering very small portions of vegetables, even when your kids don't usually like them. If you keep offering them, they are very likely to be eaten in the end.

10. Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the healthiest foods for children, especially for those who do not drink fresh milk, as yogurt is a good source of calcium. This does not include children's brands of yogurt with added sugar and without added probiotics, which lack many of the nutritional benefits of yogurt.

When choosing yogurt for your children, look for low-fat and without a lot of added sugar or with added probiotics, although not all studies agree that they are useful.