Children will find plenty of foods that they can eat that are not healthy for them, but as parents we need to make sure that we are making plenty of healthy choices available to them. There are some foods that are considered super foods for kids that are packed with nutritional value and kids will eat these if they are given them as a snack or as an option with their meals.
Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, which will protect against cancer. If you can get kids to eat cooked tomatoes, they are even better for the little ones because the heat will release the lycopenes. Also, tomatoes that are paired with olive oil can be even healthier as the olive oil will help the body absorb more of the nutrients in the tomatoes. A favorite snack in our home is to serve sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese and drizzle these with olive oil. Pizza and pasta sauce are good choices if you can’t get the child to eat just a tomato. Salsa is also a good choice for a picky eater if they will eat a little spicier food.
Blueberries are a great healthy choice for a snack or to add to breakfast. We all know that they are loaded with antioxidants and will help to prevent heart as well as diabetes. Blueberries will also increase brain function, so they could help a child do well in school if you can get them to add them to their breakfast. Blueberries can be served frozen for an added treat. If blueberries are whipped with yogurt and granola or honey and frozen, kids can enjoy them on a hot summer day as a frozen treat.
Cocoa, not just chocolate milk or the cocoa mix for hot chocolate, but real cocoa powder is an excellent way to improve blood pressure. Cocoa powder has a high concentrate of flavonoids in it. Be sure to check the percentage of pure cocoa as you need something that is at least 70 percent pure and it should not be processed with alkali as that removes most of the nutrients from it. Kids will barely know if you sprinkle a little cocoa powder on their pancakes or French toast. I have used it in oatmeal as well. A chunk of dark chocolate melted with fruits like bananas and strawberries dipped in it can be a healthy snack.
Another super food that can be added to many kids’ foods is cinnamon. This spice will help to regulate blood sugar and has been shown to help eliminate the morning crash that some kids suffer from between breakfast and lunch. Cinnamon is easy to mix into foods as it can be added to oatmeal, French toast, pancakes, muffins, homemade doughnuts, or any kind of baked goods. It is also a great topping for air popped popcorn. By combining cocoa powder and cinnamon together in a shaker and adding to a slice of buttered toast or even a peanut butter sandwich, kids can get an added dose of nutrients without even realizing that you are feeding them a healthy snack.
Cabbage is a crunchy food that many kids will eat. Kids will usually like this better than just regular salad greens as it seems to have a little better taste to it. The phytonutrients that are in cabbage are also found in broccoli and kale and will reduce a child’s risk of cancer. These nutrients will also aid in improving digestion and removing toxins from the body. Many kids will eat coleslaw, even if they won’t eat just a raw vegetable and it is a healthy choice. I usually got my kids to eat cabbage by adding it to many of the Asian dishes that I fixed. Being that we are a home schooling family, the kids loved cooking meals from other countries and so this made getting them to eat foods that they normally would not eat a little easier.
Another green food that is very healthy for children is basil. This herb is a common herb used to season Italian foods. It is also packed with antioxidants and also contains vitamins, iron, potassium, and calcium. Basil can aid with digestion. Basil has helped my daughter with headaches for years. This is a little trickier to get into the kids diets unless they will eat pasta. Basil is excellent served with chicken and even on baked potatoes. I have a friend who also grinds it very fine and adds it to her meatballs or meatloaf to get the kids to eat it.
Finally, black beans are another great source of protein. Many parents find that their children go through stages where they do not want to eat meat and knowing other sources of protein is always important. Black beans are also high in fiber and calcium, both of which kids really need as they grow, but never seem to get enough of in their diets. Black beans will help prevent heart disease and high cholesterol. If your child likes foods like tacos, quesadillas or nachos, black beans can easily be fixed in those. I have also made chip dip out of black beans by combining them with salsa and shredded cheese.
An important thing to remember when you want your child to eat a healthy food is to not make a big deal out of the food. Try just setting the health food on a plate along with a food that you know they will eat and they will be more willing to try it. Also, it never hurts to combine the food in with a food that you know the child will eat. Pizza is an easy food to add an extra topping to that they might not even realize that there is anything new on it. Just as adding a slice of cheese to a hamburger is a way to add calcium to a meal, so it covering a kids’ pancake with a little cinnamon, cocoa powder or even fresh fruit. Kids can be picky eaters, but as parents we need to find ways to incorporate these super foods into their diets.
Source: Talk with doctor