Healthy food for kids: Before you throw your hands up and declare that there’s no way you can get your child to eat well, let me assure you that it’s easier than you think. If you don’t give up too soon and instead come up with some healthy eating tips for kids, you’ll see that it can be relatively easy to get your kids to eat right most of the time – and that even if they don’t, they can still avoid eating the worst foods out there. Check out these 16 healthy foods every kid needs to eat!
Why Kids Need Healthy Food
Kids need healthy food so they can grow up strong and healthy. Without good nutrition, a child’s physical and emotional development could be compromised, affecting their future. Ensure your kids eat healthy by serving them fresh fruit for breakfast, keeping granola bars in their school lunch box, or snacking on some carrots and hummus at dinnertime. All these are great ways to get the kids excited about eating healthy while boosting their immune and energy levels.
Here Are The Best Healthy Foods For Kids
Kids have notoriously finicky tastes and won’t eat many foods. However, there are a few that most kids will eat, like yogurt, veggies, and fruits. These are some of the best healthy food for kids:
1. Healthy food for kids is Oatmeal
Oatmeal is easy to start your day off on the right foot. Not only does it have tons of fiber, but research shows that Oatmeal also helps you feel fuller for extended periods. Add some fruits, nuts, or flavorings, and have a delicious breakfast or snack.
2. Yogurt is Healthy food for kids
Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and a great way for kids to stay whole. It’s also full of live active cultures that show many health benefits, such as promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, strengthening the immune system, and reducing food sensitivities.
3. Beans
Kidney beans and chickpeas are a nutritional powerhouse loaded with protein and fiber. And they’re affordable and versatile: they can be added to almost any recipe or prepared in their own right as a stew or soup, which makes them ideal for hearty weeknight dinners. Black beans can be blended into a dip, mashed into burgers, or used as the base for a pasta sauce.
4. Avocado
Avocados are an excellent food for kids because they are rich in healthy fats, low in calories, and high in fiber. These nutrients make avocados an ideal food for weight management and can be used to satiate your child’s hunger, so they do not overeat. These fruits also provide essential nutrients like vitamin C and potassium, which can help keep kids’ immune systems healthy.
5. Eggs
One of the healthiest foods kids can eat is eggs. They provide protein, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals. Eggs also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which promote heart health and help protect against developing cardiovascular disease. Various research studies show that eating eggs daily is not linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
6. Salmon
Salmon is rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain development. Also, Salmon is low in mercury, making it a safer fish choice than many others on the market. It has a healthy dose of vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, and selenium. Eating Salmon can help kids grow into healthy adults!
Read Here Also Protein-rich foods for adults
7. Blueberries
Blueberries are a good choice for anyone trying to lose weight or lower their cholesterol. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals, which will help your little one grow up healthy and strong. When picking blueberries, be sure they’re firm and deep in color. Also, remember that frozen berries work just as well!
8. Spinach for kids
Spinach is a powerhouse food with high folate, vitamin K, manganese, and beta-carotene levels. It also has more iron than any other vegetable, which is especially important for kids who need the energy it provides.
Try pairing spinach with an egg in a wrap or add it to omelets for a complete breakfast in one go. You can also toss fresh or frozen spinach into pasta sauce for an easy way to get the benefits of this green into spaghetti night.
9. Sweet Potatoes for your kids
Adding sweet potatoes into your family’s mealtime repertoire is a great way to get kids to eat more veggies and still feel like they’re getting a treat. Sweet potatoes are easy for little ones to eat; for adults, they can be the best way to sneak in all sorts of nutrients. What makes this tuber so nutritious? It’s rich in fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and folate. Plus, it can help lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet.
10. Best Healthy food for kids is Broccoli
Broccoli is a tasty way for kids to get extra vitamin C and build healthy bone density. Broccoli is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and selenium. Selenium protects the body from harmful substances like heavy metals. Plus, Broccoli contains sulforaphane which can help fight cancer-causing free radicals in the body. The best part? Broccoli tastes good!
Also, Read Here Health Benefits of Broccoli
11. Kids Love Whole Wheat Pasta
Kids love pasta, but not just any kind of pasta. They need whole wheat pasta because it is full of healthy, fiber-filled nutrients and contains fewer calories than other pasta. Whole wheat spaghetti can be flavored with basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, or garlic powder. Homemade marinara sauce is an excellent option for dipping your whole wheat spaghetti.
12. Power House Dried Fruit
To encourage increased activity, children should eat two snacks per day. Preferably one before lunch and the other before dinner. Protein is also an essential part of any balanced diet. Some good protein sources for kids are eggs, beans, quinoa, and nuts. For healthy fats, kids should eat avocados, nuts, and seeds.
13. Tuna
1. High in protein and omega-3s, tuna can be an excellent fish choice for young children, as they are still developing their eating habits.
2. Keep things interesting by incorporating other seafood varieties like shrimp, crab, and Salmon into the mix and fresh salads, fruits, and vegetables for a nutrient-rich meal sure to please the palate!
14. Quinoa is healthy food for kids
Quinoa is one of the best, most versatile foods you can introduce your children to. Not only is it a nutritious grain-based dish that offers more protein than any other cereal grain on the planet, but it’s also great for allergies since there are no known allergens in quinoa. It means that anyone with food allergies or intolerances will have no problem with this great food.
15. Pineapple
Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that may reduce inflammation and soreness in joints and muscles. Moreover, this fruit contains calcium, potassium, and Vitamin C that can keep your little one healthy and fit.
What does bromelain do? Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that helps break down proteins into smaller particles.
16. Kale
Learning about the health benefits of different foods is an excellent way for kids to stay in shape, avoid illnesses, and get excited about what they eat. Kale is one of the healthiest leafy greens you can add to your child’s diet. This vegetable is high in protein, low in calories, and rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, C, and K. These nutrients help strengthen a child’s immune system and fight off viruses that can cause cold or flu symptoms.
17. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a trendy vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. There are tons of different ways you can use tomatoes, either by themselves or as an ingredient in a dish.
Tomatoes come in many colors and varieties, including green, red, and yellow. They grow well in the U.S. and are accessible year-round at local markets and grocery stores. But they’re also relatively inexpensive, even organic ones!
Conclusion
The most important thing parents can do is encourage their children to eat as many nutritious foods as possible. This list was just a start, but with creativity and imagination, your kids will be filling up on good-for-them foods in no time.
