5 healthy food for children

5 healthy food for children

You know it's better to feed your kids vegetables instead of ice cream. But, what are the healthiest foods for kids—and how do you get them to actually eat them?

Anyone who's ever tried to feed a child (something other than cereal or ice cream) knows that they don't always eat what you want them to. It's stressful trying to figure out what to make to nourish their tiny bodies.

Plus, just because it gets served doesn't mean your kids will eat it. But kids need nutritious food-healthy fats for their brains, calcium for their bones, and all the vitamins and minerals vegetables offer-and more.

To take out some of the stress and make sure you're offering your child the healthiest foods, we compiled expert tips for mealtimes as well as a list of the top 10 healthy foods for kids.

1. YOGURT

"Yogurt is a wonderful option for breakfast, a snack, or even a dessert but you have to watch the added sugar content," says Katie Andrews, M.S., R.D., a childhood nutrition coach and owner of Wellness by Katie. "It's a healthy, filling snack that checks the boxes on protein and vitamin D, a nutrient many kids lack in their diet."

Yogurt also delivers probiotics, good bacteria that are important for maintaining a healthy gut. An easy way to pick out a healthy yogurt? Buy plain Greek yogurt, which has zero added sugars plus twice the protein of regular yogurt. Most yogurt that's flavored has added sugar; some new products are flavored with just fruit, but plain is always a safe bet.

It's easy to add flavor yourself by adding berries and sprinkling a whole-grain cereal on top or creating a fun parfait with fruit. Dress up yogurt even more for kids by turning it into frozen yogurt pops or frozen yogurt bark.

2. BEANS

Beans are a humble superfood. They're loaded with protein and fiber, plus they're cheap and take little time to prepare. Buy low-sodium canned beans such as black beans, chickpeas or kidney beans.

Simply open the can, rinse them to remove extra sodium and add to any dish. "Replacing ground beef with beans in a quesadilla or tossing beans with pasta helps maintain high-quality, lean protein while adding a key nutrient: fiber," says Andrews. There are pastas made from beans too, look for brands like Banza, Pow and Tolerant Foods.

"Kids ages 4 to 8 need around 25 grams of fiber a day, and most products marketed directly to kids, like fruit snacks and cheese crackers, contain little if any. Fiber helps promote healthy digestion and helps your kids feel fuller, longer, so they aren't asking you for a snack 5 minutes after dinner ends," says Andrews.

3. SWEET POTATO

Short on time and need something nutritious? Wash a sweet potato, poke some holes in it and microwave it for 3-5 minutes (depending on its size).

Slice it lengthwise, let it cool, then scoop onto your child's plate. Whether your kid is 6 months, 6 years old or 16 years old, sweet potatoes are appealing across the board (because they're sweet!). They're packed with vitamin A (over 300 percent daily value for an adult), fiber and potassium. Limiting salt and increasing potassium keeps blood pressure and hearts healthy.

Perhaps you don’t have a microwave, you can just peel as many as you want and throw in a frying pan of groundnut oil or olive oil. Make you don’t fry to dry so the children would still be able to chew.

4. WHOLE GRAIN

Whole grains deliver a nutrient seriously lacking in most kids' diets: fiber. Fiber keeps them full and regular. Kids need about 25 grams per day, but many snacks only contain 1-3 grams per serving. Look for 100-percent whole wheat or whole grain in the ingredients list (don't be fooled by front-of-pack marketing) and at least 3-5 grams of fiber per serving.

Easy whole-grain foods for kids include oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta (try half whole-wheat, half white if they won't tolerate all whole-wheat), brown rice, and whole-wheat tortillas and bread. You can also use whole-wheat flour or white whole-wheat flour when making pancakes, cookies or pizza dough.

5. EGGS

One large egg has 6 grams of protein and delivers vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron. Some eggs are also fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in kids' brain development.

Don't worry about the cholesterol-saturated and trans fats have a bigger impact on raising bad cholesterol than eggs. At breakfast, skip the pastries, fried foods and processed meats and scramble some eggs for your kids instead. If your kids aren't fans of scrambled, try different presentations like egg salad or egg casseroles.


Eggs also make a great starter food for babies. Doctors used to recommend not giving eggs until babies were 12 months old, but research now shows that introducing allergenic foods between 6 and 12 months might help prevent food allergies.