Healthy and Enjoyable Foods for Kids

The only way to guarantee your children grow up healthy in all areas of their lives is by carefully watching what they eat.

However, getting your kids to eat their veggies and other healthy foods is never easy. They complain about not being hungry, not enjoying the way their food tastes, etc. until you are obliged to have them eat their vegetables by force because as a parent, you know what’s best for them.

The best news is that you don’t have to keep forcing your kids to eat the kind of food they hate. Your kids can start eating healthy food and enjoying them with little effort from you, without even forcing them. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it isn’t.

Make eating healthy foods enjoyable for your kids by turning those dreaded veggies into a delicious smoothie. Prepare a healthy vegetable smoothie for your child and add his favorite fruit to give him the taste he desires. So, the next time you find yourself saying “finish your veggies”, start thinking “there are better ways of doing this.”

Here are some healthy and enjoyable foods for kids and their benefits.

1. Yogurt

Kids love yogurt but the problem with yogurt is that it contains added sugar which interferes with ensuring you keep your child healthy. The good news is that you do not have to completely cut off yogurt from your kids’ meals. Stick to plain Greek yogurt which has no added sugars and add fruits or sprinkle whole-grain cereal on top before serving it to your kids. Healthy yogurt will provide your kids with vital nutrients for their development such as Vitamin D and protein.

2. Fruit

Getting your child to eat fruits is not so hard to do nonetheless if your kid does not like having fruits you can always make eating fruits fun by making a fruit salad. Buy them dried fruits or canned fruits as well.

3. Peanut butter

Most kids love peanut butter and that is a good thing because it provides your child with healthy fat, B Vitamins, and protein. Experts advise that you should avoid giving your kids peanut butter if they are under 4 years old. Also, make sure your child is not allergic to peanuts before offering him peanut butter in large amounts.

4. Berries

Berries are one of the healthiest foods that kids love so, continue adding them to your kids’ meals. Berries have a low sugar content and are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Examples of berries to give to your child include strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Serve berries plainly to your kids or add them to their plain yogurt or whole-grain cereal.

5. Eggs

Eggs can aid in your child’s brain development because of the omega-3 fatty acids they contain. Other nutrients found in eggs that are essential for your child’s growth include Vitamin B12 as well as iron. Make eating healthy foods fun by substituting unhealthy fried foods with scrambled eggs and come up with creative ways of serving eggs to your kids. For example, egg salad.

6. Milk

Drinking milk is quite enjoyable for kids. You just have to be careful of the kind of milk you give them. Only purchase low-fat milk which will provide your child with calcium, phosphorous, vitamin B12, and potassium among other essential nutrients.

Health professionals say you must not give cow’s milk to your child until the age of 1. So, make sure you are well aware of age restrictions and other important information associated with certain foods before feeding your child.

7. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in potassium and fiber. Coming up with different ways of serving sweet potatoes to your kids will ensure they enjoy every meal. The great thing about sweet potatoes is that most kids love them hence, getting them to eat their potatoes shouldn’t be a problem.