Kids are prone to diseases more compared to adults if not taken care properly. Their immune system has yet to develop strongly in order to protect the kid’s body against the viral and bacterial infections. To enhance the chances of strengthening in the body of the children, parents need to make great choice in their food selection to maintain a healthy diet.
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Healthy food
Healthy food in actual is the variety of food that contains the nutrients according to the body’s requirement such as vitamins, proteins, iron component, carbohydrate and others. Kid’s healthy meal depends upon their parent’s selection of food items, it can vary according to the children’s body deficiency. Most of the children are iron deficient at such an early stage therefore food items like spinach overcomes the deficiency to an utmost level.
Kid’s healthy food items mostly surrounds the five major categories like;
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Meat items
- Milk related items such as yoghurt, cheese etc.
- Grains
Healthy breakfast ideas
As told by the ancestors that a healthy breakfast leads to a healthy life, it is not wrong but somewhat true. A healthy breakfast has a direct impact on the healthy development of the child’s body which is also proven by the scientific researches. The healthy breakfast ideas for kids revolve around;
- Fruits
- Boiled eggs
- Cereals
- Milk
- Smoothie
- Pancakes
- French toast
- Waffles
- Oatmeal
Most of the time children tend to avoid eating breakfast, either they sleep in or they are in a rush to leave for school or something. Some kids don’t bother eating breakfast at all due to their body not getting adjusted in the morning. This is not good at all for their health. Their body tries to gain more calories rather than giving the strength to the muscles and bones as they should develop in their age. For those parents who don’t know how to deal with the breakfast problem of the children leaving in rush just;
- Hand them a fresh piece of fruit as they are leaving
- Yoghurt box
- Or pack the breakfast in aluminum foil so they can eat it during the ride.
Why shouldn’t your child skip breakfast?
Children who avoid breakfast goes through the following problems;
- Slow development of learning skills.
- Iron deficient.
- Calorie problem
- Weight gain
- High body mass index
- Poor outcome in physical activities.
- Stomach problems.
- Sleeping problems.
Healthy lunchbox ideas
Healthy lunch is important for the children as they exert too much energy during their physical activities and learning new things every day. Some of the healthy lunch ideas include;
- Use of protein rich food items.
- Dairy and carbohydrate foods adds up to the strengthening of bones and muscles in children.
The items that parents give their children in their lunchbox mostly includes;
- Fruit cut in small pieces.
- Crunchy vegetable like fries.
- Bread items like Sandwiches.
- Boiled eggs.
- Jam with bread.
- Fruit cake or muffins.
Lunchbox should not contain heavy calorie food items or those items that take time to consume. It should be something that is simple and ready to go in case parents don’t find enough time to manage breakfast and lunchbox side by side. Some of the food items can be prepared beforehand for lunch and can be used the very next day without it getting rotten. Some of the food items include;
- Bread items – sandwich.
- Peanut butter or jam spread over the bread.
- Mashed potatoes.
- Mashed eggs.
Healthy daytime snacks for kids
The exact timing for food is not what kids follow. They grow hungry over time and small amount of snack before dinner or after lunch would not damage their health. Kids often get to eat packaged snacks before dinner or any other time they think suits best for their hunger problem. The packaged snacks are not good for their health at all and may cause adverse effects in mild situations.
Instead of giving some highly processed food items during the snack time, just give some nutrient rich food to the child. Some of the healthy snack ideas include;
Yoghurt
- It is one of the calcium rich food item. It is derived from the milk products therefore it is beneficial to the children in the growing stage. The calcium amount in yoghurt benefits the bones of the child.
- It is also good for the digestive system of the children.
Oatmeal
- It is a carbohydrate rich food item which is also healthy for kids.
- Oats have positive impact on the digestive tract improvement.
- It can either be eaten with milk or water depends upon the taste of the child.
Smoothie
- A smoothie is rich with different nutrients depending upon the fruit used.
- Use fresh fruits to make smoothie for your child rather than giving them packaged fruit juice which is not healthy at all.
- The smoothie of fruits can fill their tummy before dinner time or lunch time as per the amount.
Popcorns
- It is one of the most loved food item by the children and not only children but adults also.
- There are equipment available that can make popcorn at home therefore parents don’t have to buy from outside if they don’t want too.
Hard boiled eggs
- Eggs are such an item that can be used in breakfast, lunch or as a snack due to it being protein rich.
- Eggs are important in proper brain development which helps the children to utilize their cognitive skills more and more for different reasons.
- Hard boiled eggs are the most preferred snack and most favorite one too.
Fruits
- Fruits are natural option for snack items.
- They are enrich in nutrients.
- The fresh juice in fruits help overcome dehydration problem in children if they ever face it.
- It is more convenient to eat as it does not require time for preparation or anything.
- Fruits are more of the to-go snacks that can be eaten while moving around.
Kid friendly dinner ideas
It is hard to prepare a meal that you children eats without fussing or throwing temper tantrums about disliking the food. There are some of the dinner ideas that work for both the children and adults;
- Preparing homemade pizza – the toppings of the pizza can vary depending upon the likeness or nutrient requirement. Parents can use vegetables to finish the topping, cheese, meat chopped in small pieces and other items according to the taste.
- Pasta – is another ingredient that is rich with carbohydrate. It is easy, simple and fast to prepare for dinner. The addition of some chopped vegetables may add up to the flavor.
- Chicken nuggets – it is gluten free recipe that won’t affect the children adversely. Although it is a fried item which should not be taken in an excess amount therefore chicken nugget should not be prepared on daily basis.
- Soup – it is mostly preferred during the winter season. Soup is loved by not only the children of the family but adults too. Chicken corn soup, vegetable soup or any other soup can be prepared for dinner, given the benefits of the items.
- Baked chicken with vegetables – the chicken item is the main ingredient in this dinner idea while the vegetables are chopped in small pieces that also serves the point of delivering nutrients to the child’s body.
Fun facts about the healthy foods
- Minerals – establishes healthy skin, strong bones and teeth.
- Fiber – helps in better digestion. It is mostly found in fruits, cereals and vegetables.
- Vitamins – are the major nutrient to fight against diseases.
- Protein – is found commonly in poultry products such as eggs, also in fish, meat and beans. The main function of protein is to help in the development of muscles and also repair any damages done within the body.
Benefits of Healthy Food
Healthy food items have more benefit on the children’s body. Some of them are mentioned here;
- Development of strong bones.
- Body mass index according to the age limit.
- Muscle strengthening.
- Healthy brain development.
- Normal increase in height.
- Strong immune system.
- Healthy heart development.
- Reduced mood swings.
- Enhanced cognitive ability.
- Reduced calorie in body.
- Sugar level management.
Final words
Healthy nutrition is really important for the body needs to be fulfilled. The children are at the stage where their body is growing and their physical activities have more part in their life therefore they need more of the healthy nutrients to enhance the strengthening of bones and muscles. Fast foods are cooked in greasy and spoiled oil most of the time therefore try not to encourage the child to get it. Eating healthy can help boost up the child’s energy, prevent mood swings and improves the immune system beside other factors.