10 Superfoods for Growing Children

A nutritious and balanced diet is one of the most important things for a growing child. Children have high energy and nutrient needs that are different from that of adults. During the growing stage, the body needs specific vitamins and minerals for proper development.

Busy lifestyles make it difficult for many parents to find time to prepare healthy meals. But fast food and many ready-made meals do not provide the essential nutrients that children need and often have high fat and sugar content that contributes to the obesity problem among youth.

If you do not have time to cook, at least make sure your child is not eating unhealthy food and be sure to include some superfoods in their diet.

Superfoods are natural foods packed with many healthy properties, including nutrients and antioxidants. Plus, superfoods are easily digestible and will help keep your child’s body and mind healthy.

Here are the top 10 superfoods for growing children.

1. Milk

Milk is extremely good for children. Calcium and phosphorous, the two important minerals in milk, are necessary for development of healthy bones, teeth and nails. It is also fortified with vitamin D, another important nutrient for bone health.

Plus, milk contains a wide range of other nutrients essential for growth like protein, zinc and vitamins A, B2 (riboflavin) and B12. Milk also provides iodine, niacin and vitamin B6.

Give whole milk to children up to two years of age, and then give them skim milk. One to two glasses of milk daily is important for growing children. If your children do not like plain milk, add some nuts or make milk dishes like puddings and custards.

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