14 Healthy Foods That Are Important For Growing Children

Feeding healthy food to kids can be quite a task, especially when junk food items are so appealing. But you can keep your kids happy with healthy meals, and also get them to eat to meet their nutritional needs. 

Lack of proper nutrition can weaken the immune system of your kids. Thus, it is crucial to give kids nutritious food for a stronger immune system.

List of healthy and nutritious foods for kids

1. Milk

A glass of milk is rich in vitamin D, and calcium, all of which are essential for the healthy growth of your child. Ensure she/he gets no less than two glasses of milk daily, to make specific the expected calcium and vitamin-D admission. 

You can make the glass of milk interesting by adding almonds and saffron for flavor, goodness, and anti-infection agents. 

2. Peanut butter

Peanut butter on bread is one of the yummiest food for kids. It is rich in monounsaturated fats. Packed with energy and protein it’s tasty and healthy food for children.

But some brands contain added salt, sugar, palm oil, and vegetable oils, which diminishes the nutritional goodness of peanut butter. Pick a peanut butter that has less than 1 gm sugar, and is made with minimal ingredients that include possibly just peanuts and some salt.

Better still, make it at home and add it to their snack box!

3. Eggs

Eggs are rich in protein, calcium, vitamins, and zinc. One of the most essential nutrients that boost the child’s brain development.

You can serve them in different forms to your children; by either boiling, frying, or making omelett. Add eggs to soups, gravies, rice, and noodles, or make desserts like custard.

4. Berries

Berries like strawberries and blueberries consist of vitamin C and antioxidants. They aid in the protection of healthy cells preventing them from damage and also boost the immune system.
You can serve berries to kids with yogurt, cereals and pancakes. 

5. Soy

If your child is lactose intolerant and can’t have dairy milk, fret not as you can feed them with soy milk. Soy milk offers the goodness of Vitamin D, calcium and protein. Soy consists of plant based protein and boosts muscle growth in growing kids. In fact, you can also feed them delicious recipes of soybeans and soy products. 

6. Yogurt

You can include yogurt or curd as part of your kid’s lunch or breakfast. The biotics present in the curd keep your kid’s gut healthy, and promote digestion. It also contains vitamin D and calcium in abundance which is great to strengthen bone health.

7. Whole grain foods

Whole grain foods are the best food for children’s growth to add to their diet. The fiber present in foods like whole grain biscuits, whole grain bread and brown rice help to maintain digestive health, and prevent constipation. Ensure that your child eats them regularly.

8. Fish

For the non-vegetarians, fish is packed with protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. These can be found in fishes like sardines, tuna and salmon which help build healthy muscles and bones. They also help to boost the eye, brain and nerve development. Kids love fish and chips!

9. Water

While you feed everything, do not forget to track your kid’s water intake. Growing kids need approximately between 1.3 to 1.5 liters of water daily. It is very important for your children to keep themselves hydrated.

10. Cheese

There are several varieties of cheese available, like mozzarella, feta, gouda and cheddar. They are rich in protein, calcium and vitamin D which help to promote healthy bone growth.

You can serve them in slices with bread or grate the cubes over rice and pasta.

11. Colourful vegetables

When picking kid-friendly healthy meals for picky eaters, veggies can’t be missed. Many kids find vegetables boring and it might be difficult to get them to eat. You can mix carrots, pumpkins, spinach and tomatoes and make the bowl look colorful to make it look appealing.

Serve them with cheese sauce or salsa dip. Spinach is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and iron, which strengthen your kid’s immune system. These veggies also improve the skin and repair tissues of the child’s body.

14. Nuts

When it comes to giving your kids healthy meals, nuts like chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and cashews. Nuts contain healthy fats that help to produce energy in the body, promote bone health. Moreover, they also contain protein which young children need for maintaining a healthy metabolism. 

Most children are fussy eaters and might not like everything healthy. So now that you have a healthy food list for kids to choose from for your little ones, go ahead and feed them healthy food.