List Of Healthy Food For Kids

FOODS THAT BUILD IMMUNITY AGAINST COLD & FEVER

Many parents have questions about how to boost the immune system, especially when children get to the age where they’re coming into contact with more people – when they start at baby or toddler playgroups, daycare or nursery, for example.

While it’s inevitable that children will catch the occasional cold or bug, there are immune boosting foods that you can work into your child’s diet for extra protection and peace of mind. Here’s what to look for:

Many of the above foods are likely to already be part of your child’s diet, however, there may be some foods to boost the immune system that you might struggle to get them to eat. Things like oily fish, liver and some of the vegetables that have a strong taste (onions, for example). In that case you might consider supplementing your child’s diet with a Growing Up milk (for ages 1-3 years old) that’s fortified with some of the key immunity boosting nutrients.

10 FOODS THAT CAN BOOST YOUR CHILD’S BRAIN POWER

As well as foods that boost immunity, there are also foods that are good for that all-important early brain development. Different types of foods have different functions. For example, dark green leafy veg such as spinach and kale is packed with ‘brain vitamins’ and folate – which are good for brain development, while the skin of apples and plums contains quercetin which is beneficial to brain growth. Work as many of these different kinds of ‘brain food’ and ‘memory food’ into your child’s diet for great brain-boosting benefits!

10 FOODS TO AVOID FEEDING YOUR TODDLER

Learning which foods to avoid feeding your child is just as important as learning about healthy food for kids. This isn’t a list of 10 foods you should never eat – some foods have no place on the plate, while others should just be limited. Foods you should look out for include:

Sugar

Foods that contain sugar are not necessarily ‘bad foods’. Naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruits, vegetables and milk, are absolutely nothing to worry about – in fact, those foods are all important parts of any balanced diet. However, you should keep an eye out for sneaky added sugars, such as those added to sweets, cakes, cereals, spreads and biscuits. And never add sugar to your child’s food yourself (to breakfast cereals, for example).

Salt

The recommended maximum daily intake of salt for a child depends on their age:

• Babies under 12 months – less than 1g salt
• Toddlers 1-3 years – 2g salt
• Children 4-6 years – 3g salt

Never add salt to your child’s food and watch out for salty foods such as bacon, cheese, gravy/stock, convenience and ‘junk’ foods, and ham.

Processed foods

Home-cooked meals are ideal as you know exactly what’s going into them. Processed foods such as processed meat products, ready meals, cakes and biscuits can hide added sugar, salt and artificial additives, so take a look at the label before you add them to your supermarket basket.

High fibre foods

Fibre is an important part of any balanced diet, but high fibre foods can fill little tummies quickly, which can mean that your child isn’t eating enough of other foods to get a good balance of all the nutrients that they need.

High fat foods

Children do need fat in their diet, but it’s best to try to provide this in the form of healthy unsaturated fats found in avocados, olive oil, vegetable oils and oily fish, and a limited amount of natural saturated fats such as those in meat, full-fat cheese, milk and yogurt, butter and coconut oil. Trans fats are found in things like cakes, crisps and biscuits, margarines, frozen pizzas and fried fast foods, and should be kept to a minimum.

Artificial additives

It’s common for processed foods to contain artificial additives, such as colourings, flavourings, sweeteners and preservatives, that you’ll want to avoid when feeding your child. Watch out for things like processed meats, sweets, cakes and biscuits, juice drinks, sweets, cereals, yogurts, ice-creams and frozen convenience foods.

Undercooked foods

Undercooking some food can cause serious illnesses. For example, undercooked eggs and chicken carry a risk of salmonella. Always take extra care when cooking for children – a meat thermometer can be a useful kitchen tool.

Potential allergens

Some foods have the potential to trigger an allergic reaction, so be especially careful when introducing your child to them. Introduce the following foods under supervision, one by one, and don’t give them to children under six months old:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Wheat
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Fish & shellfish

Whole nuts

Whole nuts are a choking hazard so they shouldn’t be given to children under the age of 5. Choose ground nuts or nut butters instead.

Whole grapes (and other potential choking hazards)

Young children should never be left alone while eating, due to the risk of choking, but whole grapes are especially dangerous due to their size and shape. Slicing a grape length-ways can reduce this risk.

“Learning which foods to avoid feeding your child is just as important as learning which foods they should be eating”.

THE BEST FOODS FOR EACH STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

Of course, the best healthy food list for your child will depend on which stage of development they are at. This is because a child’s nutritional needs will vary as they grow. Take a look at our handy food pyramid to see examples of what your child should be eating, including foods to protect their heart, healthy foods to boost immunity and foods for good brain growth and development.

Babies 0 – 6 months:

• Breast milk, fortified formula milk when breastfeeding is not possible and breastmilk is not available.

Babies 6 – 12 months:

• Breast milk, fortified formula milk when breastfeeding is not possible and breastmilk is not available, a variety of fruits and vegetables, fortified baby cereal / rice.

Toddlers 1 – 3 years:

• A variety of fresh fruit and veg (especially onions, tomatoes, asparagus, chicory, garlic, artichokes, dark leafy veg, peppers, broccoli, sprouts, oranges, kiwis, apples, plums and berries), sweet potatoes, dried fruit, lean red meat, beans, ground nuts and seeds, nut butters, full fat milk, cheese and yogurt, fortified cereals, fortified Growing Up milk, whole grains, eggs, oily fish.

Giving your toddler the right nutrition can sound intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, you will only get better with time. Even with a varied diet, it can be tricky for your toddler to get the recommended amount of iron they need each day. That’s why we created Aptamil Junior 3 Growing Up Milk. As well as providing over half of your toddler’s recommended daily iron intake, it also contains our unique blend of Galacto- and Fructo-oligosaccharides prebiotics (GOS/FOS) which helps support your toddler from the inside. Given as part of a balanced diet, the prebiotics, iron and vitamin A, C and D in Aptamil Junior Growing Up Milk will ensure your toddler gets the nutrition they need.