15 Superfoods for kids that should make it to the top of your grocery list

Add these to your kid's daily meals to boost immunity, improve digestion, and to elevate their overall health and welllness!

15 Superfoods for kids that should make it to the top of your grocery list

It’s no easy feat to get kids to love food that’s good for them. But, parents shouldn’t feel pressured to master complicated recipes just to turn their kids into health buffs. All you need to know are the best ingredients to use!

Dietitian Rachel Beller, founder of the Beller Nutritional Institute in Beverly Hills, CA is a mom of four and an expert in eating for disease prevention who believes these are the best superfoods for kids and toddler.

Add these to your kids' meals ASAP!

Tomatoes

The lycopene in tomatoes protects against many types of cancer. What’s great about tomatoes is it’s made even healthier once cooked. Aside from pizza and pasta, tomato sauce would be a perfect addition to meatloaf or turkey balls.

Oatmeal

Studies have found that oatmeal improves kid’s ability to concentrate. It’s also fiber-rich and digested slowly, ensuring kid’s have a constant supply of energy.

Fruit

All fruits have essential vitamins and minerals that are good for you as well as fiber which keeps kids bowel movements regular.

Keep things fun by alternating various fruits such as berries, melons, kiwi, and oranges.

Nuts

Granted your kids aren’t allergic, nuts can give them good doses of healthy fats that are essential to heart health.

Blueberries

The anti-oxidants in blueberries make it one of the healthiest fruits around.

Research suggests that it can also protect against heart disease and diabetes, while also improving brain function and reducing obesity.

Add them to granola and milk for a hearty breakfast kids will love!

Low-Fat Greek Yogurt

Yogurt contains good bacteria which boost immunity and promote digestion. Low-fat yogurt has more protein and less sugar than regular yogurt. If your kid (over the age of one) finds it too sour for their taste, drizzle a bit of honey or maple syrup.

Cabbage

With its mild flavor and crunch, kids are most likely to enjoy this superfood than other greens. Cabbage, like broccoli and kale, contains phytonutrients which improve digestion and lower the risk of cancer. It also acts as a detox food, flushing out harmful toxins from the body.

To add this to your kid’s meals, try using it to make coleslaw with low-fat mayo; you can also shred it and add to Asian noodles or soups.

Black Beans

"Beans are a great source of protein, as well as fiber and calcium—two things kids tend not to get enough of. The darker the color, the better they are," says Beller. "They also help guard against heart disease and high cholesterol, which aren't adults-only problems. I have a nine-year-old patient with very high cholesterol."

Black beans would make perfect toppings for nachos or quesadillas. They’d also make great black-bean burgers!

Salmon

Salmon, as we all know, is packed with Omega-3s which boost brain development; it also has anti-inflammatory and anti-depressant properties.

Make sure to choose the wild kind of salmon because it’s lower in mercury. How to get your kids to eat it? Serve it as salmon cakes or burgers.

Cocoa

More than being great for hot chocolate, cocoa powder is high in flavonoids, which improve heart health, blood pressure, and oral health. (The best kind would be at least 70 percent cocoa and not alkali processed.)

Sprinkle it onto pancakes or waffles as an alternative to simply serving it as hot chocolate.

Milk

Dairy products provide calcium and protein, nutrients essential to building brain tissue as well as strengthening kids' bones and teeth.

Eggs

They’re not only packed with protein but they’re rich in vitamin D, which enhances calcium absorption.

Having lots of protein for breakfast spares kids from constant hunger pangs until lunch time.

Tofu

Basil

This antioxidant-rich herb is also packed with potassium, fiber, iron, and calcium.

According to Beller, it may even ease headaches. Get this superfood into your kid’s diet by using it to make pesto for pasta or grind them up and hide them in foods that they love, like burgers or meatballs.

Cinnamon

This spice has been known to regulate blood sugar, which means it can also lessen kid’s mid-morning energy crashes, says Beller.

Sprinkle it on your kid’s pancakes, oatmeal, or cereal. You can also use cinnamon to make muffins! "My kids also love it on air-popped popcorn," shares Beller.

For a superfood combo, combine it with cocoa in a shaker and sprinkle away!

all photos from Pixabay

READ: 15 Easy back-to-school lunches your kids will enjoy

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Written by

Bianchi Mendoza

Englishsuper foods