No-one will understand being sneaky like a mom trying to get a sniff of broccoli past her picky eaters. Sometimes, we just don’t feel like we have the energy to fight against the irresistible allure of a packet of chips for dinner. I mean, they’re eating something, right? Well, no. While they might survive on junk food, their bodies need proper nutrition to thrive. This prevents diseases and disorders in the short and long terms and helps them to form strong immune systems and metabolisms.
It’s also important to get them used to the flavours of healthful foods so that they learn to enjoy them over time.
Nutrients Children Need to Get Every Day
For a child to grow up healthy and strong, he or she needs to get a fair amount of the following every day:
Fats
There are wonderfully healthy fats available from full-cream milk, coconut oil, avocados, oily fish, meat and nuts.
Proteins
Excellent and accessible sources of protein for children include meat, poultry, eggs, full-cream dairy and nuts.
Carbohydrates
Good carbohydrates for little ones include fruit, beans, peas, brown rice, and whole-grain breads and pastas.
Folate
This is essential for the healthy development of children’s cells. Great sources of folate include spinach, chickpeas, lentils, and whole-grain cereals.
Calcium
Include dairy, egg yolks, spinach and broccoli for healthy bones and teeth, heart function and blood clotting.
Fibre
Add nuts, seeds, lentils, chickpeas and whole-grain cereals for fibre, which is essential to gut health. This is connected to emotional wellbeing, so it is very important.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps children to grow, have healthy skin and eyes, and fight diseases. It can be found in carrots, apricots, cabbage, sweet potatoes, fish oil and egg yolks.
Vitamin C
This boosts their immune systems, helps to fight diseases, builds strong bones and teeth, and strengthens the walls of their blood vessels. Add citrus fruits, tomatoes, melons, cabbage, spinach, mangoes, and strawberries to their diet for an excellent vitamin C boost.
Iron
Iron contributes to healthy blood and can be found in beans, nuts, liver, shellfish, poultry and red meat.
How to Sneak Healthy Things into Their Favourite Dishes
There are some easy ways to sneak nutritious ingredients into your picky eaters’ favourite dishes. This helps them to get the nutrients in, but also starts preparing their palates for those foods without them even knowing they’re enjoying them. Here are some ideas:
- Mush cooked cauliflower into a creamy cheese sauce or add it mashed potatoes. A good portion of cooked cauliflower has around 75% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C.
- Finely grate carrots and add them to mince for meatballs or burgers.
- Make a fruit smoothie, a bowl of porridge, or a peanut butter and banana milkshake with full-cream milk and a sprinkling of Moringa powder. This boosts the immune system and has loads of antioxidants and other minerals and amino acids.
- Chop broccoli into very small (unrecognisable) pieces and sprinkle it in an omelette with plenty of cheese and bacon (or other ingredients that your child enjoys).
- If your little one likes stew, add cooked, mashed pumpkin or sweet potato. They are practically impossible to detect but add texture and nutrients.
- Nordens Ultimate Infant to Adult is packed with bioavailable minerals and trace elements, keeping our bodies in tip-top shape. Sprinkle it in smoothies or yoghurt for a healthy bomb.
- Add flavourless coconut oil to just about everything that your child will eat. Cook with it, or drizzle it over scrambled eggs, pizzas, sausages, etc.
- Blitz lentils or chickpeas and add them to stews, soups or casseroles to be undetectable to picky eaters, but delicious too.
- Patties are a great way to include healthful ingredients, with the help of some tomato sauce or mayonnaise. Fish cakes made with oily fish, veggie fritters or even meatballs with a bit of liver mixed in are excellent options.
- Organamin is a supplement with plenty of great minerals and nutrients, and is easy to disguise in yoghurt, juice, even a little ice-cream, if absolutely necessary!
These are just some ideas. Get creative with different ingredients, using those that best work with your cooking, taste and family.
Get Sneaky with Nordens
We have a range of supplements that are excellent for growing bodies and developing minds, without a very discernible taste. Contact us on info@nordens.co.za or +27 82 446 5604 to find out more, or order via our website.