NUTRIENT BOOSTING HACKS FOR KIDS!
Nov 15, 2022You might be glad to know that even Nutritionists aren’t exempt from dealing with the challenges of picky eaters and trust me, the stress of whether my toddler is getting enough nutrition cuts me deep every day.
What it has taught me, however, is to find ways to pack in as much nutrition in the limited number of meals and snacks they will actually eat.
Now I want to be clear that whilst sometimes ‘hiding’ things like veggies is a recommended way to get them in, exposing them to these foods regularly is the key! So yes, grate all that veg into their pasta sauce which they will demolish without knowing (unless your my son who won’t eat pasta sauce ;P), however make sure you regularly serve those same vegetables just as they are too. Furthermore, talk about them and engage them in the eating process of those foods. What colour is that pumpkin? Are those carrots crunchy or soft? Can you balance that pea in the palm of your hand and then roll it into your mouth? Instead of labeling foods good or bad or asking if things are yummy or not, descriptive eating and fun at the table will be far more beneficial for raising happy and confident eaters.
So here are my top tips for getting nutritious foods into your little ones;
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Chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp seeds: Add to their porridge, muesli, overnight oats, smoothies or baked snacks. These foods are not only packed with fibre but also contain protein and healthy omega-3 fats which are very important (especially if your little ones don’t eat fish). You can also roll slices of slippery fruit in these seeds which helps them to get a good grip while exposing them to what they look like.
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Nuts: Another fantastic source of protein and healthy fats. If they are not old enough to chew a whole nut then use a grater and grate them over purees or porridge etc. Add them into smoothies, chop them into homemade muesli or baked goods. Make or buy different nut butters and stir through yoghurt or drizzle on top of pancakes. You can also roast or toast the nuts for a different flavour too (my son loves roasted walnuts with a bit of maple and cinnamon or almonds drizzled with tamari).
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Kefir/ probiotic yogurt: These contain more probiotic benefits than yoghurt but with a very similar taste and texture. The pourable options can be enjoyed out of a cup or can be drizzled over food (cold/room temperature food only), mixed with nut butter or used to make overnight oats. The spoonable ones can used just as you would normal yoghurt.
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Eggs: A nutrition powerhouse for little bellies which of course can be served boiled, scrambled, fried or poached but if you want to sneak some extra in try adding an egg to their porridge, or use any left over food to bake into a slice (eg if my son doesn’t eat all of his porridge ill add an egg and bake into a slice or muffin), or do the same with leftover veggies/meat and make into a frittata.
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Veggies: It goes without saying we want our little ones eating their veggies but don’t be scared to add some flavour. A knob of butter on their greens, some extra virgin olive oil on their peas, some paprika or cinnamon on their sweet potato and dare I say it, a small pinch of salt over the lot!
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Oils and fats: Butter, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado etc are fabulous for making a meal more filling but also research shows that adding a fat like avocado to a salad can increase your ability to absorb nutrients from the other ingredients five fold!
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Legumes: An absolute hero food full of fibre. plant protein and polyphenols. Add lentils to pasta sauce, mix white beans into ricotta, add black beans to fritters or pancakes, kidney beans to brownies or muffins, chickpeas to curries or stir fries. Don’t forget to keep a few beans aside and serve just as is too! Pulse pasta is another great way to get kids eating legumes.
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Oily fish: like sardines and mackerel. If you choose to serve fish in your family you can’t go past these incredibly nutrient dense, yet cheap fish options. Blitzed into pasta sauce, mashed with avocado for a sandwich filler, chopped into frittatas, fritters or savoury muffins, mashed with white beans on a cracker, and also just served as plain fish fillets drizzled with lemon juice or a mild curry sauce.
Kitchen Tip - power packed icecream: I’m letting you in on a top secret in our household. If my toddler refuses dinner (and I’m not comfortable with how much he’s eaten for the day), we wait half an hour or so after dinner and then make him ‘ice-cream’. Which is a base of frozen banana and/or berries and then we add anything leftover he may not have eaten at dinner (be a bit daring, it’s easily hidden: for example cucumber, carrot, zucchini, greens, egg, pasta, noodles, beans etc), then some healthy fats and protein like chia/flax/hemp seeds or some nut butter. Blitz it up until it's soft serve consistency and present to the sweet little darlings. It’s not an every night thing but they get a full tummy, we have peace of mind of nutrients consumed and there’s less waste. Thank me later 😜.
Dont forget:
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Some children may try new foods many times before they accept it, and many more times before they decide they like it! Consistency is key.
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Try serving foods (especially veggies) in different ways to enhance their appeal. Steamed, roasted, raw, mashed, stacked into a tower, cut into fancy shapes etc.
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Getting kids involved in meal planning, shopping, and cooking family meals helps build their knowledge, curiosity, and familiarity with foods.
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Don’t yuck their yum! Not a fan or sardines yourself? Doesn’t mean they wont be! Let them discover their own likes and dislikes from being offered every variety of food possible.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you have tips or tricks for getting nutritious food into little ones please share in the comments section below and help out your fellow picky eater parents!
