The old Nutritionist in me wants to talk about food and health. I studied nutrition and PT a long time ago but the lessons learned have stayed important to how I live everyday.
My son was an especially fussy baby (being neurodivergent) I'll do future posts on how to help fussy kids eat! Here we'll focus on three nutrients that MUST be eaten for children to develop properly. First: what is an essential nutrient?
Essential vs Non essential
Your body can actually make plenty of nutrients on its own. These are called “non-essential” nutrients and it’s considered difficult to become deficient in these. There are also a bunch of other nutrients that your body cannot make so these are called “essential.” The only way to get them is through eating. Repeat: the ONLY way to get them is through eating.
Read on about these three important essential nutrients for growing bodies.
1) CALCIUM
Why its important
Kids need enough calcium to support the huge amounts of growth going on in their bones. Calcium is also important for healthy muscles! Interestingly, girls are usually more likely to be calcium deficient than boys.
Ideal Sources
Milk (unless you’re opting for chocolate milk – not recommended).
Tofu
Cheese. Soooo many different types of cheese don’t just opt for yellow! We love protein rich ricotta. Ricotta recipes below.
Chia Seeds
Almonds (for older kids with teeth)
Plan B Sources
Gotta have a plan B because sometimes your kids just won't eat the way you want or expect them too and that's normal.
Plant based alternatives to milk, cheese and yoghurt are becoming increasingly good buuuuut are pretty expensive and not ALL of them are actually a good enough source of calcium. To check if they are a good source, look at the label on the back and check for at least 100mg of calcium for 100g or 100mls. Always check the nutrient label on the back.
Tips
Vitamin D (activated in your body by sunlight) boosts calcium absorption.
How to introduce Ricotta
As a Dip: Whip a banana with 250 g ricotta for a yummy dip to use with apple slices!
As a Topping: Use ricotta and honey as a topping on pancakes!
Inside pastry: Filo triangles are is super easy. Make a filling with 250g ricotta, 1 diced cooked onion and 1 bunch spinach. Wrap in filo pastry (we prefer triangles) and bake at 180 for 10-15 mins.
2) IRON
Why its important
Iron carries oxygen around in your blood. Without enough, kids can feel constantly tired and weak. Importantly, it can also affect brain development.
For science nerds like me: the specific impact is to do with neurotransmitter systems (the chemicals that send messages to and from the brain) and myelination (the protective layers that form around certain types of brain cells which are important for enabling brain connectivity).
Ideal Sources
3yo eating Natto and rice by Emma-chan & Baby Leo
Beans esp chickpeas and natto (fermented soybean)
Herbs like coriander, dried basil, turmeric, ground cinnamon
Dried raisins, plums (prunes) or dried apricots. (No idea what makes a raisin, sultana and current different – all I know is they all come from grapes. I welcome a reader to find out and share this useless but fun tid-bit in the comments)
Spinach - lightly cooked is best as it makes more iron available to the body
Meat (esp beef, lamb, chicken)
Plan B Sources
Fortified cereals (the only reason this is Plan B is because rather than relying on fortified cereals for all our nutrition we want to aim to expand the range of foods our little ones eat).
Tips
Vitamin boosts iron absorption. Serve up some mandarin / orange slices with your iron. In case you are thinking “I can just give them orange juice” yes true but always keep juice to a minimum. Too much fruit without fibre (e.g. juice) will do damage to baby teeth but it also removes the opportunity to give them that extra bit of fibre so their body can make healthy poos.
Recipe Ideas
Bean salad (4 bean mix and a dressing made of chopped red onion, cumin, salt and pepper)
Turmeric Latte (makes 2): add to a saucepan 1 cup milk of choice, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp tsp maple syrup or honey, pinch cinnamon, and then heat up for about 3-5 mins while stirring. Make sure its not too hot before serving! Optional: 1 tbsp cacao powder or coconut oil.
3) Omega 3, 6 & 9 Fatty Acids
Why its important
Omega 3 is important for
Eye and brain development in infants.
Cell membrane formation
Hormone production especially in the blood and respiratory system
It’s also been linked to lowering: inflammation, asthma symptoms, depression, and ADHD symptoms
Omega 6 is important for:
- Healthy skin and hair
- It’s also been linked to lowering symptoms of eczema and ADHD
Omega 9 helps keep good cholesterol high and bad cholesterol down.
Ideal Sources
Avocado
Legumes: Soybeans, almonds, cashews, walnuts,
Fish: canned tuna, salmon, whiting, mackerel
Plan B Sources
Mix a little flaxseed oil into peanut butter or a smoothie
Fish fingers and nuggets
Tips
You know the drill to avoid fish high in mercury. There are usually shark (flake), ray, swordfish, barramundi, southern bluefin tuna, deep sea perch and marlin.
Recipes
Banana Chia seed pudding (adapted from My kids Lick the Bowl): mix ½ mashed banana with ½ cup coconut milk, 2 tbsp of chia seeds and ½ tsp cinnamon. Let it set in the fridge.
Salmon nuggs: roll cubed salmon fillet in some mayo and then roll in almond meal until covered. Whack into an airfryer or bake in the oven for 10mins at 180 degrees, turn over then bake for another 5min.
Conclusion
Of course there's more essential nutrients kids need so how do you make sure they eat them all?
A simple trick to go rainbow: focus on variety. Eat from each food group and color. By introducing new foods often you’re well on your way to optimum health AND they get a chance to surprise you with what they like.
More Resources we Love
Nutrition for Kids.com https://www.nutritionforkids.com.au/recipe
Mykidslickthebowl.com (Mum of four with a background of Nutrition and Dietetics https://mykidslickthebowl.com/banana-chia-pudding/
Data and information sourced from: National Institute of Health Website