Get the right nutrients into your children's diet and watch their health and development soar and their behavioral problems diminish.IT'S NOT EASY feeding fast-growing kids in a fast-food world: The hot lunches at school often consist of hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and other processed foods, and if your homemade lunch isn't tasty enough, your children are more likely to mooch junk food from their friends. The biggest challenge is to fix meals your kids want to eat that also deliver all the vitamins and minerals they need.
"Magnesium, found in foods like pumpkin seeds, is a powerhouse nutrient and the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies. It helps keep bones strong, regulates blood sugar levels, helps nerves and muscles (including the heart) function properly, and promotes a healthy immune system," said Ashley Koff, R.D.
And lest you worry about being fussy or overprotective, consider this: More and more research suggests deficiencies in nutrition can lead to behavioral, developmental, and health problems--everything from allergies and asthma to ADHD. (Blood testing may reveal a severe nutrient deficiency, but your child can be missing out on nutrients without being clinically deficient.) And it's not just "superstar" nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and vitamins C and A that kids need. Even if you get your children to eat, say, fish, broccoli, and carrots (certainly an achievement), there's still a world of nutrients they may be missing
We consulted the experts, who all agreed that focusing on real foods is the way to go. "Any food found in nature is a superfood ... and all will provide a much better balance of nutrients than a processed, fortified 'food product' can," says Ashley Koff, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles, Calif. With her help and the help of others, we compiled this list of must-have vitamins and minerals and the kid-friendly foods that contain them.
