It is not hard to choose healthy food for your school-age kids. Just offer a range of foods from the five food groups to your kids and it will add the best nutrition for your kid’s development, growth, and learning.
Please read this article also if you want to know which are the super healthy foods.
50 Foods That Are Super Healthy
What is healthy food for school-age kids?
There is a wide variety of fresh foods for school-age kids from five food groups.
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Pasta, grain foods – bread, rice, corn, breakfast cereals and so on
- Reduced-fat dairy – cheese, yogurt, cheese and so on
- Protein – tofu, nuts, chickpeas, lentils, beans, eggs, chicken, fish, meat and so on
Healthy Food Group
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and veggies give your kids water, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and energy. They help to protect your kid’s body against diseases.
Caution: If your kid seems to be hard to please about eating fruits and vegetables, it does not mean he will not eat it all their life. They will more likely to try them too if your kids see you eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
Grain foods
Grain foods include corn, pasta, rice, bread, and breakfast cereals, and so on. These foods give your kids the energy to learn to develop and learn. Grain foods like bread and wholegrain pasta will give your kids long-lasting energy and keep them fuller for longer. Grain foods are very good for the health of school-age kids.
Reduced-fat dairy: food for school-age kids
Yogurt, milk, and cheese are high in calcium and protein. These elements help to build strong teeth and bones. Offer your kids different kinds of dairy each day like cheese slices, bowls of yogurt, and drinks of milk.
Kids aged over two years can have dairy products unless dietitian or doctor tells you otherwise.
Proteins: food for school-age kids
Proteins are very important for your school-age kid’s muscle development and growth. Foods like meat, fish, chicken eggs, beans, tofu, chickpeas, nuts, and lentils have a lot of proteins inside. These foods contain also other useful minerals and vitamins like omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.
Omega-3 fatty acids and iron from oily fish and meat are important for your kid’s learning and brain development.
Healthy drinks: food for school-age kids
Milk and water are the healthiest drinks for kids over one year. If your kids will drink water most of the time in a day, they will be hydrated. Milk contains vitamin D and calcium, and it is a very good choice for your kids.
Foods and drinks, your kids should avoid
Your kids should avoid discretionary foods like hot chips, dim Sims, potato chips, pies, burgers, and pizzas. These are unhealthy food for your school-age kids.
These foods contain a high quantity of salt, saturated sugar, and fats. These foods are very low in fiber also. Almost all these foods contain high fats which can increase the risk of childhood obesity and conditions like type-2 diabetes.
Your kids should avoid the drinks which contain high sugar like cordials, sports drinks, fruit juices in packing, and flavored milk. Kids can cause weight gain and tooth decay with these drinks too. Kids will feel full after drinking these drinks and they will not feel hungry for healthy meals. It can be a healthy lifelong habit if they will be used to these drinks.
Caffeine is a very big threat to the health of kids. Caffeine causes you to stop absorbing calcium from your kid’s body. These drinks and foods include chocolate, coffee, and energy drinks.
*This post is sponsored by kidsrush.com.
Give your kids healthy foods which are good for their health. Better consult a child specialist doctor for this.
Read Also: 9 Health Benefits Of Avocado for women
