Super Foods List for Kids
Posted: Wednesday, August 22, 2007
by Kathleen Patalsky
Polished DC, LLC
Kids have an amazing variety of super foods that are ultra healthy! And not only do these foods help kids get and stay healthy, they taste great, are easy to find and are affordable!
Here’s a list of what I believe are the top kid friendly super foods out there:
Acai Juice: Companies like Samzabon, are packaging the juice of the Acai berry. Acai is very high in omegas, high in protein and fiber (for a juice) and rich in vitamins. It’s somewhat chocolaty taste makes for an excellent substitute for apple or grape juice.
Baby Carrots: OK, so you might think carrots are not very glamorous, but try setting a bowl of carrots and hummus dip in front of your child as an after-school snack and I promise they will catch on quickly. Baby carrots are sweet flavored and high in vitamin A. Nix the chips for carrots and you have done wonders.
Coconut Water: A beverage trend in the marketplace today is pure coconut water. Coconut water is an excellent replacement for those sugary sports drinks your kid’s love. Twelve ounces of coconut water contains as much potassium as a banana and fifteen times the amount of potassium in an average sports drink. Plus no sugar and no fat means you are adding only 60 calories of refreshment to your diet. Try it and you’ll be amazed. Zico brand has different flavors like orange peel and passion fruit.
Snackimals and Uncle Eddies: Ok we all love cookies, some of us prefer soft chewy flavors, and other like the sweet crispy crunch of a cookie bite. I have a healthy option for both tastes! If you like crispy cookies, try Snackimals brand cookies. Four flavors, all vegan and ridiculously healthier than your average trans fat containing grocery store brand. For soft cookie fans, try Uncle Eddies Vegan Cookies. Though the calorie content is still high, the nutritional value is leagues above traditional cookie brands.
Fizzy Lizzy: Soda Pop addicts, I’m talking to you. Kids are synonymous with carrying around those 20 ounce bottles of high sugar, artificially flavored sodapop. But now there is an effervescent option! Fizzy Lizzy is just one brand that has reclaimed the carbonated beverage industry. If it’s bubbles you crave try this option with no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners, and you will be back on track and still satisfied. New lighter in calorie options from Fizzy Lizzy are even available.
Kashi Mighty Bites Cereal: We’ve all dove into a big bowl of sweet cereal at some point in our lives, and its true that there’s nothing better….until now! Take a stroll with your kids down the health food cereal aisle and let them check out box covers galore. There are several kid themed cereal options with a hidden healthy ingredient list. Kashi’s Mighty Bites Cereal is just one great option.
Farmers Market Produce: It’s fun, it’s yummy and it’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning with your kids. Turn off the cartoons and take a stroll through a local farmers or green market. Taste different foods and let your kids pick out their our produce. Give them a budget of ten to twenty dollars to buy whatever healthy foods they’d like. I guarantee they will use up the entire budget and love every minute of it. Afterwards, let them peruse The Lunchbox Bunch website and discuss all the different types of produce they saw.
Jamba Juice: Fast food just got healthy. It’s simple, skip the burger joint and get a smoothie. You can even get a few sideline healthy treats like Pirates Booty and Luna Bars at most Jamba Juice joints. Try an all fruit smoothie, or ask to substitute the sherbet and frozen yogurt for fruit.
Vitamuffins: Another cool innovation for this generation. Inside every yummy plump muffin are 100% RDA of many vitamins and minerals. It’s like a vitamin supplement only tastier! Vitamuffins are also very high in fiber and come in a few different flavors like blueberry and chocolate chip. Yum. Not vegan, however.
Written by: Kathleen Patalsky, B.S. Kathy received her B.S in Health Promotion from American University in Washington DC, and is the creator of The Lunchbox Bunch as well as The Coconut Water Diet. To contact her please visit her websites at http://www.lunchboxbunch.com or http://www.coconutwaterdiet.com or email Kathy@lunchboxbunch.com
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