Probiotics-The New Happy Meal
September 04, 2018
Kids can be picky eaters…really picky. Many battles between parents and children seem to be about food. While the intention is always to keep children healthy and well nourished, they don’t always see it that way. Kids will avoid certain foods at all costs. They may toss them out, hide them, or sneak them under the table for the family pet to eat. The key is to find a true happy meal.
Eat Your Vegetables!
It’s funny how full circle it all comes. When you’re a kid you may remember hearing a parent beg or plead to “eat your vegetables.” Then when those very same kids become parents, they do exactly the same thing to their own children.
Vitamins and minerals are important for growing kids. Calcium, vitamin D and potassium are high on the list of things a child needs to have. So are probiotics, those living microorganisms that change the bacterial balance in the human body. By boosting helpful bacteria, harmful bacteria may be destroyed and infection reduced. Probiotics may help infants and children with diarrhea, stomach and digestive issues and eczema.
Eat Your Probiotics!
The key is to get kids to eat healthy, probiotic friendly snacks without having to fight or yell, “Eat your probiotics!” If we can make it fun, that is even better. So what foods are best?
If you have adventurous kids, pickles (pickled in brine, not vinegar) and green olives might do the trick. The same goes for miso soup or kimchi. While those are not everyone’s taste, sometimes children will surprise you and enjoy sophisticated treats. If you want something that will be fairly easy for kids to enjoy, get them to move away from milk chocolate and towards dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa. This is a good source of probiotics and prebiotics.
Drink Your Probiotics!
Certain fruits contain indigestible fibers called prebiotics, which nourish and feed the good bacteria in our gut, helping to feed the probiotics in our body and help them thrive. Bananas, apples and kiwifruit are three fruits high in prebiotics. They are delicious on their own, but combining them to make a smoothie is a great way to keep the kids involved. They seem to be happier eating foods they help make.
Add yogurt that has live and active cultures into that smoothie for an even better probiotic-enriched treat. Just make sure you include probiotic supplements to your favorite smoothie recipe so you introduce healthy bacteria to your system, balance the gut ecosystem and boost your immunity. After all, cold and flu season will be here before you know it. Digest-Lac or Megadophilus are the perfect mix-in partners.
You can also serve yogurt in a bowl and let the kids swirl in their own fruit and Natren probiotics. This is one of the few times where “playing with your food” is okay. And freezing the mixture in a Popsicle mold makes an easy snack. Just know that freezing will kill a lot of the probiotics, so make sure you are supplementing.
Another healthy drink is kefir, a type of a probiotic milk drink, made from goat or cow milk and kefir grains. It contains a few of the major strains of friendly bacteria, and can often be enjoyed by those who are lactose intolerant, though it is always best to play it safe and enjoy it with Megadophilus. This will make sure the small intestine is supported, and help those who may have dairy issues and problems with lactose. It is also essential that you have real kefir. As of now, there is no agency regulating people and companies’ claims as to exactly what you are getting. You need to be smart, informed and on top of things.
As you can see, there are many choices out there to keep your children healthy and happily eating their probiotics. Making snacks fun goes a long way. You just need to make sure you stay away from fads and false promises. Be in the know and educate yourself and your family. Visit Natren for a choice of probiotic supplements for infants, children, adults and even pets. In other words, probiotics can be a true family affair. Probiotics – The New Happy Meal.
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