Nutritional Needs for Children

(NaturalNews – Dr. David Jockers) The food we eat provides the raw materials for healthy cells in our body. Children need high quality nutrition to function and perform at their peak. Our society trains children to devalue the importance of high quality food choices. Raising healthy children takes determination and great meal planning on the part of the parents.

Most government provided school lunches are packed full of toxic genetically modified, highly processed foods that offer no real nutritional content other than calories. Micronutrients and antioxidants are never considered in designing these meal plans. Additionally, our society has bought into the idea that it is acceptable for children to eat junk food at parties and events.

To raise a healthy family in the 21st century, you must be different. 90 percent of what we are sold as healthy food for kids is not good. Whole grains and pasteurized dairy are used in abundance as healthy parts of a daily diet. Unfortunately, gluten containing grains and pasteurized dairy are inflammatory foods that are linked with digestive problems, allergies, concentration challenges and much more.

Breakfast

Ideal breakfast foods for children include low-glycemic foods that have good fats and clean proteins to keep stable blood sugar. Berries are a great addition as they are loaded with anti-oxidants and are low-glycemic so they help maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Berries are thin skinned and sprayed heavily with pesticide in conventional practices so it is important to get these organic.

Great fats for kids include coconut products, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil. Nuts and seeds are great but ideally, they should be raw, soaked and sprouted. The best seeds include hemp, flax, pumpkin, sesame, black sesame and sunflower. All nuts are great except for peanuts which often contain fungal toxins and are highly allergenic and inflammatory.

Great protein foods include 100 percent grass-fed beef products, 100 percent grass-fed raw cheese products, organic eggs, organic poultry, wild fish from clean waters and wild game from cleaner parts of the country.

The best way to begin the day is high-quality liquid nutrition. Making a shake with frozen, organic blueberries, cinnamon, organic almond or coconut milk, extra virgin coconut oil for more good fats and a non-denatured grass-fed whey protein is fantastic. One could also substitute organic, raw eggs or a sprouted hemp, pea and brown rice based protein.

Lunch

Lunch should consist of soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds. Granola, crackers and cookies can be made out of soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds and flavored with low-glycemic sweeteners like stevia and coconut nectar. At home, a stevia sweetened chocolate avocado mousse is a great treat that contains no sugar and lots of good fats and anti-oxidants.

Snacks

Great snack foods include raw veggies like carrots, celery, cucumbers, red cabbage and bell peppers. Almond butter, guacamole and hummus can be used for dips for these veggies. Also, raw nuts, coconut flakes, dried berries and cacao nibs can be combined to make a great anti-oxidant trail mix.

Dinner

Dinners should be designed around high quality animal protein and double veggies. This could be grass-fed beef, lamb, bison, organic chicken, turkey, duck, eggs, wild game, wild fish, etc. Steamed or sauteed veggies along with a baby spinach salad is great. Make a dressing with fresh squeezed lemon, dried herbs and extra virgin olive oil.

Starches that are okay to use include brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, yams and sprouted grain breads. Sweet potato fries can be made with sliced sweet potatoes grilled with coconut oil on a stainless steel pan. A mashed potato alternative can be made out of steamed cauliflower or sweet potato.

Sources for this article include:
http://www.healthychildren.org
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/033375_cognitive_function_foods.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/032275_ADHD_natural_remedies.html