Fruit juicing is a great option for children to get their nutritional needs met while providing a form of hydration. Since not all juices are created equal, homemade versions with no added sugar and pulp included is best. Concentrating on main meals will provide your child with the bulk of nutrients, but the food in between, especially beverages, matter too.² Hydration is what will help your child’s body run efficiently and feel strong. Do not forget about milk either as it is one of the key drinks for strong bones.⁵ But if milk alone is not enough, Pediasure, a child nutritional supplement, can provide additional support.⁶

Always Choose Water First

Water is not only essential in quenching your child’s thirst, but is also vital for the functions of every cell in their body. Coming in at 0 calories per serving, it is what will help transport nutrients where they are needed. On average, a child who gets 4 to 8 cups of water a day, depending & physical activity, has a more stable mood, can concentrate better, and has improved memory retention. To promote consumption of water, infuse with natural fruits, make ice cubes with fruit pieces, have natural fruit juice popsicles, or fruits high in water content. Examples of such fruits are watermelons, pineapples, and cucumbers.¹

Natural Fruit Juices Hold More Nutrients

Though store bought packaged fruit juices contain some fortified vitamins and minerals, they are ladened with sugar and little to no healthy fibers homemade juice has. Juicing is a good way to get your child to eat their daily fruit serving, so as long as you include the pulp. And juicing is not just limited to fruits, but you can also include some vegetables like cucumbers and carrots.² A juice containing apples, pears, oranges to mask the flavor of healthy leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, your child can get vitamin A & C (to support immune function), vitamin K1 (to support bone health), and vitamin B6 to help the conversion of food into energy.³

Milk and Alternatives          

Cow’s milk is a good source of vitamin D, Calcium, and Protein, all important for supporting muscle health and bone strength to catch up on growth for children. It is recommended that a child who can drink cow’s milk, should at least have 2 servings (250 ml per serving) along with other nutrients from food to fulfill daily needs.^{4, 5}

Equally, plant-based milks from soy, almonds, can provide similar vitamins and minerals, but often those products are not favored by children for taste. For this, parents may have to find child nutrition supplements to make up for what is missing from not drinking milk. For example, PediaSure child nutrition supplement has been formulated with 37 vital nutrients, arginine and vitamin K2 to provide extra support for growth where it is needed. ^^ Coming in a child approved taste, Pediasure powder format is adaptable into shakes and can even be made into popsicles to provide your child with a fun way to get daily required vitamins and minerals.

Want to get a sample? Please visit Pediasure Myanmar today to sign up.⁶

As a parent, you find yourself holding back frustrations more and more against your child’s picky eating habits. Your frustrations are valid, but so are your child’s taste preferences because they are still developing. If you are worried about them not getting all the important nutrients because of their pickiness, there are plenty of swaps so they do not miss out on nourishment. Nourishment is the slice of life and through food manipulation, creative swaps and a little help from nutritional supplements (eg. Pediasure) in the meantime, help put your child’s diet on track so that they grow up happy.^{1, 7}

Veggie Dislikes: Tomatoes, cucumbers, green capsicum, cabbage

Alternatives: Usually children have an aversion to these classic items due to their texture and the strong ‘green’ smell. They have plenty of water, rich in antioxidant vitamin C, bone strength supporting vitamin K, eye health & immunity supporting vitamin A. To not miss out on these important nutrients, swap with a variety of colorful sweet potatoes, sweet oranges, strawberries, watermelons, or pumpkins or their seeds.^{1, 4}

Meat Dislikes: Most fish and boiled eggs

Alternatives: Aside from any allergies, fish and eggs are disliked due to their, for lack of better description, fishy and sulfur like smell. To get cell preserving selenium, brain & eye development supporting fatty acids, and all-important protein for muscles, swap with free range chicken, Brazil nuts, any cheese, and nut oils or butters.^{1, 4}

Grain Dislikes: Oates, corn, brown rice

Alternatives: Children do not like these fibrous and healthy carbohydrates rich foods because of their hard and flavorless taste on their own. Fiber is important for satiation and bulking stool to help with bowls. It is also important for feeding the good bacteria in the gut to fight off the bad ones to support your child’s immune system. To make up for it, swap fruit purees, fruit juices with pulp, homemade jams, natural sun-dried fruits, or fortified cereals or oatmeals.^{1, 2, 3}

Can supplements replace a few of the swaps?

The easiest way to get children used to the common dislikes is to start them early and feed them often. When shopping, learn to read labels because it is not that your child cannot have ‘junk food’, they can if you make it at home where you can control and swap with healthier ingredients. If you still need a little help filling in some nutritional gaps, supplements can help. Choose versatile supplements in powder or liquid form that contain the essential growth nutrients like vitamin C, K, A, selenium, high quality proteins, and prebiotic fibers. For example, Pediasure, recommended by experts nationwide,^{5, 6} contains the right proportion of 37 key nutrients, including the ones mentioned, to promote the development of strong bones and build muscle tissue. Speak with a registered pediatrician to see if PediaSure is right for your child.⁷

Request a Free Sample Today!

References:

1. https://pediasurearabia.com/ae/en/healthy-eating-tips/want-to-win-over-a-child/yuck-o-meter
2. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Kids-Need-Fiber-Heres-Why-and-How.aspx
3. https://fitbottomedgirls.com/2011/08/mission-get-the-kids-to-like-whole-grains/
4. https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/top-15-foods-kids-hate-eat-and-how-make-them-change-their-minds-slideshow
5. Alarcon P et al. Pediatr.2003; 42: 209-217
6. Huynh DTT. et al. J Hum Diet: doi 10-1111/jhn. 12306
7. https://pediasuremyanmar.com/formulation-support/

One line of defense in a child’s body against illnesses is the gut. Within the gut, there are good live bacteria called probiotics that help with digestion and fight off the bad bacteria. A child is naturally equipped with a mix of probiotics and prebiotics (fibers that are food for the probiotics) and the nutrition they receive affects how this microbiome develops and boosts immunity health. There are many types of probiotics and they each have a positive purpose. For complete and balanced nutritional benefits, support your child’s with probiotic rich foods and nutritional supplements enriched with probiotic properties and prebiotic fibers (eg. Pediasure) when need be.^{1, 2, 6}

Why are Probiotics important?

The combined system of prebiotics and probiotics is called synbiotics.^{1, 2} The right mix of the two can ensure that the probiotics survive and thrive to take care of a child’s health through the gut. An unhealthy balance, when the bad bacteria outweigh the good probiotics, health problems like constipation, diarrhoea, inflamed allergies, and a hampered immune system. Probiotics boost the immune system by aiding in digestion and releasing immunity boosting vitamins (A, B6, C), minerals (selenium, zinc, iron) that are in food.^{4, 6} Meaning probiotics aid in production of the natural antibodies to fight off infections.

Best food sources

There are many varieties of probiotic rich foods, and through those is how your child should get the most. So as long as your child is eating plenty of fresh foods full of immune supporting vitamins, minerals and prebiotic fibers, the probiotics will thrive. Here are some of the best food sources of probiotic rich foods. Remember to take it slow when increasing serving size or introducing them to your child. Too much at a time may not give a child’s body to get used to it:

Vegetarian options: pickled vegetables, peas, kimchi, tempeh/miso, apple cider vinegar, brined olives, sourdough bread, fortified foods ^{4, 5}

Non vegan options: kefir, cheese, fresh yogurt or fortified yogurt ^{3, 4}

Supporting Prebiotic fiber food: asparagus, onions, wheat, oats, mango ³

Can parents provide formula or nutritional supplements for probiotics instead?

Children are children and have picky taste buds and food items, especially the probiotic rich kind, have strong flavors. The best probiotic food option for picky eaters is yogurt. The best kind of nutritional supplement is the kind that has both probiotic and prebiotic properties to provide the best support.^{3, 4} For when food alone is not enough, nutritional supplements like PediaSure® come in handy. Each of Pediasure’s scientifically formulated range of products are packed full of the key immunity supporting vitamins and minerals (A, B6, C, selenium, zinc, iron), probiotic properties and prebiotic fibers, a total of 37 essential nutrients, to support gut health and immunity boosting. Find out which one works for your child by consulting a pediatrician or visit Pediasure Myanmar for more information and samples.^{6, 7}

Request a Free Sample Today!

References:

1. https://www.nutriciaresearch.com/immunology/supporting-the-immune-system-through-nutrition/
2. https://nutricia.com.au/aptamil/parents-corner/first-weeks/synbiotics-and-child-gut-health/
3. https://mamaknowsnutrition.com/probiotic-foods-for-kids/#probiotics-probiotic-foods
4. https://www.laurafuentes.com/probiotic-foods/
5. https://weelicious.com/probiotic-foods-for-kids/
6. https://abbottfamily.com.sg/products/page/pediasure
7. https://pediasuremyanmar.com/