As a registered dietitian and a first-time mom myself, I can say that even when you know exactly what you should be doing and are doing all the right things, your child is more than likely to go through a picky period.
It will drive you crazy, make you feel like a failure, and even sometimes question your sanity. You are certainly not alone, mama. Getting your children to eat a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most infuriating, confusing, and wildly difficult things you can try to do as a parent (in my humble opinion at least).
Struggling to navigate feeding my picky 2-year-old has led to me considering a daily multivitamin supplement and shake. After researching many of the top brands out there, I discovered many products that contain ingredients I would never give to my children. But, there is a brand I have know for years that is well-known for their single ingredient proteins. I learned they recently created a kids line, Naked Nutrition’s Kid’s Daily Essentials, which completely changed the game for me.
Common Issues Facing Children’s Nutrition Today
The challenges facing children’s nutrition today are not the same as they were 20, 30, and even 50-plus years ago. With the rise of highly processed food items, our little ones are at a higher risk of developing health conditions as a direct result of their diet.
Highly processed packaged snack foods are high in added sugars, salt, and fat which means they are calorically dense but often nutritionally poor. This can increase the prevalence of overweight and obesity which can lead to several other health conditions.
Because these foods are also nutritionally poor, a diet high in these types of food products also leaves room for nutrition deficiencies that can negatively impact the growth and development of our little ones.
To add even more to the challenges facing parents nowadays, a fast-paced lifestyle is often required to maintain a financially stable household but this leaves little room to spend time cooking and preparing healthy, balanced meals. When we are constantly on the go we are more likely to lean on these processed items to keep our kids fed and happy.
What we feed our children when they are little will impact the rest of their lives. While it’s essential to set a good example and model the healthy eating habits we want our kids to adopt, picky stages are inevitable and sometimes as parents, we have to lean on easy options.
Why Kids Need to Get Enough Protein, Vitamins, and Minerals for Optimal Growth and Development
Our children, like adults, require a variety of nutrients to support their health and well-being. However, this is exceedingly important for children because they require more for adequate growth and development.
But if you have a little one you know that sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may end the day with them having only consumed a pound of strawberries and some goldfish crackers. Not the most balanced diet but we can’t force them to eat either.
Aside from vegetables, protein tends to be one of the most challenging nutrients to get into our little one’s bellies. Protein is essential in several growth and developmental processes but as parents, it’s easy to focus on what we can get our kids to eat versus what they need to be eating.
The recommended protein intake for our little ones will vary based on their age, with the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) as follows:
1-3 years – 13 grams per day
4-8 years – 19 grams per day
9-13 years – 34 grams per day
I think it’s important to note that the RDA is the recommended amount of protein for our little ones to get each day to avoid a deficiency and if you have a very active child, they will likely benefit from higher amounts of protein to support their extra movement. I love that the protein in the Essential’s shakes is organic and there are no artificial sweeteners, flavor, or colors.
Unfortunately, many children are not meeting their protein needs which can cause challenges in their development. And this isn’t just true for protein, it’s also true for many other vital vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are essential for proper growth, such as iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, and more. Most of these are found in meat, fish, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products, a.k.a. our main sources of protein.
Got a kid who just won’t do it unless it’s chicken nuggets or cheese? Same.
So what do we do to ensure our kids get what they need? This is where Kid’s Daily Essentials really helped me out. Most people know the brand for their grass-fed whey and pea proteins but I learned they recently developed a kids line.
How Kid’s Daily Shakes and Gummies Can Fill Gaps in your Child’s Nutrition
Naked Nutrition’s line of Kid’s Daily Essentials was created with picky eaters in mind. The line includes nutrition shakes in chocolate or vanilla that can be mixed with milk or water, or added into foods for an extra boost that is tasty, fun, and perfect for busy moms.
The best part of these shakes, aside from the kid-friendly flavors, is that they contain a hearty dose of protein per serving, about 8 grams per scoop, for the little ones who are particularly meat-averse. It is also super versatile. I love adding a scoop to my son’s pancakes, which he absolutely adores and I can feel good about giving them to him.
Kid’s Daily Essential nutrition shakes also include 60% of the % Daily Value (%DV) of iron, 40% of vitamin D, 20% of calcium, and 25% of zinc along with many other important nutrients so you know your child is getting good coverage even if they aren’t eating balanced meals every day.
Naked Nutrition’s Kid’s Daily Essentials line also includes fruit-flavored multivitamin gummies for those little ones who do okay with their protein but still want to have extra nutrient coverage. Even if you feel your little one eats okay, it’s nice to have a little something to ensure they aren’t missing out and these gummies are an excellent way to do that.
Kid’s Daily Essential products are all made in the USA without any artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives so you can feel good about what you’re giving them. They are also great for those little ones who have special dietary concerns. Kid’s Daily Essential products are all Certified gluten-free, soy-free, and GMO-free, and the gummies are also vegan-friendly because they are fruit pectin based, not gelatin.
Tips from a Dietitian to Help Optimize Your Kid’s Diet
Picky eating may be inevitable at one point or another with our little ones but there are ways to overcome picky eating, or at least shorten its duration. Below are a few tips to try with your little one if you aren’t already.
- Model the behavior you want. Our littles lead by example. Choose the same foods and eat with them during mealtime to show them what this should look like.
- Sit down during meals. Avoid letting your little one graze or eat while watching TV. Children are easily distracted and this can take away an opportunity to try something new.
- Limit snacks. If you are giving in too much to snack time your child is going to be less hungry during meals. This means they are also less likely to eat some of the foods on their plate that are less familiar.
- Don’t try too much too fast. New foods can be stressful and our child is more likely to completely avoid a new food if they are feeling overwhelmed. Always serve new foods with familiar or favorite foods to give them options and take the stress out of trying something different.
- Don’t make a big deal. Whether they eat something you want them to or they don’t even touch it, don’t make a big deal out of it. If they want to try it, great. If not, that’s okay too. Sometimes they need to be exposed to a new food several times before they try it.
- Take a deep breath. If you’re stressed and constantly monitoring your little one’s intake, they are going to be stressed during meals and less likely to branch out. Take a deep breath and make mealtime a calm and safe place for your child to choose whatever they want to eat off of the plate you offered (even if that’s nothing).
- Make it fun. Get fun utensils for them to eat with, make foods into fun shapes, and get your child involved in cooking. This makes the entire eating experience enjoyable and kids are more likely to want to eat the food if it’s fun or they got to help make it.
Even if you do all these things and more, you’re still likely to experience a period where your child is simply surviving off of the sniff of a raspberry and a couple of chicken nuggets. That’s ok! Grab yourself a container of Kid’s Daily Essentials and keep doing what you’ve been doing. It will pass and everything will be okay. But in the meantime, you know your little one is getting everything they need.
