2. Healthy Weight Maintenance

Obesity in children has become a significant epidemic in the United States, especially in Mississippi and other states in the South. Making sure that your child not only eats healthy at home but also learns how to make healthy choices when they aren’t at home is of extreme importance. The information you share with them about nutrition as children will stick with them as they get older and become adults. 

3. Prevents Disease

When children eat healthier, they are getting the required nutrients and vitamins necessary to help boost their immune systems and combat disease. A significant part of eating healthy is cutting back on sugars, which tend to be the catalyst for many ailments and immune system issues. This simple change and replacement with a healthier alternative is a great way to get children accustomed to a more balanced level of healthy and unhealthy sugars and fats in their diet.

4. Improves Your Child’s Mood

As adults, we all have our guilty pleasures. Whether it’s ice cream, a bag of potato chips, or candy, we all have some junk food that we love and helps make us feel better. However, on the other side of that feel-good moment is extra weight gain, sluggishness, bloating, and even ups and downs in your mood. If this is the result of an adult indulging, just think of how it impacts a child. Unhealthy sugars and fats in certain foods, though initially causing you to feel great, can actually promote the growth of “bad” bacteria in your body, which blocks the production of neurotransmitters in your brain. Your emotions will start fluctuating after you come down from that sugar rush. This is how people become addicted to food.

5. Improves Performance In School

As mentioned previously, when children have access to healthy foods, their brain function improves – this includes their behavior. Studies have proven that children with more nutritious diets are more likely to come to school prepared, be more focused in class, show up to school more frequently, and be less disruptive in the classroom. Children who do not have as much food or as much nutritious food are more likely to be absent, cause disruptions, have lower grades, and struggle to focus in class.

Nutrition Must-Haves

Now that we’ve discussed how a healthy diet can benefit your child and your entire family, it’s time to cover the types of healthy foods you can get to help your child grow up healthy and thrive.

For Brain Function:

• Oily Fish – Fish like salmon, tuna, and even sardines are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which help increase blood flow to the brain and improve cognitive function.
• Whole Grains – Oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grain bread and pasta contain vitamin E, a tremendous boost to brain function.
• Berries – Berries, like strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, are all great sources of antioxidants, which do great things for memory and brain function.

For Weight Maintenance:

• Greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt is an excellent choice for weight maintenance because it has probiotic bacteria, meaning that it can aid with digestive functions. 
• Grapefruit – This fruit is high in fiber and a great way to increase water intake, which helps with gut function and helps you feel full.
• Cottage Cheese – Cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium, which both help to maintain a healthy weight.

For Disease Prevention:

• Oranges – Oranges are high in vitamin C, which helps in the production of white blood cells. These cells are what help you fight off infections and diseases.
• Red Bell Pepper – Red bell pepper contains just as much, if not more, vitamin C as an orange. This vegetable also improves skin and eye health because it contains beta carotene.
• Garlic – Garlic is one of the greatest immune-boosting foods you can eat, containing things like allicin. It’s also easy to implement into your recipes.

For Improved Moods:

• Bananas – Bananas are rich in vitamin B6, which helps produce dopamine and serotonin – the feel-good hormones. This fruit also is a great blood sugar regulator and a great way to stop mood swings.
• Dark Chocolate – Who says chocolate can’t be good for you? Dark chocolate reduces inflammation, increases blood flow to the brain, and has feel-good compounds like caffeine and theobromine, which all aid in a better mood.
• Beans – Beans are a great source of vitamin B, zinc, selenium, and magnesium, which all play prominent roles in managing mood.

For Better Performance In School:

• Nuts – Nuts are an excellent snack for students because they contain nutrients like vitamin E and zinc, which are essential for a healthy brain. Remember, some children have nut allergies, so consider using another one of the options listed below as an alternative.
• Eggs – Eggs are a great way to start the day for several reasons! Eggs contain all kinds of great nutrients, such as vitamin B12, selenium, lutein, and more, which all are great for brain function, focus, vision, mental function, and more. 
• Avocado – Avocado is another food that contains vitamins that help with brain function and eye health – necessities when trying to succeed in school.

Conclusion

Having a healthy diet is more than just about outside physical appearance. Making nutrition a priority in your household can set your child up for success both in the present and future. If you work now to make sure your child has a healthy nutritional foundation, it will keep them from having to endure easily avoidable health issues and turn them into healthy, happy, and thriving adults.