60 Plus Nutrient Dense Recipes Every Kid Will Love (2024)

FAQs

What are nutrient-dense foods for kids? ›

For a nutrient-dense and heart-healthy dietary pattern: Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables. Eat whole grains. Include healthy sources of protein, mostly from plant sources (legumes and nuts), fish and seafood, fat-free or low-fat dairy, lean cuts of unprocessed meat and skinless poultry.

Well-planned, healthy meal plans should always include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low-fat or fat-free and unsweetened dairy products, unsalted nuts, seeds, fish, poultry, eggs, lean meat, and heart-healthy, plant-based oils. Helpful tips: ✔ Fill half your plate with vegetables and some fruits.

Children, especially young children, have high nutrient needs for growth and development, but relatively modest energy requirements, leaving little room for energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods in the diet [4]. Thus, it is important to encourage nutrient dense food choices and diets.

Nutrient-dense foods contain vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. Examples of nutrient-dense foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free milk products, seafood, lean meats, eggs, peas, beans, and nuts.

1. Almonds. There you have it – the most nutrient-dense food on the planet is the humble almond. Praises for almonds have been sung for a long time, with many studies carried out surrounding their benefits related to heart health and diabetes.

It is argued that the single, most complete food a human needs to survive is human breast milk. Other foods may be nutritious but inevitably lack certain vitamins, minerals, etc.

Meat includes lean beef, veal, lamb, pork, goat, kangaroo, chicken, turkey and fish. Meat alternatives include eggs, beans, lentils, chickpeas, falafel, tofu and nuts. All these foods are rich in protein and important for your child's growth and muscle development.

The CHILD-2 diet recommends: 25-30% of total calories from fat; <7% from saturated fat; <10% from monounsaturated fat; and avoiding trans-fat. The CHILD-2-LDL recommends: plant sterol and stanol esters up to 2 g/day; water-soluble fiber psyllium, dose of 6 g/day (2-12 years) and 12 g/day (>12 years).

Foods high in salt (sodium), such as some canned foods, processed meats (e.g., lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs, ham), and frozen dinners should be avoided. Some snack foods and store-bought packaged toddler foods are high in salt. Check the Nutrition Facts Label to find foods with less salt.

What are nutrient dense foods for picky eaters? ›

Offer a Diverse, Nutrient-Dense Diet

For children who are 2 years old or older, health officials champion daily servings of fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as oatmeal and brown rice), oils and a range of lean proteins (including beans, eggs, lentils, peas, seafood, and low-fat meats and poultry).