Whether your little one loves apples or makes faces while eating them, it’s crucial to incorporate at least one apple into your child’s meal plan each day. Not only does an apple a day keeps the doctor away, munching on apples provides a nice boost in child’s energy and gives nutrients they need to get through the day. It may sound ridiculous since children have tons of energy, but some kids feel low in energy and have many health issues. Keep your little one healthy all year round by adding more apples to their favorite meals.
Table of contents:
- Boost your child’s bone health
- Increase vitamin C intake
- Apples are an excellent source of healthy carbs
- They have a high pectin content
- They are rich in vitamin A
1. Boost your child’s bone health
Apples are rich in boron, a trace mineral that helps the body to absorb magnesium and calcium, which are both important to your child’s bone health. Since your child’s bones keep growing throughout childhood, you should make sure your little one’s eating plan includes all essential nutrients for healthy teeth and bones. While eating apples alone isn’t a surefire way to keep your child’s bones healthy, an apple a day can significantly promote bone health.
2. Increase vitamin C intake
Oranges are not the only source of vitamin C. One apple provides about 14 percent of the daily recommended allowance for vitamin C. The body doesn’t store this vitamin, so it’s crucial to consume vitamin C-rich foods each day.
Vitamin C helps to boost your child’s immune system, thus can reduce the risk of flu and cold. If your child doesn’t want to eat an apple a day, try adding it to oatmeal, fresh juice, kid-friendly smoothies, yogurt, or make apple chips.
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3. Apples are an excellent source of healthy carbs
Your child needs carbs to stay active throughout the day. There are many great sources of carbs, but apples are probably the healthiest ones. Apples have high fiber content and small sugar content, which makes them perfect kid-friendly snacks. Due to its high fiber content, an apple a day helps keep your child’s energy level high and mind alert during the day.
The problem is, not every child loves apples. When I was a child, I was a terribly picky eater, and I literally hated apples, so my mom always tried to trick me into having my apple a day. One of her best tricks was a grated apple and carrot salad. I still love this delicious salad and, hopefully, your picky eater will love it too!
4. They have a high pectin content
It’s never too early to start thinking about cancer prevention. Apples contain pectin that helps prevent high cholesterol, heart disease, and cancer. Pectin can also help with your child’s digestion and can treat diarrhea, though if your child has any health issues, pay a visit to your doctor as soon as possible.
5. They are rich in vitamin A
If you grow your own apples, or you’re absolutely sure you buy organic, pesticide-free apples, don’t throw away the skins of apples as they contain vitamin A – an important vitamin that benefits a child’s vision, tooth, and bone development. Additionally, Vitamin A helps protect your child from infections, promotes the growth and health of tissues and cells in the body, particularly those in the skin, nails, and hair. When you are not sure that apples are pesticide-free, peel an apple right before you give it to your kid.
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The nutritional value of apples is awesome, which is why both adults and kids should have at least one apple a day to stay healthy. If your child is bored with plain apple juice and apple slices, use your creativity and kid-friendly recipes to create incredibly tasty snacks and desserts, such as mini apple pies, apple salads, and smoothies.
Does your little one have an apple a day? What tricks do you use to make sure your child is getting all the essential nutrients? Share them with us, please.
