Your Nutrients Make You Mighty Strong

Talking to our kids about making healthy choices can often come across like a burden, both for them and us.

Varying approaches range from hiding vegetables in pasta and muffins to empowering kids with the knowledge that “food is fuel.” While we’re certainly not against increasing kids nutrient intake wherever possible (we think pureed butternut squash makes mac & cheese even creamier, and our kids do too), we tend towards transparency, with the hope that in the long run, our kids will welcome a variety of foods, and understand what each does for their body.

When they’re small, we start small, with simple conversations about how different colored foods are connected to different parts of the body (orange for eyes; red for heart/blood, etc) and what types of foods do what for us (protein to make us strong, fiber to help us go to the bathroom regularly, etc).

We can make the same associations for Vitamins by teaching them what Immunity means and why nutrients like Vitamin C, Zinc and Magnesium help our body avoid getting sick. And when those nutrients are delivered in a yummy drink made of oranges and pineapples, fruits we also like to eat, they can help protect our bodies. Think of those nutrients like super heroes super powers, they might be called Vitaminis but together they sure are mighty!