Vitamin K is one of the fat soluble vitamins our body needs. It’s mainly known for its role in blood clotting, which is how it got its name (the K comes from its German name: Koagulationsvitamin). The bacteria in our gut are actually capable of making vitamin K for us, but usually not in sufficient amounts for our needs.
If your family likes to carve pumpkins for Halloween, you may be wondering what to do with all the pumpkin seeds inside. They actually make a great snack for older kids! Pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, are a common snack in Mexican and other Latin American cuisines. In the US, they are a popular snack in the fall, where they are usually served roasted.
Breakfast can be an especially challenging meal for families, especially for kids who are in school or need to get to daycare by a particular time. Kids can by cranky and time is rushed. Add in picky eating and you have a recipe for a very stressful morning. Coming up with breakfast ideas everyday can be a daunting task and often it becomes easier to just serve the same thing every morning (I get it, I’ve been there).
Vitamin E is the name we use for a group of fat soluble nutrients that act as antioxidants. We produce free radicals when our body converts food into energy or we are exposed to certain compounds in the environment. These free radicals can cause cellular damage. Antioxidants can help fight that damage.
Believe it or not this is one of the most common complaints I hear from parents. It’s super common for toddlers to suddenly reject eating meat, even if they ate meat totally fine as a baby. There can be many reasons that your toddler won’t eat meat, but most of the time, it’s not something that you need to stress too much about.
If your family is vegetarian or vegan, there is no reason that you NEED to serve your child meat (or any food). This is more for families who usually eat meat, but are finding that their child has been rejecting it.
Is there any fruit that better encapsulates summer than a watermelon? They are so juicy and refreshing, making them the perfect snack for kids (especially if your kid isn’t a big fan of drinking water).
Watermelons are actually a type of berry called a pepo (1). You can actually eat the rind of the watermelon, if you cook it. Watermelons were originally grown for their high water content and were stored as a water source.
Vitamin A is actually the name for a group nutrients called carotenoids as well as preformed vitamin A. When we think of vitamin A, we generally think of the beta carotene in carrots and how it will help our vision. Vitamin A is so much more than that though!
Toddler preferences are a part of parenting. One common concern parents face is that their toddler prefers milk over solid foods. Whether it’s breastmilk, cow’s milk, or a milk alternative, a toddler needs more than just milk to meet all of their nutritional needs. While breastmilk and/or formula make up the bulk of your child’s nutrition prior to age one, after age one, milk should become more of a supplement.
Phosphorus is a crucial nutrient for bone health, which is why we worry about it for kids. It’s also used in our genes and for energy. Luckily, most people in the US get enough phosphorus in their diet without trying too hard.
