Convenient and Consistent Ways to Provide Key Nutrients for Young Eaters

This blog post was written in partnership with Danone North America. Although I have been compensated for my time and writing, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own and I only partner with brands I love. 

It’s no secret...

…that kids need a variety of nutrients in order to thrive and grow. These include the Omega-3 fatty acid, DHA (which helps support brain and eye health and is best consumed from what we eat and drink), choline (an essential nutrient that aids in the transport and synthesis of fats), prebiotics (often various types of dietary fibers that feed friendly gut bacteria) and protein (for the growth, development and maintenance of cells, organs, and muscles). Calcium and vitamin D are two more essential nutrients for all ages that together help support strong bones and were called out in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) as nutrients of public health concern.

What eludes many parents and caregivers is how on earth to ensure that kids are getting the nutrients they need during periods of food refusal, food jags, fluctuating appetites, picky eating, hectic schedules and the litany of additional challenges we face these days when it comes to feeding families. It’s certainly not easy!

As a registered dietitian, helping parents and caregivers find solutions to these challenges is my passion. So, I was delighted to host a virtual event with members of the Danone North America team, attended by some of my favorite pediatric dietitians. Our discussion examined some of the fundamental difficulties parents face today when feeding kids, as well as several thoughtful products created by Danone that can help fill nutrient gaps and bring some consistency and convenience into the picture for families with children. Among the nutrients we discussed were: 

• Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which is found in most tissues throughout the human body, however the highest concentrations are in the brain, nervous system and retinas of the eyes. DHA plays an important role in neuronal signaling and helps in supporting brain health and maintaining good vision.

• Choline is an under-appreciated essential nutrient that is responsible for transporting DHA throughout the body, not unlike a delivery truck.

• Prebiotics, which are often various types of dietary fibers that help feed friendly gut bacteria.

How do we include these important nutrients in the diet? DHA is found in cold water fatty fish as well as seaweed and algae. Egg yolks supply the most concentrated source of choline in the American diet, but it is also found in poultry, peanuts, tofu, beans and in some vegetables and dairy foods as well. Prebiotics are found in plant foods like bananas, apples, flax seeds, Jerusalem artichokes, and chicory root. For some families, foods that contain these nutrients can be tough to offer regularly, and even when included on the menu, they are not always consistently accepted by kids.

Repeatedly offering these foods without pressure to eat them (sometimes 8, 10, 15 times or even more!) has been shown to help increase a child’s acceptance of new and unfamiliar foods, but what do you do in the meantime while a child is learning to like something new?

Danone has developed a variety of products for different ages and stages that can help make periods like these easier on both parents and kids. For example, Horizon Organic Growing Years™ milk products were developed with pediatricians to provide key nutrients for growing kids. In fact, each serving of Growing Years™ milk have both calcium and vitamin D to help support strong bones, 8 grams of high-quality protein with all 9 essential amino acids the body needs but cannot make on its own, 50mg of DHA Omega-3, 55mg of choline, and 1g of prebiotics. Developed for kids, Horizon Organic Growing Years™ certified organic milk products come from pasture-raised cows that eat an organic, non-GMO diet and are never treated with antibiotics or added hormones.

For children who aren’t drinking milk as a beverage these days, Growing Years™ milk products can help fill nutrient gaps in both selective and non-selective eaters when you find creative ways to use it in recipes. Adding to loaded cereal bowls, using it as a base for puddings, adding it as an ingredient in popsicles, and blending it into smoothies can all help incorporate more milk and its nutrients into the daily diet.

Other products in Danone’s portfolio that help bring some consistency and convenience into the diets of families with kids include their line of Danimals® yogurts and smoothies, all of which are portable, and contain no artificial flavors, no artificial preservative ingredients, and no colors from artificial sources, and offer a good source of calcium and vitamin D per serving to support strong bones and teeth. Super Danimals® delivers billions of probiotics and vitamins C and D to help support the immune system (when consumed regularly as part of a balanced diet & healthy lifestyle).

Happy Tot® Organics pouches are another option from within the Danone portfolio. While from the perspective of developing both feeding skills and an adventurous palate, we don’t want to rely on pouches as a main source of nutrition for kids, there is nothing more convenient than a pouch when out and about. What is special about Happy Tot pouches is the thoughtful inclusion of added nutritional benefits, such as Happy Tot Super Smart pouches which contain 20mg of DHA and 100mg of choline, and Happy Tot Super Bellies pouches which contain 2 grams of prebiotic fiber as well as 35 mg beta-glucan to help support the immune system. As a snack option within the context of a varied diet, pouches with added benefits are a great way to help fill nutrient gaps.

Feeding kids is a process that evolves over time and can look very different throughout the years as phases come and go. Throughout, parents and caregivers should feel good about finding products that make it easier to navigate these periods without stress - supported by readily accepted packaged foods that offer ease, enjoyment, convenience and nutrients to support growing kids.