Growing healthy kids

Childhood is a period of continuous growth and development, but a significant growth period can affect a child’s mood, sleep and nutritional needs. Here are a few life hacks to help you through those times of transition.

Getting taller

Supporting healthy bone development in children is important as 40 percent of your bone mass is achieved between the ages of nine and fourteen. When children go through a big growth spurt, they may require additional vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and many other trace minerals. Great foods to eat to increase minerals in your family’s diet include meat, fish, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy products, and eggs.

Getting new teeth

Children first develop baby teeth, which will be replaced by permanent teeth between the ages of six and twelve. There are two main areas to focus on when developing new teeth. Mineralisation is one, and here you can follow the same nutritional advice as for bone health. The other is supporting healthy bacterial populations in the mouth, as this can affect gum and tooth health. This is where getting children to develop good tooth-brushing skills is important.

Good sleep

Quality sleep is essential and can be affected by all the changes above. For example, calcium and magnesium are needed for bone growth, but are essential for getting to sleep and staying asleep. At times of rapid growth, you might notice that kids struggle with healthy sleep patterns. Therefore supporting healthy levels of these key minerals is important for bones, teeth and sleep.

Prepping for back to school?

Remember to support your children’s immune systems and natural recovery from illness with Good Health Viralex Kids. Featuring scientifically studied Wellmune, specifically researched on children, taking Viralex Kids may result in less days off school. Suitable for immediate and everyday use, Good Health Viralex Kids is ideal for all year round use, keeping your kids’ immune system topped up.

Getting the kids ready to go back to school after the Christmas break can be a daunting task! Between organising school uniforms and after school activities, it’s easy to leave the kids’ lunch boxes to the last minute. Here are our top tips and tricks for planning and preparing healthy lunches that will ensure a stress-free start to the school year.

Planning ahead

Setting aside the time to come up with lunch box ideas for the week ahead will not only keep you organised, it will also save you time on those mornings when you are rushing out the door. Allocate an hour on the weekend to write out lunch box ideas for the week ahead. You can do this by manually drawing out a plan or using a planner app.

Batch cooking

Once you have planned out the children’s lunches for the week ahead, set aside time to shop, cook and portion out meals on a Sunday, as this will ensure you are prepared for the week ahead. Batch cooking is an efficient method that can be used to prepare many meals at once. Pick some of your child’s favourite recipes and double the quantities to increase the number of serves.

Hide extra nutrients

If your children are fussy eaters and struggle to eat their vegetables or a variety of foods, a great way to include more nutrients in their lunchboxes is by hiding them in their favourite foods. Add a scoop of Kids Good Stuff into baking and smoothies.

Get the kids involved

Cooking with your kids doesn’t have to be stressful. Getting your children involved in the act of meal preparation not only provides valuable skills and education, it also exposes them to different foods. Baking is a fun and exciting hands-on activity for kids.