Including Omega 3S in Kids' Diet

My 2 yr. old son is a picky eater so I have a hard time getting him to eat nutritious foods. I took Jasmine's advise and have been giving him 1 tbsp. of Trader Darwin's Organic Flax Oil I get from Trader Joe's. It has 7 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids and 3 grams of Omega 6. I mix it with his orange juice in the morning. He drinks it and doesn't mind. There's no taste to it just a little oily.

Here is what I do:

Nordic Naturals Children's DHA is great for all three kiddos. I buy them at www.vitacost.com and a health conference I was just at, the Harvard dietitian recommended Nordic Naturals as one of the top brands out there, so not all are created equal...

I also give 1tsp of flax oil daily to my 2yr old. I mix them in smoothies, coconut milk yogurt, salads, over veggies, in oatmeal (there are lemon, cinnamon flavors to try). Adults should take 1-2 tablespoons per day, this is an excellent way to keep the digestive track healthy.

I help post something on the benefits at http://www.activemomsclub.com/tools.htm

Grounded flaxseeds are great as well, you can add them to pancake mixtures, muffins, spaghetti, meatballs, yogurt, ice cream, etc..the ideas are endless

fish, salba or chia seeds are also awesome! Avocados are full of healthy fats, hummus, walnuts...

Let me know if you need more info...we don't eat fish, this is what we do.

J. W. MPH
Chicago Examiner Family Health Expert
http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...
Maternal and Child Health Educator

Beans-kidney, navy and soy beans. Pumpkin seeds and Walnuts (my kids love them). winter squash when available, olive oil. Spinach and broccoli also have Omega 3, though not significantly. Also, you should get them Omega 6 as well. Here is a site I have used in the past www.whfoods.com and www.fatsforhealth.com/library/libitems/getting_thin_on_fa... They both give tips on the Omegas.

Hi-
What a wonderful subject! There are so many good things out there, but getting the kids to injest some of them are pretty tough! I have some of the same conversations with my Chiropractor. One thing we use at home is a "smoothy" that I get from the chiro. I forget the brand name at the moment, but there are 3 flavors (lemon, berry and a new one I haven't tried yet). They come in a big squeeze bottle, and I give them 1t of each flavor each day. It is a fantastic desquise for the fish oil, and has NO TRACE of a fish smell or taste - it's wonderful. Only downside is, of course, they're not cheap. I can look up the brand name later if you'd like.
A.

http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/73593

My son LOVES nordic naturals strawberry flavor chewable gels.

He also really likes:

http://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/58747

multi-vitamin liquid.

Hope this helps!
Danya
www.DanyaMotivates.com

I add flax seed when I bake. Here's an easy cake recipe with flax seed and wheat germ. We call this "Mommy cake" and my two-year-old loves it! I feel good about her eating it, too!

Dry ingredients
1 ¾ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon wheat germ

Wet ingredients
¾ cup skim milk
1 egg
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients together in a second bowl. Then combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until it is fully blended. Pour the batter into an oiled 9X9 cake pan and bake it for 25 minutes at 350° (or until you can put a fork in the cake and it comes out clean.)

Here are some other ingredients you can add to change the taste of the cake a little:

½ cup of frozen blueberries or strawberries
1 mashed banana
¼ teaspoon each: cinnamon, nutmeg, & cardamom
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon & 1 teaspoon instant decaffeinated coffee
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon & 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Instead of 1 teaspoon of vanilla, use 1 teaspoon almond extract

I hope this helps!
N.

coldwater fish(salmon, trout) is the best source of omega-3/DHA. So if they'll eat fish, salmon in particular, that is one way to do it.

Dr. Sears also has some fruit chews with DHA/Omega 3's which I found at whole foods(not cheap!) but is sounds like you're on the right track with the supplement you have.

Flax, as you mention is great. I just made an awesome smoothie for my daughter and I. 1/2 banana, 2 strawberries, small handful of blueberries, 1/2 cup V8fusion strawberry/banana juice, 2 tablespoons flax meal...blend it up...mmmmmmmm!!

The smart balance peanut butter is fortified with Omega 3's.

that's all I can think of off the top of my head! I look forward to hearing from other moms...great topic!

Thanks for asking this question - I look forward to reading everyones advice!

I sprinkle flaxseed on my daughter's cereal every morning. She eats Total and loves the added "nutty" flavor the flaxseed gives the cereal. I also sprinkle it on yogurt and put it in smoothies.

Get the Omega-3 gummies from Trader Joe's. My kids say they are yummy!

If they like egg salad you can add a little salmon in the pouch to it. Also if i mix rice with fish my kids eat it.Tartar sauce helps too.

I put flaxseed in just about everything. Spaghetti sauce, tacos, baked goods. I also use Smart Balance spread w/ Omega 3 and Healthy Life bread w/ Omega 3. Walnuts are also good , if they can have those.

Hi you have a lot of good ideas here's one additional thing you can use. we use the helathy life bread with flaxseed. unlike some healthy breads that kids may turn up their noses at this is soft and good. i have an extremely picky eater and she loves this bread!

I take omega 3 as well and I get the omega 3 chicken nuggets, omega 3 milk and omega 3 eggs. That being said, the science behind the benefits is still pretty weak. In the back of my mind, I think I am a sucker and paying more for something for which the science isn't there yet. There are lots of products on the market with omega 3 added: eggs, margarine, chicken nuggets, milk - so it is pretty easy to get a goodly dose of it in addition to the supplements.

My 7yr old twins will eat fish, and I read that omega 3 is good for kids with allergies and asthma. I will be trying to eat salmon a few times per week.