Kombucha Tea and Maximizing Nutrition for Kids
I put it out there last week to answer burning questions you have. I only got two but they are ones I think everyone would benefit from.
Question 1: Kombucha?
One reader asked about Kombucha tea. Kombucha was the rave about a year ago which has since calmed down. Kombucha tea contains yeast and bacteria which is usually kept to ferment for about a week in a container. It can contain traces of alcohol from the bacterial fermentation.
Proponents of Kombucha tea claim it stimulates the immune system, improves digestion, and prevents cancer by providing good bacteria and B-vitamins but there is no scientific evidence to substantiate these claims.
One should never attempt to make this tea at home since contamination is a risk which can produce unpleasant side effects like nausea, severe diarrhea, rashes, and light-headedness.
It is quite expensive at $2.99 a bottle so I would save yourself the money.
Bottom line: for good bacteria eat yogurt or take probiotics and eat whole real foods for your B-vitamins.
Question 2: Maximize Nutrients?
The second question came from a Mom wanting to know how to increase nutritional content in food.
Maximizing nutrients in a child’s diet can be challenging but doable and it all depends on the child and their taste preferences. “Does your child drink milk, eat veggies, etc?”
Adding ground flax seed to recipes is an easy way to increase omega-3-fats in your child’s food. It is a great binder and can be added to meatballs/meatloaf instead of bread crumbs, to kid-friendly casseroles, etc. and basically makes things taste a little nutty. It also adds fiber to create normal digestion and absorption as well as a having lignans in it which decrease the risk of cancer.
If your child does not like or drink milk, adding nonfat dry milk to recipes is a great way to increase calcium and protein in a recipe.
Adding fruit to things that taste sour or bland to a child can increase their consumption of veggies. For example adding berries to a salad, apples to squash can increase their interest in a new vegetable dish.
Adding parmesan or grated cheese to veggies as well as ground almonds, and unsweetened coconut can also increase desire for veggies which provide important phytochemcials for your child’s health.
I don’t believe in disguising things for children such as is common in popular celebrity cookbooks. Providing great options for children and encouraging “no thank you” servings of new things is the best way to increase desire for nutritious foods and modeling great balanced eating goes a long way towards health.
November 6, 2012 @ 11:20 am
That's means Kombuch Tea is substitute against milk. Excessive sweating