Our Nutritious Menu: A Key to Your Child's Development

Nutrition for children is vital to growing healthy, strong kids and bodies. Everything, from brain development to physical growth, requires the right building blocks in the form of nutritious food. Because of this fact, the school or daycare meal your young child eats is important. At Kinder Prep Montessori daycare, we provide a variety of fresh, nutritious meals to help meet your child's nutritional needs.

The Need for Nutrition: Brain Development

The preschool and kindergarten years are prime years for brain growth, and as such the foods your child eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner need to be rich in the nutrients that support brain development. These include:

• Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
• Protein
• Healthy carbohydrates
• Vitamins A, B, C, and D
• Zinc
• Iodine
• Selenium

Foods that contain these nutrients include leafy green vegetables, eggs, Greek yogurt, oats, beans, as well as lentils. Also, some fortified cereals made with whole grains can also help supplement this need.

Iron and Young Children

Another nutrient that you need to have in your child’s diet is iron. According to Nemours KidsHealth, kids ages four through eight need 10 milligrams of iron in their daily diet. Iron deficiency can stunt a child’s growth and make learning difficult. Too little iron can also lead to behavioral problems. In addition, iron deficiency can lead to anemia, which is a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the child’s body, and this can cause fatigue and other health problems.

The foods that contain iron include red meat, tofu, beans, peas, fruits, and leafy greens. Interestingly, an iron-rich diet is also rich in nutrients that help brain development.

We Take Nutrition for Children Seriously

At Kinder Prep Montessori, we take your child's nutrition seriously. As such, we want to set the foundation for healthy living, and that starts in childhood. At our daycare, we serve nutritious breakfast, snack, and lunch options made from wholesome foods including fresh fruits and vegetables. Our foods are made fresh and served directly from Healthy Heart, New York City's premier foodservice option. Because we vary the foods we offer throughout the week, your child will get a balanced diet. Even picky children will find something that they are willing to try throughout the week. Then, supplement a healthy dinner at home, and your child will have a good foundation for solid growth and brain development.