Family Health

Helpful tips on how to improve your toddler's health

Avocados are a great way to get your toddler eating healthy foods. They're very healthy and their texture is something you and your toddler will love eating.

Your toddler's energy needs and avocados

Your toddler's energy requirements dramatically increase because of their rapid growth and high activity levels, but they still need plenty of important nutrients for growth and development. The key is to add high-energy, nutritious foods to their diet, rather than simply adding high energy foods which fill them up, but don’t offer many other important nutrients.¹⁶.

Avocadoes are a perfect example of a nutrient dense food that can help meet toddler’s increasing energy needs. Plus they’re packed with a range of vitamins and minerals, as well as healthy monounsaturated fats.

Healthy tips for getting your toddler to eat

Foods can become an educational game for toddlers. It's the eating, touching and squishing that help your baby's brain learn more about food¹⁷. Avocado ticks all of these boxes when it comes to education and your toddler’s enjoyment.

1. Tip 1. Try getting your toddler involved in shopping and cooking as it is a great leaning technique. When you are shopping, pass your toddler the avocado and ask them what it is and let them know that they can help you cook with it later. This will help increase their interest and confidence around healthy foods.

2. Tip 2. It is very important to be a good role model. Your children are very curious and are generally very interested in what other people are eating.

3. Tip 3. Eat with your children. They will be more inclined to try new foods if you are eating them too.

4. Tip 4. When you're eating something new, offer your toddler a mouthful. This will help build their confidence and their pallet. When you're eating something new, offer your toddler a mouthful. This will help build their confidence and their palate. You may have to offer new foods many times before they are accepted – don’t give up.

5. Tip 5. Let your toddler choose from a healthy selection of snacks. This is good way to maintain the right food boundaries, but keeping them feeling independent and involved.

Avocado tips for teenagers

We all know how hard it can be to get your teenagers to eat the right foods. Luckily, help is at hand. Avocados don't only taste great, they're packed full of nutrients your teenager needs. And they even tick the vegetarian box if your teenager has decided to give up meat.

Healthy snacking is a winner.

As teenagers are going through such a rapid change in their bodies, it's very important for them to eat a balanced diet and have access to healthy food choices.¹⁸ Most teenagers tend to eat healthy food infrequently and not-so-healthy foods most of the time. Encourage your teenager to eat nutritious meals and snacks regularly, rather than eating little through the day, or eating mainly unhealthy foods, and then trying to 'catch-up' later at night.

Try blending avocados and nuts together, and serving as a dip with vegetable sticks - a healthy and tasty snack that's packed full of energy. Avocado on wholemeal toast is also a quick and tasty snack, perfect for busy teenagers dashing out the door.

Healthy fat for growth and development

Avocados contain important essential healthy fats that are needed for brain and nervous system development, which is something teenagers are going through, as much as toddlers.

The healthy fats in avocados also help increase the absorption of carotenoids²¹³, such as lutein/zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, as well as fat-soluble vitamins. And avocados are a source of antioxidants²¹⁴ – important components of a healthy diet.

Keeping your man healthy

Avocados are the perfect nutritious snack for men on the move, and their healthy monounsaturated fats mean they help look after his heart too.²²² Avocados contain a number of heart healthy nutrients. They are a source of fibre, vitamin E and other antioxidants called polyphenols while also low in sodium and containing potassium.

Check out our heart-healthy, half-time avocado recipes for the football fan in your life.