Ensuring that our children get all the daily nutrients they need for a healthy start in life is a top priority for most parents. This is relatively easy to do whilst the kids are at home during their summer holidays. However, as soon as they go back to school, temptations instantly present themselves in the form of crisps and junk food. Ensure your children maintain a balanced diet by including fresh berries in their lunch boxes or perhaps giving them a fresh berry smoothie to replace their usual afternoon snack.

Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, berries are by far the best fruit to include in your child’s diet for 100% health. Berries help brain development, enhance concentration, promote higher IQ, extra energy and boost immunity against infection.

The Top Five Reasons for Babies and Children To Eat Berries

1. A great first food for babies: Berries are the perfect ‘first food’. They are soft, sweet, fast to prepare, and packed full of essential nutrients and antioxidants to ensure the best start in life for your child.
2. Boost your child’s brain power: Children need folic acid for healthy brain development. High levels of this B vitamin can promote higher IQ, better memory function and enhance concentration. Too little folic acid in the body raises homocysteine levels. A recent study discovered that schoolchildren with low homocysteine levels achieved better grades than those with high levels of the hormone. So, if you want your child to be at the top of the class, feed them berries. Of all the fruits, berries contain the highest levels of folic acid. One serving of strawberries (250g) contains 125mcg of folic acid, more than half the RDA. In comparison, the folate content of an apple is 1mcg and a pear, 2mcg.
3. Give them extra energy: Toddlers and children are constantly on the go, and babies, even those not yet mobile, are busy absorbing and exploring everything around them. Babies and children need stamina to get the most out of life. Consistent energy levels can be achieved by feeding children foods with a low GL (glycemic load) rating which keeps blood sugar levels constant, avoiding the ‘quick burst of energy followed by burn-out’ (usually accompanied by a tantrum) syndrome. A large 300g punnet of berries has the same GL as one single date, ten raisins or one third of a banana.
4. Boost your child’s immunity: Does your child seem to be constantly sniffling and snuffling? School-age children and those attending nursery are exposed to many new viruses and childhood illnesses. You can give their immune system a boost and help their small bodies to fight off infection by feeding them berries. Packed with folic acid and vitamin C, berries have the highest antioxidant power of any fruit; five strawberries contain more antioxidant power than three apples or four bananas, and more vitamin C than an entire orange.
5. Alleviate your child’s allergies: Children who suffer from hayfever, eczema and asthma should eat strawberries as part of their daily diet. The high quercitin content in these berries can alleviate allergies, resulting in children not needing to be so reliant on anti-histamines, steroid creams and inhalers.