While viewing the list of children’s supplements with its heavy emphasis on cod liver oil, you may be thinking, “My mother hog-tied me to take cod liver oil, and I HATED it. I wouldn’t do that to my child in a million years!” Very understandable, as cod liver oil can be real nasty to swallow, and what’s worse, you might be burping it all day. But our moms deserve credit for their dead-on instinct. They probably didn’t even know the full import of what they were doing, reciting Vitamins A & D as the reason we had to endure the torture. Then Vitamin A & D enriched milk came to market, and cod liver oil fell by the wayside. Still, there is something in cod liver oil that today is even more important than its content of vitamins A & D. Cold-water fish are one of the few sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, and one tablespoon of cod liver oil provides around 370 mg of EPA and 420 mg of DHA. A multitude of research studies provide overwhelming and convincing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids have a huge impact on the health and mental development of our children. Many infant formulas are even fortified with DHA because the proof is so strong. Yet this nutrient has all but vanished from our children’s diets. When I was young, we ate lots of tuna, a good source of omega-3 EFAs. Everyday I carried a tuna fish sandwich to school in my Petticoat Junction lunch box. Fast food burger places were only for “special occasions.” Today, we’re warned to limit our consumption of tuna and salmon due to toxic levels of mercury in the oceans. And McDonald’s is no longer considered a treat; for many it’s a dietary staple. So cod liver oil is making a heroic comeback on behalf of our precious children’s mental health. There’s good news, though! The formulas are much less “fishy” tasting due to the emulsification process, and they’re even flavored with mint, lemon and orange oils because of their remarkable ability to drastically reduce disagreeable tastes.

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Milled flaxseed seems far too serious for kids! Flaxseed is all business when it comes to health, to be sure, but the omega-3 fatty acids that it offers are in high demand for their impressive effects on cognitive function and stable moods for all ages. No doubt you want your children to have every opportunity at good health, too, and with just a little creativity, you can make flaxseed downright fun for your kids. One of the easiest ways to provide children with EFAs is to sprinkle just a spoonful of flaxseed on their favorite breakfast cereal every morning. You can also use it to make cookie-like treats. Don’t bake with flaxseed, though, because it is very sensitive to hot temperatures and the heat of the oven will destroy the beneficial fatty acids. A great recipe for no-bake flaxseed balls is ½ C peanut butter, ¼ C honey, ½ C date sugar, ½ C rice cereal, ½ C milled flaxseed, and ½ C shredded coconut. Mix together peanut butter, honey and date sugar. Fold in rice cereal and flaxseed. Form into walnut-sized balls and roll in shredded coconut to coat. Refrigerate. Makes about 24. Each ball contains 1 tsp of flaxseed or 500 mg of brain-healthy omega-3 EFAs. 

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Can’t imagine your child asking for exotic pomegranate juice? Maybe not yet, but try mixing it with his or her favorite juice and see what happens. One of my favorite ways to drink it is with Perrier or another sparkling water in a 1:3 ratio with a few squirts of fresh lime to give it a little zing. Kids will love it mixed in the same ratio with lemonade, sparkling or otherwise. Knudsen’s Jamaican Lemonade is a good choice since it is 100% juice with no sugar. You can even stir it into vanilla ice cream for a treat. Why pomegranate juice? Because most children are no different than adults in that they prefer to snack on chips and soda rather than fruits and vegetables. Consequently, they’re being shortchanged of health-preserving antioxidants and other compounds provided by the latter group. Of all fruits, pomegranate juice is bursting with antioxidants like ellagic acid that help keep the immune system strong to defend them against all the stuff they come in contact with at school or daycare. Remember, you don’t have to be over 21 to drink pomegranate juice unless you’re making Cosmopolitans with it!

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