Omega-3 fatty acids are important nutritional compounds essential for a child's brain, eye and cardiovascular development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, many food sources of omega-3 fats are contaminated with toxic compounds such as PCB and mercury, and parents should limit children's intake of tuna, tilefish, mackerel and other high-risk seafood species. Omega-3 supplements may act as a viable alternative to food sources of omega-3. These products are often made from fish oil, flaxseed oil or algae. Although some children will take omega-3 supplements eagerly, others require some degree of persuasion.
Step 1
Consult your child's health care provider before giving her any nutritional supplement, particularly if she has a medical condition. Children should take omega-3 products only when a physician advises supplementation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Fish oil may cause serious side effects for young children, including severe diarrhea.
Step 2
Mix ground flaxseed into your child's favorite foods. Mask flaxseed's strong, somewhat acrid flavor with rich, fatty foods such as peanut butter or chocolate pudding. Use a teaspoon of flaxseed in your child's pancakes, oatmeal or breakfast cereal. Flaxseed is an excellent source of the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA.
Step 3
Give your child flavored fish oil supplements before a large meal. The supplement manufacturer Solgar sells a fruit punch fish oil chew for children, and Nordic Naturals offers a strawberry-flavored capsule. Flavored fish oil is also available as a gel, liquid or chocolate candy. Most of these products have been distilled to remove any "fishy" tastes and odor, and children generally take them with few complaints.
Step 4
Mix liquid fish oil with sugar if your child resists all other methods of administering the supplement. The age-old "spoonful of sugar" adage can coax picky children into taking unpleasant-tasting supplements. Use one teaspoon of sugar per teaspoon of oil, and place it under your child's tongue to minimize the fish oil's taste.
Step 5
Give your child a large glass of milk or soy milk to rinse the aftertaste of fish oil from his taste buds. A fat-soluble beverage eliminates fish oil's flavor more effectively than water or juice.
Tips and Warnings
- Give omega-3 supplements before or after a meal to minimize reflux and stomach discomfort.
Things You'll Need
- Omega-3 supplement
- Ground flaxseeds
Member Comments