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Probiotic Foods for Kids

Probiotics can be a healthy and safe way to improve children's digestion and fight infection. Serving children with foods that contain probiotics ensures they get the benefits of live and active cultures. Even picky eaters can find food containing probiotics that will please their palate.

  1. History

    • Foods containing probiotics have been staples of Asian diets for hundreds of years, says SoyInfo.com. Good sources of probiotics include yogurt, miso, soy, and fermented and unfermented milk. Be sure to buy yogurt that contains "live and active cultures," cautions WhatToExpect.com, and isn't too high in sugar.

    Benefits

    • Probiotics come from two groups of bacteria called Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. They are live microorganisms that are good for kids' bodies, says WhatToExpect.com, and keep kids' digestive tracts working well. Eating probiotic foods helps maintain a healthy and strong immune system, reports SoyInfo.com. It also protects the good bacteria in children's intestines, which is key to avoiding yeast infections.

    Types

    • Pickles and sauerkraut contain probiotics created during the pickling process. Tangy plain yogurt supplies probiotics through its live and active cultures. Another probiotics source is tempeh, a fermented soy product. According to SoyInfo.com, miso, which is also a fermented soy product, contains probiotics and can be enjoyed by kids. The 1st Probiotics website reports that chocolate contains probiotics in a much greater amount than other sources. Consuming 13.5 grams---about one-third of a candy bar---is enough to provide adequate amounts of probiotics.

    Probiotic Enhanced Foods

    • For kids who aren't fans of natural probiotic foods, manufacturers have stepped up with kid-friendly products that have added probiotics. Nestle has a line of probiotic drinks available for kids, and BioGaia has marketed a probiotic straw kids can use to drink their favorite beverage. Attune sells vegan Wellness Bars, enhanced with probiotics.

    Considerations

    • The most economical way to introduce probiotics into kids' diets is giving them foods that naturally contain probiotics, such as yogurt. SoyInfo.com advises against allowing children to ingest large amounts of fermented soy products, as they contain high amounts of sodium. Small servings once or twice a week of tempeh or miso are adequate to provide probiotics. When offering pickles or sauerkraut to kids, consider making them at home with your children, to provide probiotics and quality time in the kitchen. And tiny amounts of chocolate can be sweet, probiotic-packed treats every once in awhile.

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