9 Easy Ways to Keep ADHD Kids Healthy

How to help your child eat regularly and stay healthy.

by Gwen Morrison

1. Feed your child nutrient-dense foods. Try single servings of foods like yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter, turkey, and granola.
   
   
2. Fill up on breakfast. Offer your child a high-protein, high-calorie meal before medication.
   
   
3. Serve liquid meals. High-protein drinks, shakes, and smoothies provide daily nutrients.
   
   
4. Encourage grazing. Eating four to five small meals a day helps your child to stay well-fed. Avoid soft drinks and overly refined foods.
   
   
5. Give a daily multivitamin.
   
   
6. Limit juice intake. Drinking more than eight ounces of juice each day may make your child feel too full to eat.
   
   
7. Schedule outdoor play before meals. Fresh air and physical activity spark your child's metabolism, prompting him to feel hungry.
   
   
8. Try different foods. Engage your child in new recipes to raise her interest in eating.
   
   
9. Buy fortified foods. Look around your grocery store for fortified milk, calcium-infused juices, or enriched breads and snack bars.