*Ad - This post is part of a collaboration with EquazenWith the majority of UK children heading back to school next week after the 6 week holiday, parents nationwide are currently fretting about uniforms, school shoes and lunchboxes - all of those things considered Back To School Essentials.
But despite their best efforts at making sure their children are all kitted out and ready for the new term, most parents will be all too familiar with the grumpiness, lack of interest in homework and general struggle to re-adjust that can often come with a return to school after a long break - but did you know that there may be something pretty simple you can do to combat that?
Infact, it could all be linked to their diet and nutrient intake.
Dr. Emma Derbyshire, public health nutritionist and an advisor to Equazen said: “Maintaining a good diet is vital for helping a child ease back into school. Parents are doing a brilliant job when it comes to building in ‘five a day’ for their children, but many struggle to include the Government recommended portion of fish and oily fish per week and the Omega-3 fatty acids that impact brain health.”
The recommended weekly intake of oily fish is currently 140 grams, but recent research shows that most children are only getting between 13-29 grams.
I can relate to how difficult it can be to increase this if your children aren't keen on the taste of fish - while my eldest two are happy to eat salmon and tuna, my youngest won't touch anything more adventurous than a fish finger!
I've tried everything I can think of over the years to encourage him to eat oily fish, but nothing works - he just seems to hate the taste.
So what can parents in my position do?
Dr. Emma Derbyshire said: “Ideally, children should obtain all the essential fatty acids they need from their diet, but where this isn’t possible, supplements such as Equazen liquid and chews are available as a supplement to help bridge any potential nutritional gaps and support brain function.”
Equazen have a full range of supplements available to suit all needs - from their Mumomega and Baby product, to their Equazen + Multivitamins which are suitable for the whole family (age 3 +) and are even suitable for vegetarians.
We've been using the Family Range which come in 3 different formats - citrus flavor liquid, capsules (suitable for age 5+) or strawberry flavoured chews.
The strawberry chews are definitely our favourites - the kids really enjoy them and have never complained about any nasty after tastes, and they're suitable for use from age 3.
This has been ideal for my youngest as he's old enough to have them, never makes a fuss about it and I know he's getting the nutrients he needs without any dinner time battles - ideal!
If you're having the same struggles with ensuring your families fatty acid intake is enough, I highly recommend Equazen supplements for ease and peace of mind.
The Equazen range is available from Boots, Holland and Barratt, selected supermarkets and from www.equazen.co.uk
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