Gut-Friendly Swaps for Popular Kid's Foods

What your little one eats doesn't just matter today - their food choices shape their long-term gut health. A healthy gut (aka a balanced ecosystem of bacteria in the digestive tract) can influence digestion, behavior, and overall well-being. 

Many classic kid foods, especially ultra-processed snacks that are low in fiber, can work against gut health. However, simple swaps can make meals much more gut-friendly and add back in nutrients that kids need.

Let’s cover how to identify gut-healthy options and easy swaps for your kiddo’s favorite foods.

What Makes a Food “Gut-Friendly"?

Foods can be considered gut-friendly when they support the ecosystem inside the digestive tract. This ecosystem is made up of millions of bacteria that work together to keep the gut balanced. 

Foods can either help this microbiome thrive or disrupt it, leading to issues like gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea.

Here are a few key factors that determine if a food supports gut health:

Fiber Content 

Fiber is a part of food that our bodies can’t digest, but it plays a big role in feeding the good bacteria in the gut. It can also help strengthen the gut lining to help your little one have more regular poops. 

Some types of fiber, called prebiotics, are especially helpful because they act as fuel for beneficial bacteria. When these bacteria digest prebiotics, they create short-chain fatty acids that can reduce inflammation and improve overall gut function.

Fermented Foods

Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and kombucha contain live beneficial bacteria. Different fermented foods provide different strains of good bacteria, so look for labels that say “live probiotic strains” or “active cultures” to make sure it’s giving your little one a probiotic boost. 

Ultra-Processed (Preservatives & Artificial Sweeteners)

Foods that are highly processed often contain preservatives and artificial sweeteners. These ingredients have been shown to disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut and may cause inflammation (1).

Added Sugar Content

Foods that have high amounts of added sugar have been shown to disrupt the microbiome by lowering the diversity of types of bacteria(2). This lowered diversity is linked to a weaker immune system, inflammation, and increased risk of gut issues like constipation and diarrhea. 

Gut-Friendly Swaps for Popular Kid Foods

Now that we know what makes a food gut-friendly, the goal is to swap classic kid foods for options that have more fiber, less sugar, less artificial additives, and add a fermented option if possible.

1. Cereal

Depending on the brand, kids’ cereal can be very high in added sugar and low in fiber. To choose a more gut-friendly option, opt for one with:

• <5 grams of added sugar (the lower the better)

• >5 grams of fiber

• Whole grains

Tip: If your kiddo is a picky eater and needs to transition to healthier cereals slowly, mix a high fiber, whole grain option with their current favorite cereal! You can also use high fiber cereals as granola to pair with their favorite fruit for more natural sweetness.

2. Yogurt

Although yogurt is naturally a fermented food, many kids' yogurts don’t actually include any live strains of probiotics and are full of added sugars.

Choose plain, full-fat yogurt and look for phrases like “live probiotic strains” or “active cultures” on the label. 

If your kiddo struggles with the tartness of unsweetened yogurt, blend it with fruits like berries, kiwi, banana, or orange for natural sweetness and an extra fiber boost.

3. Juice & Soda

Juice and soda are some of the biggest contributors of added sugar to a kid’s diet. 

Avoid using “sugar-free” or “diet” versions of juice or soda that use artificial sweeteners as a substitute. You can identify these by the “sugar alcohol” section of the nutrition label or looking at the ingredients list for things like aspartame, sucralose, sorbitol, erythitol, or xylitol. 

To choose a gut-friendly drink for your little one, choose fruit-infused water (store bought or homemade), unsweetened sparkling water, or kefir for a creamy alternative that has live probiotic strains.

4. Chips & Puffs

Crunchy snacks can be a staple in a kiddo’s diet, but they often lack fiber or any nutrients that help their gut thrive. To choose a more gut-healthy option while still offering a crunchy snack, try less processed foods like:

• Cheese crisps

• Roasted chickpeas

• Crispy puffed edamame

• Lentil chips

• Kale chips

5. Pasta

Pasta can be a great source of carbohydrates and whole grains, but many pasta brands and mac and cheese varieties have very little fiber and are highly processed. For a gut-friendly option, choose whole grain pasta or pasta made from chickpeas or lentils to increase the fiber content. 

For an extra gut-healthy boost,incorporate fermented foods into the pasta like yogurt for a creamy sauce or kimchi for asian-inspired noodle dishes. 

6. Ice Cream

Ice cream is a beloved sweet treat, but can be harmful to the gut because of its high sugar content. 

Try alternatives like banana “nice cream” made from blended frozen bananas, yogurt-based frozen treats, or kefir popsicles. These options have less sugar and include prebiotics or probiotics to support the microbiome.

More Gut-Friendly Tips

If your kiddo isn’t quite ready to make substitutions to their favorite foods, here are some less overwhelming additions to their diet that can still improve their gut health.

• Adding chia seeds or flax seedsto any cereal, pasta dish, or smoothie is a great way to add extra fiber and prebiotics without changing the whole meal. 

• Mix in a tasteless and textureless fiber supplement like Growing Up Prebiotics for an effortless gut-health boost that your kiddo won’t even notice! It’s packed with 3 grams of fiber and two kinds of natural prebiotics without any added sugar or artificial sweeteners. 

• Focus on offering a wide varietyof fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds each day. Eating many different foods supports a diverse and healthy microbiome.

Summary

Classic kids’ foods can sometimes be low in fiber, high in sugar, highly processed, and lack probiotics. However, there are simple swaps to give your kiddo the prebiotics, probiotics, and nutrients they need for a healthy gut.