Hide the nutrients in your kids' foods

Picky kids are, unfortunately, "on the menu" in most families. Trying to move past picky can be more than a little trying, but you have some good basics; you can move into a groove of getting them eating better.

Here then is my Top 10 Foods for Kids list — and some recipes to help you utilize these nutritional powerhouses:

1. Optimal Oatmeal: A fabulous breakfast food, full of B vitamins, iron, zinc and calcium. Old-fashioned oatmeal offers quick energy for busy kids with its carb load and fiber count.

2. Egg 'em On: Eggs are a great source of protein and a host of other nutrients, including the B vitamins, vitamin E, and zinc, to name a few. The American Heart Association's Guidelines have changed and an egg a day (for adults) is OK now. For kids? Well, they didn't say, so use your own good judgment.

3. Nuttin' Better: Nut butters are great fast foods for kids. Kids need the fat (it's a good fat if it doesn't have hydrogenated oils mixed in it), and they need the protein. And while peanuts can be problematic and even life threatening to allergic kids, other nut butters may be OK (but definitely check with your doctor first). Almond butter is a personal favorite.

4. Culture Club: Kick your child's milk consumption up a notch and include yogurt on the menu. A great source of calcium, yogurt is easier to digest than regular milk, and the cultures (check the label to make sure they're in there!) are very beneficial to good colon health . . . especially if your child has been on antibiotics. Watch it on the sugar content, though. A better idea is to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit.

5. Mmmm, Mmmm Melons!: My personal choice would be cantaloupe in the melon department. Vitamin C, beta-carotene, bits and pieces of B vitamins and trace minerals and calcium fill every juicy bite. Melons are not to be missed when they're plentiful and in season.

6. Tree Cheers!: Kids like to call broccoli "trees," and sometimes you can get picky kids to eat trees rather than broccoli. Broccoli is one of the best vegetables for anyone, especially growing kids, due to its calcium content and a whole host of other nutrients, such as potassium, beta-carotene and B vitamins.

7. Terrific Tubers: Sweet potatoes contain 30 mg. beta-carotene per cup. It would take 23 cups of broccoli to get that same amount! And with 3 grams of fiber per serving, sweet potatoes deserve a place at the table.