Do you give your child fish oil/flaxseed oil supplements?

[fivi2]

So the low carb thread has had me researching... I am not going to change my dcs' diets (they are 2.5), but I am a little concerned that they aren't getting enough fat. Not intentionally but just because of what they typically eat. I am usually not big on supplements - I prefer to try and meet their needs through a variety of foods, but we don't eat fish or red meat, they don't drink milk (they do eat a lot of cheese and sometimes yogurt). They don't really like peanut butter etc. They do eat a lot of avocado, though.

I was wondering about fish oil or flaxseed oil. Does anyone give either to their young kids? Which one/what brand? Ummm, is fish oil safe? (One of my big concerns about fish is the high amount of toxins)
TIA!

[cdlamis]

I give my kids (3 and 6) cod liver oil every morning (pure oil, not the chewable capsules). I give 1/4 tsp each. We use the Nordic Naturals brand- its peach flavored and not bad. The oil feel is more icky than the actual taste.
Surprisingly, my kids enjoy taking it. We make a game out of it- we all take hold our drink in our hand and take a swig as soon as we get the oil.

[brittone2]

We give Nordic Naturals or Carlson's lemon oil. Both of my kids love it too (far more than I do). DD usually protests that she can only have a small amount...she always wants a second helping

We also really promote eating a lot of dietary fats around here in general.

[mommy111]

We use a strawberry flavored brand (I don't have it at hand but I think its nordic naturals). I chose it specifically because it said on the bottle that they test for heavy metals (eg mercury) at their lab and that this fish oil has had no detectable levels of mercury/heavy metals.

[baileygirl]

We use a strawberry flavored Nordic Naturals, DS is 21 months.

[fivi2]

Thanks everyone! I am going to try to sneak more fats in - I don't leave them out intentionally. They just seem to prefer a lot of fruits and even veggies! (I'm not complaining).

I will look into the supplements mentioned and see about adding those

[brittone2]

With what you described, what about offering a lot of full-fat dips to up the fats along with the fruits/veggies? You could do whole fat greek yogurt seasoned with some garlic, onion, and other savory spices for dipping veggies, or hummus with a little extra olive oil, or tsatsiki...

or you could use the yogurt plain or sweeten lightly and have them dip fruit, etc. in it.

[KBecks]

I have thought about giving fish oil to the kids but haven't really looked into it in detail yet. I am taking it and will continue to throughout pregnancy and probably BF and maybe longer. Would love to learn more about it.

[CAM7]

I give my kids (2.5 yrs & 3.5 yrs) flax oil everyday. It's suppose to help with brain development. I've notice their skin is super soft now and healthy looking....and DD had some mild excema which is gone now.

For some kids it curbs behaviour problems and helps with sleep issues.

Search on MDC for more info... we use the Barleans brand. My DD (21 yrs) takes it now too...she says it helps with moods and sleep. I think it's helped regulate my cycle.

[maestramommy]

I give my kids (2.5 yrs & 3.5 yrs) flax oil everyday. It's suppose to help with brain development. I've notice their skin is super soft now and healthy looking....and DD had some mild excema which is gone now.

For some kids it curbs behaviour problems and helps with sleep issues.

Search on MDC for more info... we use the Barleans brand. My DD (21 yrs) takes it now too...she says it helps with moods and sleep. I think it's helped regulate my cycle.

That is interesting! We're trying out not using lotion during summer since we're now living in a humid place, but Dora's legs, esp. her knees still look a little dry.

What type of flax oil do you give your kids (caplet, liquid, etc)? And where can I find the Barleans brand? Thanks!