If your kids are anything like mine are, they can be really picky about eating foods that are healthy for them.
So what do I do?
I try to get the best, most healthy foods in them when I can… and I work on their picky food attitudes as well. (I’ll be sharing my tips for dealing with picky eaters with you next week.)
One of the ways I work to get really healthy foods is them is via superfoods!
Superfoods are foods that are very high in nutrients, and they’re commonly found in things like vitamins and green drinks.
Today, I want to introduce you to one you may not know about yet. It’s great, and it actually tastes good so your kids won’t fuss at you about taking it.
Meet Maca
Maca is a food… a root to be exact.
It’s a Peruvian plant that contains the following nutrients:
- carbohydrates
- protein
- fiber
- almost all of the essential amino acids
- 20 free fatty acids
- B vitamins and vitamin C
- major minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and sodium
It also just so happens to be a good source of iodine so if you don’t get much seaweeds in your diet, this is a good way to get that much-needed trace mineral.
Maca is considered to be a superfood as well as an adaptogen. “An adaptogen is a substance that raises the physical body’s state of resistance to diseases through physiological and emotional health improvements. This makes Maca a broad-based healer with many benefits able to support and rejuvenate overwhelmed, tired adrenal glands eventually resulting in much greater energy, stamina, clarity of mind and spirit, and the ability to handle stress.”
Being that maca is a superfood and an adaptogen, it’s a perfect nutritional food not only for kids but for mom and dad too. It can be used at any time for males and females… even during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
For adults, it’s known to help with:
- libido in males and females both (oh yeah!!)
- fertility in both men and women
- balancing hormones in balance in all stages of life
- memory improvement
- increased energy
- mood stabilization
- improvement in adrenal function and help with chronic fatigue
- decreased anxiety and stress
- improved circulation
- strong bones and teeth
- hair growth
- improved skin tone
- and so much more
Can’t you see how this really is a great SUPERFOOD?
Quality of Maca
Now, like many foods, there are varying qualities of maca so I choose to buy mine from a small, family-owned and operated business with a good reputation and a quality product that I like. I trust them. And their prices aren’t too shabby either.
Be sure to check out the maca that The Maca Team has to offer.
They have several different kinds for you to choose from. And remember, it never hurts to get more nutrients into yourself and your kids when you can.
How I Use Maca
I mainly use maca in our food AFTER I’ve cooked it.
Again, maca is high in nutrients so it goes in our food after it’s cooked so that the heat of cooking doesn’t destroy the benefits. I basically put it in any foods my kids are eating where I don’t think they’ll notice it. It’s a great addition to my homemade herbal multivitamins, and I often use it in soups, sprinkle it on veggies with a little sea salt, and mix it into pureed things like mashed/baked potatoes or applesauce even! Sometimes it isn’t always possible to use maca raw so if I use it in foods I’m cooking, I try to stick with low-temperature cooking.
Now like I said, it doesn’t taste bad, but you know how kids are when they know you’re putting healthy foods or “vitamins” in something. It automatically tastes bad… even when it really doesn’t. I’ve really NEVER had my kids complain about their food when I use maca in it though… they don’t even notice it.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for a delicious smoothie recipe that uses maca, and I’ll be sharing a few more of my kids’ favorite maca incorporated recipes with you next month as well. You and your kids will love it… mine do!
Win Some Maca And Try It Out For Yourself
This week The Maca Team is giving away free maca products to 3 lucky Growing Up Herbal readers. Each winner will receive their choice of an 8 oz. bag of either red maca, black maca, or gelatinized maca.
All you have to do is enter into the Rafflecopter form below. There are several entries that are one-time entries, and if you really want some extra chances of winning, there are some daily entries you can get as well.
This giveaway will run for 5 days… starting today and ending on Friday, March 7th at midnight EST.
Three winners will be drawn at random on March 8th. If you really want to win you’ll want to have as many entries as possible. Each entry is like putting your name in the hat again. The number of times depends upon how much the entries count for. The more times your name is in the hat, the better chance you have of winning. Make sense?
The winner’s names will be announced in the Rafflecopter form below on March 8th, in a blog post, on Facebook, and in an email newsletter. The winners will have 72 hours to contact me with their name and shipping address to claim their prizes.
Enjoy, and best of luck to you!!!
If you’re not interested in the giveaway at all and you’d rather just go ahead and order some maca powder, be sure to use my coupon code “HERBAL” because it will save you 10% on any product The Maca Team offers. This coupon code is only good for 2 weeks – today until March 17th so don’t miss out on it!
CLICK HERE to get your maca now!
Which maca did you use for the kids, I noticed the different colors had a few different properties. My teenage boys do not need help with their libido.
Thanks,
Tina
I have been using the gelatinized for the guys (I have all boys), and I use the one for the ladies. The gelatinized is easier on the tummy for beginners. I’ll be getting and trying the raw red maca soon because it’s supposed to have the best taste and we’ve all done fine with the gelatinized ones.
As far as libido goes… I think maca is for overall nutritional help. If you have issues in that area, you’ll hopefully see some improvement. My little ones don’t need help with that either, but they do need the overall nutrition. I don’t think it boosts that area… unless it’s deficient and needs it. Really it just nourishes the body and the body adjusts where it needs to. Hope that helps some!
My husband has been taking Maca for years and has tried to get me to take it. I’ve tried some, but it didn’t seem to “do” anything for me. After reading about the different types of maca, I’m thinking that perhaps the kind he’s been taking is black maca (though it just says “maca” on the label) and that’s why it wasn’t helping me any. 😉 Thank you so much for all this information. We didn’t know there were different types of maca!
You’re welcome! Definitely check them out. With my family, I supplement with it here and there so I’m not sure I’d be able to pin point it making a difference since we don’t take it on a regular basis, but I can definitely tell I have more energy after I take it. It’s called Peruvian Ginseng for a reason I suppose, but it’s not like a major boost or anything. I will say that my husband takes it more consistently than I do. I’ll have to ask him if he’s noticed a difference. Thanks for sharing!
Maca sounds so amazing! I am recovering from two unsuccessful surgeries for a rare nerve disorder, and I’m also mildly disabled. As such my family’s diet and health has declined as I’ve not had the energy to be in the kitchen making healthy meals, and as my husband calls them, my kitchen witch potions- recipes I get from your great site to improve my daughters’ health and well being, as well as salves, essential oil and medicinal herb combinations. I love this information about Maca. It sounds like just what we need (along with your homemade vitamin balls which I just reread!) Do you know if they would grow well in the desert?
Thank you for offering this amazing giveaway and for your fantastic site. I learn something valuable from you each week, and I really appreciate it!
You’re so welcome Tracy. I’ve honestly not tried maca in anything sweet besides the smoothies and it works great in them. I will try it out in a dessert soon and let you know, but I’m sure it would be fine. I think it has a sweet flavor myself.
I use the powdered form of Maca in my smoothies..
But HOW MUCH? is the question.. the bag says One teaspoon per
day.. is this too much for kids?
If I were you Gary, I’d check out the website where you bought your maca. They will have recommended amounts for children.
What about the possible estrogen effect of Maca with children OR adults who do not need more estrogen in their systems? Is this true? Is it REALLY safe for kids? I need more facts!
I’m sorry Donna… I don’t have expert answers for your questions. From my understanding, maca is safe for children. I know that their dose is less than an adult dose, and that you can’t overdose on it. The Maca Team also states that maca helps to balance hormones so my guess is that it wouldn’t spike estrogen levels, but everyone is different. Anyway, those are my thoughts. If you want more answers I’d email The Maca Team. They’re really nice and helpful, and I’m sure they can answer your questions better than I can.
My same concern…really would live to help balance my boys hormones and give my 11 yr old a boost of energy because hes lower volt.
Black maca?
There’s a whole page of info on The Maca Team’s website called “which maca is best for me.” From there you can find the “maca for men,” and they have a bunch of helpful info there. Perhaps that will give you some guidance on which one to use for your boys. It does seem like black maca is the most recommended.
My husband and I have started taking Maca in our smoothies in the morning. We have noticed how much energy it has given us but we were wondering if we are able to give some to our one year old daughter. We are currently taking the black, red, and purple Maca but not sure which one is safe for our little girl.
I’m not all that sure on the different varieties, but if you visit The Maca Team’s website, it will explain the differences to you there.
Hi. Just wondering if my kids can have raw maca root ? They’re 3 and 4 yrs old. Will it upset their stomach ?
Yes, I believe children can have maca as it fits the definition of an adaptogen in that it’s relatively non-toxic. Of course, their dosage would be much less than that of an adult dose. You can figure out how to adjust dosages for children here. And gelatanized maca is supposed to be more gentle on the stomach than raw maca so I’d go with that for little ones.
My 13-year-old boy has a lot of acne, and he is growing breast do you think Maca might help to regulate his hormones?
That would be something to speak with his doctor or a clinical herbalist about. A lot of people have had success with maca alongside other lifestyle changes to regulate hormones. One of the biggest areas to focus on for hormone regulation is the liver as hormones are removed from the body there. A lot of acne can suggest that liver stagnation is present so using herbs that help support liver health, specifically detoxification, can be helpful. Again, speaking with a clinical herbalist or researching hormone regulation with herbs can really help you come up with a plan on how to move forward. Best of luck, mama!