A marvellous detoxifier, rocket provides numerous health benefits to your child including strengthening his/her bones, improves cognitive functions, prevents cancer, protects eyes, ensures quick detoxification of your child’s body, controls inflammation and also aids in clotting of blood. The nitrate rich rocket can actually control the amount of oxygen intake of your growing child while he/she remains energetic throughout the day. This kind of benefit offered by rocket is really essential for your child’s overall well-being of your toddler because not only he/she requires natural nutrient sources but also needs natural supplements (like rocket) to make sure that the body can hold onto the good things.

Giving Rocket to Your child

Normally rocket or better known as arugula is consumed fresh into salads but giving raw leafy vegetables to your toddler might not be a good idea. For that reason it is advised that if you decide to feed rocket or arugula to your little one, then it is better if you mix it up with pastas, casseroles, and sauces just like other leafy greens. The good news is that it tends to sauté faster when compared to other leafy vegetables and for that reason it will be easier for your child to digest it. Due to its peppery flavor, arugula is often mixed with other milder greens such as watercress and romaine. You can also sprinkle some of it as pizza toppings for your little fan of pizza. Do remember that arugula should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a few days of purchase. In fact, there are more than one ways by which you can add this leafy green in your child’s regular diet. You can add a handful of fresh arugula to an omelet or scramble, throw a handful of arugula and blend into a fresh juice or smoothie, Sauté arugula in a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, offer it as a side dish with baked potato to your little or also you can add arugula to your wrap, sandwich, or flatbread in their lunch boxes.

Health Facts of Rockets for Children

This super-nutritious green leafy vegetable offers a number of health benefits to your child.

Improves Cognitive Functions:

100 gm of rocket has 97 mcg of folate, known to keep the cognitive abilities of your child, intact. Restoring and maintaining the level of cognitive abilities is of utmost importance for your child since these functionalities ensures his/her abilities pertaining to attention, memory, judgment, evaluation, reasoning etc

Improves Eyesight:

Don’t want your child to wear specs from an early age? Make sure he/she eats a lot of vegetables rich in vitamin A, like rocket which will definitely help your child to improve on his/her overall eye health and will also nourish the eyes and trigger the growth of the nerves in the early stages of development.

Strengthens Bones:

Arugula promises to keep your child’s teeth strong and bones in a fit shape. It has high calcium content which is the major building block of our body. But it is not only the Calcium in rocket which makes your bones strong but also the important vitamin K. The vitamin K is like the glue which helps to keep the calcium stick together to ensure strong bones.

Great Detoxifier:

Detoxification is the process by which your body flushes out all the toxic contents. Arugula or rocket is known for its great detoxification potency which will help your child’s body to get rid of the harmful toxins. In his/her early growth stages, your child is exposed to various levels of oxidative stresses and that can accumulate a heavy amount of toxin in his/her body. The regular consumption of similar leafy greens can really help his/her body to remain healthy and free toxic.

Rocket is rich in both vitamin C and A and they send free radicals to keep your child’s skin healthy and boosting his/her immunity. The detoxifiers found in rocket will also prevent your child from falling ill or catching cold on a regular basis.

Aids in Blood Clotting and Controls Inflammation:

A study revealed that rockets contain inflammation-fighting phytonutrients and hence will contribute by quickening the healing process of any swelling or injury, your child might be suffering from. Sometimes wounds take longer to heal and it might make your child a bit irritable. However, the regular consumption of rockets will in fact trigger the healing process.

Prevents Cancer:

Mostly due to the anti-oxidizing properties, rocket has the potential to kill any sort of cancerous cell that might be present in your child’s body. The free radicals sent out by the vitamins, found in rocket, damage the DNA of similar cells and help your child to maintain a healthier life.

Precautions:

Rocket as a leafy vegetable is indeed a healthy choice but at the same time it is rich is oxalic acid. That means that if your child’s kidney is not a healthy one, the consumption of the same might trigger the growth of stone in his/her kidney. So it is better that you consult with your paediatrician before sprinkling this wonderful leafy green on to your child’s meal.