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The 3 Best Probiotics For Kids, According To Experts

Curious about the best probiotics for kids? 

You’re not alone. You love them with all you have, and now more than ever parents want to give their kids the very best. 

Perhaps, you’ve done some reading and experimenting with probiotics yourself and have considered them for your wee ones. The good news is that, according to Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, probiotics are considered generally safe and well-tolerated for normal, healthy infants and children. And there may be many potential benefits of taking probiotics for children.

The most common types of probiotics are: 

• Lactobacillus
• Bifidobacterium
• Streptococcus
• Saccharomyces boulardii

Parenting requires a lot of research and decision-making when it comes to the health and wellness of your little ones. Not only do we need to look out for their physical and mental well-being, but we have to live with the choices that we’re making for them and hope that it works out in the end. That’s why it’s important to do your research on probiotic brands made for children and consult with your trusted healthcare provider. 

With that being said, let’s take a look at the best probiotics for kids and how they may benefit their little bodies and which might be best for your kiddos. From chewable probiotics for kids to powders, we’ve explored the options for you and are sharing our top three probiotics for kids you should know about. 

Should Kids Take Probiotics?

This is a question many parents ask when it comes to looking after the tummies of their little ones: Should kids take probiotics? 

The question of whether children should take probiotics is a complex one, but you’ll be glad to know that probiotics are generally recognized as safe, and can benefit nearly everyone. That said, every single human is slightly different than the next one. We all have different body types, diets, family histories, and other factors that might determine or impact what bacteria are thriving in our bodies or not. Even more so, these factors can change throughout life and shift the bacteria community in a way that may be positive or negative for the individual in question. 

Some questions you may ask yourself when determining whether you want your child to take probiotics are: 

• Why do I want to give my kid probiotics? 
• Is my kid struggling with occasional digestive woes? 
• Have I tried other methods of getting probiotics in my kiddo through fermented and probiotic-rich foods? 
• What type of probiotic supplement would be the best delivery for my little one? (For example, chewable probiotics for kids tend to be the best for your picky eaters)

Of course, choosing the best probiotics for kids is going to very much depend on your preferences. While it’s usually best to get a spectrum of beneficial nutrients into your little ones through a healthy and diverse diet, sometimes our picky eaters have a hard time eating probiotic-rich foods. That’s when creative, tasty, and chewable probiotics for kids come to the rescue! 

Best Probiotics For Kids

While probiotics brands abound, a few stand out among the crowd for their quality, playfulness, and tastiness. In our great search for the best probiotics for kids, our favorite brand by far is Probulin My Little Bugs Total Care Probiotic. 

Let’s take a look at three different brands of probiotics for kids before diving deeper into why we really loved My Little Bugs. 

Probulin My Little Bugs Total Care Probiotic

• Type: Watermelon-shaped gummies
• Price: $ 

• CFU Strength: 3 billion + 2 billion from fermented organic fruits

Probulin My Little Bugs Total Care Probiotic creates a playful experience for even your pickiest of eaters. With little bug-shaped tablets that taste like watermelon, you have a higher chance of getting these beneficial “bugs” into your babe’s belly. My Little Bugs Total Care Probiotic was designed alongside the adult version of the Total Care line that features a powerful delivery system that ensures the good bacteria arrive in the gut alive. My Little Bugs are chewable probiotics for kids that are derived from organic fruits and vegetables to give parents even more peace of mind. It doesn’t get any better than that! 

You can learn more about Probulin My Little Bugs Total Care Probiotic or purchase them here.

Nordic Naturals Kids Probiotic Gummies

• Type: Gummies
• Price: $
• CFU Strength: 1.5 Billion

Nordic Naturals Kids Probiotic Gummies are another delivery method that kids can get excited about. Like the chewable above, the gummies remind children of candy, and it’s difficult to find a child who doesn’t love candy! These probiotics are free from common allergens and are designed specifically for tiny tummies. 

You can learn more about Nordic Naturals Kids Probiotic Gummies or purchase them here.

Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood Protein + Probiotics

• Type: Powder
• Price: $$
• CFU Strength: 1 billion CFU (with added protein) 

Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood Protein + Probiotics are another way to get beneficial nutrients and probiotics into your kid but in powder form. This powder comes in chocolate and strawberry flavors that encourage little ones to give it a try. With a power combo of plant protein, fruits, veggies, and probiotics, you’ll rest easy knowing your child is filling up on nutritional powerhouses even if they refuse to eat their dinner. 

You can learn more about Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood Protein + Probiotics or purchase them here.

Why Probulin My Little Bugs Total Care Probiotic Is One Of The Best

We love all of the probiotics options above, but what we loved most about Probulin My Little Bugs Total Care Probiotic and the reason it stood out as  our favorite is because of the care that has gone into creating such a powerful chewable probiotics for kids. Let’s explore these little bugs so you can decide for yourself. We love that My Little Bugs contain the four components that are most critical to a good probiotic for children: 

4 Ingredients to Look for in a Children’s Probiotic

• Prebiotics which act as fuel to energize and keep alive the live bacteria 
• Probiotics, such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus, Saccharomyces boulardii, and more and postbiotics, for even more digestive support
• A whole-foods philosophy and approach (Little Bugs even contains a fermented blend from organic fruits and veggies)

Each of these important children’s probiotic ingredients ensures that your little one is consuming a probiotic that is at peak health all the way to the gut. 

Each tablet offers a broad-spectrum of digestive support from 15 carefully selected strains that contain 3 billion CFU and 2 billion CFU from fermented fruits and vegetables. You’ll know your child is in good hands as these probiotics for kids are formulated by a board-certified naturopathic doctor with over 20 years of experience and are third-party tested to ensure safety, efficacy, and stability. In addition, while they are shelf-stable and require no refrigeration, making them easy to take with you on the go, they arrive in a special packaging that protects them from any damaging heat they may encounter en route to you. They’re also vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and GMO-free, so you don’t have to worry about allergens and chemicals upsetting your babe’s tummy. 

How To Encourage Your Little One To Take Probiotics

There are many potential benefits of probiotics for kids, the main one being optimal digestive support for a happy, healthy tummy. Kids can get stomach upset from all kinds of things ranging from stress to diet. While probiotics can’t solve these problems, they may help balance digestion which leads to a happier, more comfortable child. 

If your kiddo is a little wary of trying probiotics, try these different strategies to see if it encourages them to give it a shot. 

• Talk to them about the shape of My Little Bugs. Explain that our bodies have little bugs inside them that help support different functions of the body. 
• Let them explore the probiotic. If it’s a chewable probiotic, let them hold it, smell it, or taste it without pressure to like it or eat it all. The same goes for the gummies and powders. 
• Create a routine around taking probiotics. If they’re helping your child, find ways to make a routine that incorporates probiotics, so it becomes a habit rather than a novel experience. 
• Experiment with different flavors and products until you find one that your child likes. 
• Encourage them to consume probiotics through different fermented or probiotic-rich foods and find ways to present those foods in an enticing way. 

If your child doesn’t want to take the probiotics or they don’t like the flavor, find ways to explore different strategies for getting healthy foods into their body. For example, you could blend veggies into a spaghetti sauce or keep trying other probiotics until they find one they like. 

The Takeaway

Living a healthy lifestyle is a lifelong journey that begins as soon as your baby is born. Everything in their environment and what goes into their body will have some impact on their health and wellness. While this can feel like a lot of pressure as a parent, remember that you don’t have to be perfect. If your kiddo likes probiotics, great! If they don’t want to take them, go easy on yourself and trust that they’re learning about taking care of their bodies by the example you set. You’re doing the best that you can, and they’ll remember that!

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