6 Simple Ways to Improve A Child’s Digestion (for Better Mood, Sleep, Focus, and Immune Health)

allergy digestion immune health mood learning & behaviour

healthy child feeling great highlighting how a child can thrive when their digestion is good

There's no question... the gut plays a huge role in our health. Whether you’re a parent, doctor, therapist, teacher, nutritionist, or anyone else who cares about the health of kids, supporting digestion opens the door to better health, behavior, and learning. I'll show you why that is and what to do to support it.

A strong digestive system not only fuels the body but also helps kids fight off infections, allergies, and inflammation. When digestion is working well, kids wil:

Sleep better
Stay calmer and more focused
Have steadier energy
Feel less irritable
Become more open to new foods
Get sick less often and get better more quickly
Have fewer allergies

Here are 4 reasons why:

Digestion breaks down food into fuel for every cell. Without that fuel, processes slow down and function suffers. Poor digestion may mean all the great food your kids are eating isn't fueling them as well as it could.
The digestive process clears out waste the body doesn’t need. If waste isn't cleared out it either sits in the colon or gets recycled and causes problems. This adds a lot of stress to a growing child.
The gut microbiome (the trillions of microbes living inside) “trains” immune cells on how to respond properly. If they misguide the immune system, our kids become more susceptible to allergies and autoimmune conditions.
Our gut bacteria create crucial metabolites, like neurotransmitters, vitamins, and short-chain fatty acids. These keep the ecosystem healthy, reduce inflammation, balance immune response, improve mood regulation, learning, stress resilience, metabolism, and protect against disease.

A healthy gut sets the stage for a healthy child. While we have some great assessment tools now to see what's going on in there, the reality is that small steps at home can make a big difference.

6 Ways to Support A Child’s Digestion

1. Create Calm at Mealtimes

I know life with kids is busy but making time for food and sit-down meals is a huge boost to digestive health.

The brain is actually where digestion starts - thinking about, seeing, and smelling food is the first step to get those digestive juices going. Make time for that. Also, stress shuts down digestion, so the more relaxed you can make your meal times, the better that food will be digested.

A few deep breaths, light music, or a fun table ritual can help kids relax and actually use the food they eat.

2. Add Fermented Foods

These living foods (like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso) bring helpful bacteria to the gut that keep harmful microbes in check. Some also bring pre-biotic fuel into the system to help maintain peace in the ecosystem. Start small with yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or a probiotic supplement. If gas, bloat, or irritability get worse, testing may be needed.

3. Use Foods that Heal and Soothe

Simple foods can calm the gut lining and reduce inflammation. Try lemon, ginger or peppermint teas to soothe digestive complaints and stimulate digestive enzymes. Bone broth is rich in collagen, gelatin, and amino acids that help repair and strengthen the gut lining, while Slippery Elm calms irritation and protects. Aloe vera and Okra reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing. Cabbage (especially when juiced) can help repair the stomach and intestinal lining. Berries are packed with flavonoids and antioxidants that reduce gut inflammation and support a healthy microbiome. Finding creative ways to incorporate these (smoothies, popsicles, stir fries, soups, sauces...) will bring a therapeutic layer to your kitchen!

4. Cut Down on Gut Troublemakers

Sugar, chemicals, plastics, artificial sweeteners, additives and certain medications can disrupt digestion and weaken immune balance. Focusing your efforts on real, whole, natural foods is great for digestive health. For some kids, also limiting gluten and dairy while you reset the gut helps as well.

5. Bring in Flavonoid-Rich Foods

Flavonoids are colorful plant compounds that protect the gut lining, reduce inflammation, and support immune cells. Think blueberries, grapes, citrus, red cabbage, kiwi, or even purple potatoes. The more color the better! Challenge your kids to Eat The Rainbow and call their attention to the beautiful colors nature has to offer. This is not only great for the gut, but it helps foster adventurous eaters too!

6. Boost Fibre (Slowly)

We don't digest fibre, but it's crucial food for good bacteria and it keeps waste moving. All plants will contain some sort of fiber - so think beans, seeds, fruits and veggies. Most people in Western society get about 5-8g of fiber a day, while we really need 25-50g for good gut health.

Add fibre gradually if your child has gut issues. And if it causes gas, bloat, pain, constipation, or behavior flares, get a child-specific comprehensive stool test to figure out why.

Why This Matters

More and more kids struggle with focus, sleep, mood, or frequent illness. What often goes unnoticed is the digestive system’s role in these challenges.

If you are a parent or you work with children and families, encouraging simple, gut-supportive strategies like these will reduce the “background stress” that comes from digestive inflammation and discomfort. It also ensures that kids are making good use of the foods they are eating.

This will translate into:

Improved regulation, focus, sleep, and energy
Shorten recovery times from illness and stronger immune resilience
Less emotional and physical pain and increased resilience to physical and emotional stress
Better athletic performance, growth, and general development

Supporting digestion creates a strong foundation for any other therapy or support you're giving a child. Families often find that when the gut is healthier, progress in other areas - behavioral, emotional, cognitive - comes more easily.

The Bottom Line

When kids feel better, they do better.

As you improve digestion, kids eat better, sleep better, focus better, get sick less often, and feel better. Even one or two small changes at meals can start shifting things in the right direction.

If progress feels slow or you've hit a plateau, a child-specific functional gut test can give clear answers (this is the one I use and recommend). But steady attention to daily habits makes a huge difference.

https://www.jesssherman.com/blog/microbiome-testing-for-kids-benefits

https://www.jesssherman.com/blog/types-of-gluten-testing-for-kids

https://www.jesssherman.com/blog/types-of-probitoics-for-kids

About Jess Sherman, FDN-P, M.Ed, R.H.N

Jess is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and a trauma-sensitive Family Health Educator specializing in brain health & resilience for kids. She is also a teacher, with a Master's degree in education. Her Calm & Clear Kids introductory course, her Amino Acids (with kids!) Quickstart program, and her signature Roadmap to Resilient Kids, along with her book Raising Resilience, have helped families in at least 44 countries improve the lives of their children with learning differences, anxiety, ADHD, and mood disorders and reduce their reliance on medication. She is the 2019 recipient of the CSNNAA award for Clinical Excellence for her work with families, and she continues to bring an understanding of the Nourishment Needs and Biological Stress to the mainstream conversation about children’s mental health, learning, and overall resilience through her blog, courses, workshops and as a contributor to print and online magazines.

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