One of the most important ways to ensure that your child is healthy is to feed her a variety of nutritious foods to create a well-balanced diet. Offering your child several servings of fruits and vegetables each day is one simple way to improve the overall health and well-being of your child. Lean meats, dairy products and whole grains will round out your child's diet so she is getting many different essential nutrients from her food.
Iron
According to Kids Health, iron is an important nutrient for your child because it is needed to make hemoglobin, which is the component of the blood responsible for carrying oxygen to the body. If your child does not get enough iron, his red blood cells will not be able to transport oxygen to his body, which can cause his organs to not work properly. Children between the ages of 1 and 12 need 7 to 10 mg of iron each day. Boys older than 12 need about 11 mg of iron each day and girls older than 12 need about 15 mg each day. You can increase the amount of iron your child consumes each day by adding iron-rich foods to his diet. Add red meat, tuna, eggs, beans and iron-fortified breakfast cereals to his daily diet to help increase how much iron his body takes in.
Calcium
Calcium is an important nutrient that helps promote the growth and maintenance of strong bones and teeth. According to Healthy Children, the amount of calcium your child needs varies according to his age. Children between the ages of 4 and 8 need about 800 mg of calcium, the amount in 3 cups of milk. Children between the ages of 9 and 18 need about 1,300 mg of calcium, the amount in 4 cups of milk. Low-fat milk is one of the best sources of calcium, but other dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, also provide a healthy dose of calcium for each serving your child consumes. Other sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, beans, broccoli and calcium-fortified breakfast foods and juices.
Vitamin D
Many children do not consume enough vitamin D each day, reports Healthy Children. In October 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled the recommended daily dose of vitamin D to 400 International Units, or IU, per day. Vitamin D is essential for helping your child absorb calcium and phosphorus from the foods she eats. The vitamin is essential for the formation of strong bones and the prevention of many different diseases that occur later in life. One of the best sources of vitamin D is sunlight, but many pediatricians recommend avoiding unprotected sun exposure, which prevents your child from absorbing the vitamin when outside. Milk is a good source of vitamin D if your child drinks enough of it each day. Other food sources include fortified cereals, salmon, tuna, trout and cheese. If your child does not eat enough of these foods, her doctor may suggest giving her a vitamin D supplement to make sure she gets enough of this essential nutrient.
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