Vitamins and minerals help your child's body develop, grow and stay healthy, advises Dr. Anil Predhan, a pediatrician in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Most children who eat a variety of foods do not require multi-vitamin supplements. To ensure your child gets the proper vitamins and minerals, you need to understand where these nutrients come from.
Water Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins are the most important water soluble vitamins for children, according to Staci Nix in her book "Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy." Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage and kiwi fruit, keeps body tissues healthy, helps wounds heal and boosts the immune system. The B-complex vitamins include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folic acid, B12, biotin and pantothenic acid. B-complex vitamins, found in whole grains, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products and green vegetables, help produce energy for the body and help make red blood cells.
Fat Soluble Vitamins
A child's body also needs fat soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K. Vitamin A, found mostly in orange colored fruits and vegetables, liver and dark leafy greens, helps with eyesight, color vision, skin health and proper growth, according to KidsHealth.org. Found in fortified milk, egg yolks, liver, fish, and fortified cereal, vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium and the formation of strong bones and teeth. Vitamin E helps maintain your child's eyes, skin, liver and lungs, while playing a role in red blood cell formation. Feed your child vitamin E through whole grains, leafy green vegetables, egg yolks, wheat germ and various nuts and seeds. Vitamin K, found in leafy green vegetables, dairy products, soybean oil and broccoli, helps your child's body produce clots when she gets a cut.
Macrominerals
Important macrominerals for children include calcium, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium, advises Pradhan. Your child needs calcium to build strong bones and teeth, help with blood clot formation and stimulate action in his nerves and muscles. You can find calcium in dairy products, broccoli, and calcium fortified food products and juices. Phosphorous, found in dairy foods, meat and fish, plays a large role in proper functioning of organs and in the formation of strong bones and teeth. Found in broccoli, green leafy vegetables, potatoes with skin, bananas, citrus fruits and legumes, potassium helps balance the water concentration in the body and helps the body's muscles and nerves function properly, according to KidsHealth.org. Magnesium sources include whole grain breads, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, milk and bananas. This mineral helps the body make proteins and maintain a healthy heart rhythm and also helps the nerves and muscles function.
Trace Minerals
Trace minerals that play an important role in your child's health include iron and zinc, explains Pradhan. Your child requires iron to produce hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout your child's body, according to KidsHealth.org. Good sources of iron include eggs, tuna, red meat, salmon, beans, raisins, potatoes with skins and leafy green vegetables. Zinc, found in pork, beef, lamb and legumes, boosts the immune system to help fight off disease and heal wounds.
References
- Dr. Anil Pradhan; Pediatric Associates of Bradford; Bradford, Pennsylvania
- HealthyKids.org: Vitamins
- HealthyKids.org: Minerals
- "Williams' Basic Nutrition & Diet Therapy" 3rd ed.; Staci Nix, MS, RD, CD; 2005
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