Getting toddlers and young children to eat can be a struggle at times. Parents may worry that picky eaters aren't getting enough healthy food to grow properly. Additionally, children with chronic medical conditions who seriously need to maintain their weights may need nutrition supplements to avoid medical complications. PediaSure and PediaSure SideKicks, both liquid nutritional supplements, can benefit these children. Both PediaSure and PediaSure SideKicks, which contains similar ingredients to PediaSure but fewer calories and more fiber, come in several flavors. Ask your child's pediatrician if your child should drink either type of PediaSure.
Calories
All flavors of PediaSure supply the same number of calories. A serving of PediaSure, which equals 8 fluid ounces, or one bottle, contains 240 calories. All flavors of PediaSure SideKicks supply 150 calories in an 8-oz. serving. Children's calorie needs vary considerably by age, sex and weight, but as a general rule, children between the ages of 1 and 3 require around 1,300 calories per day. Children aged 4 to 6 need 1,800 calories and children aged 7 to 10 need 2,000 calories. Of the calories in a bottle of PediaSure, 80 come from fat; 45 of the calories in PediaSure SideKicks come from fat.
Fats
Fats are necessary for normal growth and weight gain. Of the 9 g of fat in a bottle of PediaSure, 3 g are saturated fat and 6 g are unsaturated fat. The SideKicks version supplies 5 g of fat, with 1 g of saturated fat. Neither type contains trans fats, the least healthy type of fat. For a child consuming 2,000 calorie per day, a bottle of PediaSure supplies 14 percent of the daily value for fat. Fats contained in PediaSure include safflower and soy oil. A serving also contains 10 mg of cholesterol, or 3 percent of the daily value. PediaSure SideKicks supply 8 percent of the daily value for fat, and less than 5 mg of cholesterol, or less than 2 percent of the daily value.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are necessary for energy. A serving of PediaSure supplies 31 g of carbohydrate, or 10 percent of the daily value for children eating 2,000 calories per day. The carbohydrates in both types of PediaSure include sucrose and corn maltodextrin. Of the carbohydrates in PediaSure, 18 g come from simple sugars. A serving of PediaSure SideKicks contains 21 g of carbohydrate with 17 g of sugar, equaling 7 percent of a child's daily carbohydrate needs.
Protein
Protein helps repair and replace tissue. Both PediaSure and SideKicks contain 7 g of protein, or 14 percent of a child's daily value, based on a 2,000-calories diet. Both PediaSure and SideKicks contain milk and soy as sources of protein.
Vitamins and Minerals
PediaSure and PediaSure SideKicks both supply a number of essential vitamins and minerals, including 40 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, 30 percent for vitamin D, 25 percent for calcium and 20 percent of the daily value for iron. A serving also supplies 20 percent of the daily value for vitamin E and K and between 20 and 40 percent of the daily value for the vitamins that make up the B-complex vitamins. Minerals zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iodine and selenium are also found in both types of PediaSure.
Fiber
PediaSure contains 1 g of dietary fiber, or 4 percent of the daily requirement for fiber, while Pediasure vanilla with fiber and PediaSure SideKicks contain 3 g of fiber, or 12 percent of a child's daily recommended fiber intake. Fiber can help children who experience constipation have regular bowel movements.
Member Comments