Your kid’s nutritional requirement is not the same as yours. Since they are growing and developing, they need certain vitamins and minerals daily in their meals for overall development. So, if you want to know which vitamins and minerals are essential for your kid’s growth, scroll down to find out.
1. Vitamin A
Your kids need Vitamin A for healthy skin, good immune function, eyesight, growth, and development. Include leafy vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, eggs, salmon, butter, and full-fat milk in your kid’s diet as they are a good source of vitamin A.
2. Vitamin B
Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12 are also very essential for your kids bodily functions. These vitamins help release energy from carbohydrates, help control cholesterol, and are essential for proper growth and working of the digestive system, nervous system, and heart. Nuts, seeds, wholemeal flour, wheat bran, milk, cheese, yogurt, mushrooms, other green vegetables, peanuts, tuna, legumes, and lean meat are ideal food sources for these vitamins.
3. Vitamin C
Add Vitamin C-rich food source to your kid’s plate for healthy gums, teeth, bones, cartilage, and skin. This vitamin even assists in resistance to infection and the healing of wounds. Citrus fruits such as orange, kiwi, berries, pineapple, mango, and vegetables such as capsicum, parsley, cabbage, broccoli, and spinach are good sources of Vitamin C.
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D works with calcium and phosphorus to make strong teeth and bones. Its deficiency can cause rickets, increasing the chances of your kid having fractures. Expose your kids to sunlight for at least 10 minutes every day and add fish oil, eggs, and cod liver oil to their daily diet for stronger bones.
5. Vitamin E
This fat-soluble vitamin plays a role in preventing cancer and heart disease by keeping the blood vessels clear and flowing well. This antioxidant is also required to strengthen the body’s immune system. Sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, and hazelnuts are a few excellent vitamin E sources.
6. Calcium
Calcium, as we all know is essential for healthy teeth and bones. It is also important for helping in muscle contraction, nerve function, and blood clotting. The more healthy and stronger bones your child builds now, the more reserves they’ll have when they age and the bone density lowers. So, make sure to add dairy products, salmon, kale, fortified foods, and other calcium-rich foods to their daily diet.
7. Iodine
For normal thyroid function, growth, and brain function, your kid will require this mineral. You can get this mineral from iodized salt, bread, seafood, and seaweed.
8. Iron
Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen around the body and even helps in preventing anemia. So, give your kids iron-rich food such as legumes, dark leafy vegetables, seafood, wholegrain, and other food items.
Vitamins and minerals are essential for growth. Apart from these vitamins and minerals for kids, make sure to add food items that are also rich in zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper as they will help in the overall growth of your kids in the early years.
You can also read 8 Things Parents Should Never Say or Do in Front of Kids
