Kid’s nutrition: How to increase vitamin intake in their diet

Healthy eating habits in kids stabilizes their levels of energy and it keeps their minds sharp and active. TV commercials and junk food ads instill an appetite and trigger all sorts of cravings. As a parent, it’s your job to take action and do your best to instill healthy habits without forcing your kids to eat their veggies. Encourage healthy eating by being their role model. Have an impact on their lives, make them curious about what you’re having for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and emphasize on why it’s good to give up unhealthy foods.

How to convince the kids to eat nutritious food

Kids develop a perfectly natural preference for food varieties they like the most. It’s tough to convince them that broccoli is healthier than pizza. But then again, parents shouldn’t force their children into adopting healthy habits in a week. Make food fun, and enjoy all kinds of games when you’re having lunch. You can play games such as guessing the ingredients in a salad, and at the end rewarding them for having eaten it in full. Another great solution is to disguise healthy varieties and make final dishes look cool and enjoyable.

Focus your attention on vitamins and minerals

Kids need vitamins and minerals to grow strong and healthy. Most of these nutrients can be taken from food. Dairy products (calcium), fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-3), citrus fruit (vitamins C), chicken (vitamins B), fiber and probiotics are all fundamental for the proper growth of a toddler. Parents should pay more attention to their nutritional needs. The following soup of vitamins and minerals will help you replenish their intake and even combat some of the deficiencies.

• Vitamin A is excellent and promoting normal development and growth in small children. This vitamin additionally aids with bone and tissue repair, as well as healthy eyes and skin. The best sources of vitamin A are cheese, yellow/orange veggies such as yams, squash and carrots; milk and eggs.
• Vitamin B group - kids need most vitamins in this category, including B3, B12, B6 and B2. The B vitamins help with energy production, as well as healthy nervous and circulatory system. Excellent sources are nuts, milk, cheese, eggs, chicken, soybeans and beans.
• Vitamin C is great at promoting healthy connective tissue, healthy muscles and glowing skin. Vitamin C can be found in abundant quantities in green vegetables, citrus fruit, tomatoes, strawberries, kiwi and more.
• Vitamin D helps the body accumulate calcium. It helps promote tooth and bone formation, and the best source is the sun. In food, good quantities of vitamin D can be found in fish oil, milk and dairy products.
• Calcium is a vital mineral and it should be included into the diet of your child on a daily basis. Calcium helps with bone growth and strength; the best sources are in calcium-fortified orange juice, cheese, tofu, and yogurt.
• Iron helps with muscle build-up. It is vital to a child’s healthy levels of red blood cell, and a deficiency may trigger all sorts of health concerns later in life. Even though there are foods with good amounts of iron in them (beef, pork, turkey, prunes, spinach and beans), a nutritionist may recommend you supplementation. A daily multivitamin based on iron will do a lot of good to your child’s general wellbeing.

In spite of all these benefits, note that in increased dosages vitamins can do more harm than good. Fat-soluble vitamins in particular - D, K, A and E – can be toxic if parents don’t settle on the ideal dosage. Kids should also be given probiotics. These will help keep their intestinal flora organized. Many parents worry that they’re kids will grow up to be picky eaters. That doesn’t have to happen if you raise awareness on healthy food from an early age.

If you want your toddlers to grow up strong and healthy, you have to throw away unhealthy foods from the house. Promote better habits by having fun when cooking dinner. Let them be part of the process too and step by step they’ll learn how important it is to eat vegetables and fruit more often.

By Charles Goodwin and Supplemented.co.uk!