Six essential vitamins and minerals your child needs

From iron and calcium to fats and zinc, children need certain vitamins and minerals to ensure they grow healthy and strong. Did you know that for the first four to six months, babies get all the nutrients they need to thrive from breast milk and or formula? But, as your childgets older, he’ll need other foods as well to provide him with enough minerals and nutrients for continued growth and energy.

Here are six essential nutrients you should include in your toddler’s diet:  

Calcium

Calcium is necessary for building strong bones and preventing fractures. Breast milk and formula meet your baby’s calcium needs for the first year. Include a range of calcium-rich foods in your toddler’s diet like dairy, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Iron

Iron plays a vital role in the production of haemoglobin (the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body). It also helps brain development including building motor skills and memory. Make sure your toddler gets enough iron every day by including iron-rich foods like meat, chicken, fish, eggs, avocado, broccoli, baked potato, chickpeas, prunes, soybeans and spinach in her diet.

Vitamins A, B, D, and E

These four vitamins promote healthy brain and nerve development, as well as proper functioning and development of the eyes, skin, and immune function. Vitamin A promotes proper vision and healthy skin. B vitamins, including folic acid, enhance the immune and nervous systems, maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, promote cell growth and regulate metabolism. Vitamin D increases calcium absorption and helps with bone growth. Vitamin E’s antioxidant powers facilitate cell growth and the development of the nervous system. Offer your toddler a variety of foods from the food pyramid like fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, and healthy fats to ensure that these vitamins are absorbed.

Fats

Fats help build cells, regulate the nervous system, strengthen the cardiovascular system, build immunity, and help the body absorb nutrients. Fats are also required for healthy brain function and vision. Good fats are unsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats which should make up the majority of fat intake. Good fats to include in your child’s diet include oily fish, olive and vegetable oils, and spreads.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C improves iron absorption and works as an anti-viral and strengthens the immune system. It’s found in citrus fruits, berries, blackcurrants, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables

Zinc

Besides having a positive effect on cognition and development, zinc’s primary roles are to maintain immune function and to assure optimal cell growth and repair. Zinc deficiency is associated with impaired growth, increased vulnerability to infection, and an increased risk of diarrhoea. Good sources of zinc include turkey, beef, fish, eggs, whole milk, and cheddar cheese.