Posts Tagged ‘Picky Eaters’

Supplements for Children

December 31st, 2009

The importance of a diet that is both nutritious and varied is the key to good mental health and good emotional health. Sometimes even the best diets do not provide adequate nutrients that are needed and some children need more of certain nutrients. We?ve also seen that children may be very picky eaters. Never mind the challenge of providing meals, that are perfectly balanced in nutritional value and then overcoming the nay-sayer child.

Supplements are the most reliable method of ensuring your child is getting the appropriate levels of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for optimal nourishment. This is even more important if your child is having difficulty mentally or emotionally. Remember, there is an excellent range of vitamin and mineral supplement on the market. Just a small deficiency can have a significant impact on a child that is growing.

Start Supplementing When?

The minute you start to wean your child you should consider supplementing. While you are breastfeeding you need to be taking the supplements, which then will naturally get passed on to your baby.

How To Choose The Right Supplements

When it comes to child?s supplements you are looking at three areas all of which are broad ? multivitamins, essential fast, and mineral supplements that will incorporate all of the nutrients necessary for your child.

You can choose crushable, chewable, liquid, or soluble formulas depending on the age of your child and their preferences. It?s best to give your child their supplement with breakfast. If that?s not an option give some time during the day but never last thing at night because Vitamin B is a mild stimulant, and for some children glutamine also is.

Children tend to be more at risk for vitamin toxicity than adults are, and while dosages are well below toxicity levels but for sensitive children this can still be too high, so don?t be tempted to give more than that recommended level unless you are under the direction of your doctor or nutritional therapist.

Most times you will choose a chewable multivitamin and mineral, unless you are correcting a specific problem and giving your child Probiotics or glutamine powder. Usually you?ll be giving one for every two years, so by the time your child is six you?ll be giving three a day. Of course, it depends on the strength of the multivitamins and minerals, best spread out throughout the day. Most multivitamins don?t have enough Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. That?s because vitamin C is tart, calcium and magnesium make a chewable vitamin too crunchy, and zinc tastes metallic.

There are several ways to beat this problem. If you are giving your child ground seeds each day as recommended they will be getting a reasonable amount of calcium, magnesium, and zinc. You can also use powdered calcium and magnesium, which you can add to drinks. Chewable Vitamin C that uses calcium/magnesium ascorbate is great way to take care of all three. If your child isn?t sleeping well and you want to give them a little extra magnesium this is also a good option. The easiest way to give your child that little extra vitamin C is simply by making sure they get five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Broccoli, Peppers, citrus fruit, and berries are the best Vitamin C foods. If necessary you can crush a supplement and then add to diluted fruit juice or water.

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Choosing the Right Vitamin Supplement for Your Children

December 10th, 2009

If the world were a perfect place, we wouldn’t have to worry about giving supplements to our families. Children are miraculously designed to thrive on a balanced variety of whole foods: fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, and lean sources of protein and calcium. But we’ve got a couple of factors working against us. First, our natural food instincts that drive us to eat the right amount of healthful, balanced foods can be tricked by empty calories, added fats, sweetened drinks, etc. Even parents who manage to steer kids from temptation will find another challenge: our foods don’t contain the same levels of micronutrients they used to. The typical American child eats too many calories, but most get suboptimal levels of many key nutrients, including food components called phytonutrients that we are just beginning to understand. I worry most about “the Greene 13,”: calcium, fiber, folic acid, iron, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids (especially DHA), phosphorous (except for kids who drink carbonated beverages and get too much phosphorus), potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc.  We know these micronutrients affect our intelligence, our growth, our behavior, and our immune systems – and that typical American children do not get enough. So what should you look for in a multivitamin? You want to supplement with 50-100 percent of the age-appropriate recommended doses of at least the Greene 13. I recommend starting your children on supplements by the first birthday, or whenever they start cutting down on breast milk or formula. The body and brain are growing especially fast up to age 3, when many kids are notoriously picky eaters, and when we find French fries the most popular vegetable, apple juice the most popular fruit, and white flour the most popular grain. Not all children’s vitamins are created equal. I suggest avoiding gummy or candy vitamins because daily candy is not a lesson kids need to learn. One extremely popular brand contains hydrogenated vegetable oil, the chemical dyes, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, and the preservative butyrate hydroxytoluene. A healthy food store is a great place to ask for help selecting the best vitamins for your child. Look for vitamins with low sugar or healthy sweetener options. You don’t need to pick the supplements with extra-large doses of vitamins or minerals, especially not vitamin A or iron. Whatever vitamin you choose, make sure you help your family establish the simple habit of taking a daily multivitamin/mineral. It’s a smart way to make sure your kids have the nutritional fortitude they need to grow mentally and physically.

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Are Vitamins Really Necessary for our Childrens Health and Good Nutrition?

October 20th, 2009

As every parent knows children can be very picky eaters and can consume junk foods that have little nutritional value. Does this mean that every child should be taking a multivitamin? The answer to this question is not necessarily, as long as the child is getting a balanced diet he or she can receive the nutrients and vitamins they need through food intake. The problem arises when a child is eliminating a whole food group from their diets, suffers from a chronic disease, is not getting the proper amount of sunlight in their daily activities or does not drink vitamin-D fortified milk. This is when supplementation is probably a good idea. You should always consult your physician before starting your child on a multivitamin. 

What Should You Look for in a Childs Multivitamin?

You should always choose a multivitamin that is specifically formulated for children. Giving a child a supplement formulated for an adult is not a good idea. Children have smaller bodies and require fewer nutrients. For example, studies have shown that too much iron can be harmful to developing bodies. You need to be aware and follow the recommended daily dosage and remind the child that this is not candy. Always administer vitamin supplements under the supervision of a parent, even if the child is responsible enough to do it themselves.

What Vitamins and Minerals are Important to Your Child’s Health

Vitamin A – Milk and infant formulas are a very important source of vitamin A. A deficiency can occur in children with fat malabsorption or a very poor diet

Vitamin C – Many parents provide too much vitamin C to prevent colds and upper respiratory problems. Lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy which is uncommon but can occur in children under the age of one year. 

Iron – This is important in a child’s growth because it promotes strong muscles and blood production. It is good to feed children a diet high in iron. 

Calcium – This is a very important mineral for producing and maintaining strong bones. It is also an important mineral in preventing the onset of osteoporosis as we age.

Vitamin K – This is important in proper blood clotting. It can be deficient in newborns that did not receive a vitamin K shot or are being exclusively breast feed.

Fluoride – Children need fluoride after the age of six months to prevent cavities. Normally tap water is a good source of fluoride. If a child is only drinking bottled water or well water you may want to talk to your doctor about supplementation.

Zinc – This is a very important mineral for adolescents as it promotes sexual maturity.

In conclusion, it is very important that we, as parents, are aware of the nutritional requirements of our children during different stages of development. A decision needs to be made if the child is receiving proper nutrition through their diets or there are holes in the eating habits which would better be dealt with through supplementation. Remember to always consult your child’s doctor before putting them on any supplements.




By: John Bradstreet

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