5 ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FOR KIDS AND WHY?

The heartwarming dream of every parent is to breed smart and healthy toddlers and kids who would grow up to become tomorrow's achievers in society. After the cradle and post-weaning stages, Kids solely rely on their parents to provide healthy foods with essential nutrients needed for them to grow strong and vibrant. But given today's world of tight-scheduled parents, they hardly spare the time to prepare focused home-cooked meals with essential vitamins for their kids. Often times, parents fail to notice various nutritional deficiencies in kids and supplement them with a multivitamin.

Why Do Kids Need Essential Nutrients?

The journey of a child from cradle to teenage is primarily measured by their developmental milestone. Every night, they grow not just in physical height and features but biologically, and cognitive wise. Parents who care about their child's developmental success are also concerned about their nutrition as well. This is because healthy foods with essential vitamins for Kid are a key factor for their brain, bone, muscles, skin, and organ development. It boosts their immune system and keeps them hale, healthy, and strong for their childhood.

Every Kid also deserves a balanced, healthy diet. However, where this demand becomes slightly hard to achieve, parents must strive at all costs to fill the holes for the grand benefit of their children. Oh Yes! This demand could be slightly hard to achieve for the kids. But how?

For example, Kids on a vegetarian or a vegan diet are indeed running out on beneficial iron and calcium. What about kids who largely depend on fast food, convenience food, and processed food or the little cuties who would always prefer lots of carbonated sodas? Stringent nutritional concerns should equally be given to picky eaters or kids with chronic medical conditions such as asthma or digestive problems.

In the long run, these Kid may require other healthy and more appealing food sources that supply them with needed Vitamins.  

5 Essential Nutrients for Toddlers and Kids

Vitamin A: A fat-soluble vitamin essential for eyesight in toddlers and even kids generally. It also builds immunity in kids and offers an anti-bacteria function that makes sure that the tender gum, respiratory tract, and urinary tract of kids are kept moist.

Apart from fortifying their immune responses, Vitamin A stimulates the growth and development of tissue and bone repair in the body. More so, Vitamin A particularly makes our list of focus vitamins as it is a potent protective aid for kids who may be venerable to one eye defect or the other. In this case, parents must include enough Vitamin A food sources into their Kid's dietary plan.

Vitamin C– A water-soluble vitamin reputable for the prevention of many types of viral or bacterial infections. As children, they are liable to sustain wounds and injuries, but no worries; it is the job of Vitamin C to accelerate wound healing and resistance to infection . Mainly found in citrus fruits, the beneficial vitamin also supports healthy skin, gums, teeth, bones, and cartilage.

Vitamin Bs: these consist of the B family ie, B2, B3, B6, and B12. Collectively, they are system-based vitamins necessary for a healthy child. All Vitamin Bs stimulate metabolism and healthy circulatory and nervous functioning in kids.

They also promote bone and tooth formation and help in the repair of tissue. Taking enough B vitamins is also advantageous to the digestive system; it helps control cholesterol levels and promote energy production from food. In fact, the B family is a versatile combination of essential multivitamins that every Kid deserves.

Calcium: it is a beneficial mineral commonly found in dairy products and wholegrain. Calcium helps toddlers and teenagers with strong and healthy bones and teeth as they approach maturity. Calcium also assists with muscle contraction and the seamless performance of the body's nervous functioning. This way, kids get happily active and free on playgrounds and at their chores.

Iodine: This mineral makes our shortlist as a biological growth stimulant in children. Iodine is a reliable gem for the healthy growth and development of hair, nails, teeth, and skin in kids. It also controls body weight by curbing excess fats. Most importantly, iodine promotes cognitive growth and brain function in kids.      

  Quick Snack Ideas with Essential Nutrients for Kids

In the absence of regular those healthy, well-rounded meals for your kids, there are some reliable snack ideas you can often trust to supply your little princes and princesses with essential nutrients.

Following my little homework on the general nutritional properties of snacks, I selected my top three choices as gummies, cottage cheese, and plain yogurt.

Who wouldn't like a tasty, lovely treat for their taste palette? Kids always do! To enjoy this to the fullest, I recommend you choose natural options in the market with chewable and a bespoke nutritional profile for kids. These treats can be regularly given to children over four years old as a vitamin and mineral supplement. 

Cottage cheese is also a nutritious source of vitamin B12 and calcium, which stimulates growth and brain development in children.

Finally, full-fat yogurt, preferably sweetened with fresh fruit and natural honey is a good source of protein and calcium. Yogurts also contain live bacteria that help with digestion and prevents constipation in children.