Nourishing Young Minds: 11 Essential Nutrients For Kids
Cooking and providing a healthy diet and nutrition-rich foods to their kids is every parent's top priority. But occasionally, in spite of our best attempts, toddlers find themselves repeatedly picking the same few foods, thus missing out on essential health nutrition.
A nutrition diet helps in a child's overall development, growth, and health by stabilizing your child's energy, keeping their bones strong, supporting their mental health, promoting a healthy weight, and preventing chronic diseases.
So, if you are also on the hunt to decide which are the essential nutrient-rich food for kids, this blog is for you. We bring to you a comprehensive list of 11 essential nutrients that you must include in your foods for kids.
11 Essential Nutrients For Kids
Vitamin A
Kids need Vitamin A for good vision, particularly for colour and night vision. Additionally, including Vitamin A in food for kids helps strengthen the immune system of a child, which acts as the body's line of defence against infections.
#ISayOrganicTip - Citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, cantaloupe and sweet potatoes are great sources of Vitamin A.
Vitamin B
Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, B6, B12, and biotin are all present in Vitamin B which helps their bodies produce and use energy. Children who don't consume enough Vitamin B in their diet and nutrition can develop anaemia.
#ISayOrganicTip - Consume organic leafy green vegetables, dairy, and whole grains.
Vitamin C
Beyond preventing colds, vitamin C in children's food helps maintain the body's cellular integrity, fortifies blood vessel walls, speeds up wound healing, and supports healthy bones and teeth.
#ISayOrganicTip - Include organic seasonal fruits, Citrus fruits, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Bell peppers, Broccoli and Cauliflower in your kid's diet for the required amount of Vitamin C.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps to build healthy bones and teeth in addition to aiding in calcium absorption. Including Vitamin D in children's food helps bodily functions, including blood pressure regulation, hormone production, and immune and nervous system function. A healthy food chart for kids must contain some portion of Vitamin D.
#ISayOrganicTip - Milk, yoghurts, millets and grains, oranges and mushrooms are great sources of Vitamin D.
Calcium
2% of our body weight is made up of calcium. Despite being primarily found in bones and teeth, calcium is vital for the proper operation of all of our cells. Blood clotting, muscular contraction, hormone regulation, and other vital bodily processes all need calcium.
#ISayOrganicTip - Milk, yoghurt, cheese, soybeans, almonds, walnut kernels, sesame seeds, broccoli, chard, collard greens, kale, leafy greens, oranges, figs, white beans, red beans, and chickpeas are rich sources of calcium. Do not forget to include this essential nutrient in your healthy food chart for kids.
Iron
Iron is required for healthy blood formation that transports oxygen to all body cells. According to the FDA, it's also essential for growth and development, immune function, reproduction, and wound healing. Additionally, maintaining adequate iron reserves in the body lowers the incidence of anaemia. A nutrition diet isn’t complete without an adequate amount of Iron.
#ISayOrganicTip - Including organic whole grains, beans, kale, nuts and iron-fortified cereals is a great way to increase the amount of iron consumption in your child’s healthy diet.
Zinc
Zinc may prevent colds by boosting children's immune systems to combat viruses and other pathogens. Furthermore, it is essential for normal body development and growth.
#ISayOrganicTip - Beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, walnuts, cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground linseed, pumpkin seeds, and quinoa are wonderful sources of Zinc
Iodine
To make the hormones that regulate metabolism, growth, and development, our thyroid glands require iodine. Iodine shortage may occur in kids and adults who consume insufficient amounts of the mineral in their diets. This may lead to an enlargement of the thyroid gland.
#ISayOrganicTip - Potato, strawberries, and prunes are rich sources of iodine. You can also include Himalayan Pink Salt in your kid's diet to increase the iodine content.
Magnesium
The production of energy depends on this nutrient, which is one of the building components of the body's cells. The heart of your child will continue to beat strongly throughout adulthood if they consume a nutrition diet high in magnesium.
#ISayOrganicTip - Bran cereal, brown rice, tofu, beans, almonds, and cashews.
Fibre
The structural carbohydrate present in plants is called fibre. In the human body, fibre is not entirely digested. It just acts as extra weight in the digestive system, which aids in moving food i.e., digestion of food. Including this in your food for kids aids in proper digestive system functioning.
#ISayOrganicTip - Whole grains containing bran such as wheat bran and oat bran, vegetables and fruits, dried fruit, legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, soup peas, red beans, white beans, soybeans, mung beans, peanuts, nuts, and seed are rich in fibre.
Protein
It is the primary building block of all living tissues, including muscles and organs. It makes up for healthy food for kids that aids the child's body in producing new cells, warding off disease, converting food into energy, and transporting oxygen to blood vessels. Children shouldn't go without it even for a day because it could slow down their growth.
#ISayOrganicTip - Avocado and Dairy products including cheese and yoghurt, Beans, legumes, Tofu and soy products are rich sources of protein.
Conclusion
The best way to ensure that your child gets the essential dose of all nutrients is by making sure they eat a mix of healthy nutrient-rich foods which constitutes a variety of fruits and vegetables and choose lean protein sources. Also, try to minimise or limit processed food for your kids, as they do more harm than good.
If you are looking for 100% healthy nutritious organic food choices for kids, do scroll through the I Say Organic’s 100% organic beverages, fruits and vegetables, cereals, nuts, etc collection.
FAQs For Essential Nutrients For Kids
What are the benefits of getting enough essential nutrients?
Providing nutrition rich foods to your kids ensures overall development including immune system and central nervous system. Preparing a healthy dose of nutrition diet also ensures that your child is protected against diseases and infections.
How can I make sure my child is getting enough essential nutrients?
Give your child a mix of all the above essential nutrients mentioned in the list to ensure required child nutrition.
What are some signs that my child may not be getting enough essential nutrients?
If your child is underweight, falling sick frequently, showing no or less signs of development, chances are high that your child is not getting enough essential nutrients. Provide your child with health and nutrition by including essential nutrients in their diet.
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