There is a huge vitamin market aimed solely at children. You can buy their favorite cartoon character or make it seem more like candy to entice your kids to take their vitamins. But, do they really need them? Well, the answer is yes and no.
Now, to make some sense of this, you need to observe your child’s eating habits (which you probably already know by heart). Do they clean their plate or do they make faces when you tell them what’s for dinner? While whole foods are the best way to get the nutrients kids need, here are two cases where supplements are essential to round out their diets:
1. Picky eaters: Remember the days when mom said you couldn’t leave the table until the broccoli was gone? Well, there simply isn’t time for this kind of tactic now-a-days. You’ve got school, baseball, gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer and any number of extra-curricular activities to get to. Get them to eat what you can, but adding vitamins to their diet ensures they get the nutrients they are missing.
2. Food allergies: The CDC recently reported that food allergies are becoming more and more prevalent among kids and that they are not growing out of them as quickly as they used to. Unfortunately, common food allergies consist of very healthy foods such as milk, gluten, eggs and peanuts which provide essential nutrients to the body. Eliminating everything with wheat in it or dairy reduces the intake of these essential nutrients.
Substituting these allergy causing foods with vitamins is one way to ensure your child gets the necessary nutrients to their diet. For example, if your child is allergic to milk, they may not be getting enough Vitamin D and calcium which are essential to strong growing bones. Add a supplement to his diet that contains both D and calcium.
3. Reduced Appetites: When kids go through a growth spurt, it may seem like they are eating everything in sight. However, when the spurt is over, you may worry why they aren’t eating enough. It is perfectly normal for kid’s appetites to fluctuate like this. When they don’t have an appetite and you can’t get them to eat even their favorite foods, adding vitamins to their daily regimen ensures they get the nutrients they need.
Always follow the dosing instructions on the bottle and keep them in a child-proof location. Children may mistake them for candy and it is possible to overdose on vitamins. If you give your child a well rounded diet of fruits, vegetables, meats and grain then he probably doesn’t need a multi-vitamin.
However, if you are in doubt, keep a log of what he eats and discuss it with his pediatrician. He can help you determine of your child is getting what he needs from the foods he eats or if he needs to supplement. The pediatrician may even have some ideas on getting picky-eaters to eat or may be able to diagnose possible food allergies that are causing the problem. You child’s health begins with good nutrition, but sometimes vitamin supplements are essential to round-out the diet.
Children with reduced appetite or food allergies need vitamins for energy to round out their diets. Check health supplements that are doctor formulated to provide the nutrition, balance and support necessary for everyday healthy living at http://www.goodelements.com
