Nutrition - Vitamins - Minerals and Childhood Diet

Scientific groups such as the American Society for Clinical Nutrition believe that supplemental vitamins and minerals are not necessary for healthy children. They suggest that efforts should be made to provide children’s’ needs for essential vitamins and minerals from good and nutrient dense foods.

For example, fortified breakfast cereals are helpful in closing any gaps for possible deficiencies. However, the reality about children is that they have likes and dislikes and they can not and should not be forced to eat. Additionally, young children more often than not consume very small portions of some rich sources of vitamins and minerals, such as animal protein foods and commonly dislike foods such as vegetables.

Furthermore, dietary guidelines suggest that children over the age of 2 years old have a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol and rich in minerals iron and zinc. This will be hard to follow since many children have erratic appetites and food preferences. In other words it may be not possible to eliminate the gap between current dietary intake of vitamins and minerals and their actual body needs. In such cases some children may need to supplement their diet with nutrient supplements such as vitamins and minerals as long as they don’t exceed 100% of their Daily Values.

We often hear of the role diet plays in the development of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and the recommendations to reduce such risks. Many concerning parents often wonder if diet modifications are beneficial and appropriate during childhood. Many experts believe that the development of these diseases begins in childhood and children whose families have histories of such diseases must be checked for any possible risks.

We are also well aware of the contribution some vitamins and minerals make in controlling or minimizing such health risks. Eating processed foods with lower nutrient value, stress, polluted water and air increase the body’s requirement for essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

In general it is unnecessary to prevent children from consuming foods such as meat, milk and other dairy products because they contain fat. The aim should be to learn to include them in their diet in moderation. Children on a diet totally vegetarian pose some risks. The possibility of developing iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B12, and zinc and calcium deficiencies can be avoided by informed diet planning and emphasis on these nutrients.

Good nutrition is critical for the future health of children. Children, who follow a good diet, are well nourished with optimal intake of vitamins and minerals can grow into happy and healthy adults. However, this is not always the case and when appropriate vitamins and minerals should be considered with the help of an expert in the nutritional field. Broadly speaking, childhood nutritional concerns are the very similar as those for adults.

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