Children and vitamins
Some advertisements suggest children need vitamin and mineral supplements. But very few children need to take them, and supplements can be expensive.
Vitamins
Children (and adults) need 13 vitamins for healthy growth — A, B (8 types), C, D, E and K. We make vitamin D from the action of sunlight on our skin, but food is the best source of most vitamins.
If your child has a healthy diet, they’ll get enough vitamins.
Minerals
Many minerals are needed for good health. We can get them easily from a healthy diet.
These foods will meet children’s needs without them taking added minerals:
- first 12 months — breast milk or formula
- about 6 months — introduction of solids
- after 12 months — family foods
- up to 2 years — regular (not low fat) milk
Once your child is eating solids, make sure they get enough:
- calcium from milk, cheese, yoghurt, seafood, almonds and fortified plant drinks such as soy
- iron from lean meat, chicken, fish, legumes, tofu, wholegrain cereals, iron-enriched cereals, vegetables and egg yolk
- zinc from red meat, seafood, chicken, legumes, peas, dairy products and wholegrain foods
- iodine from seafood, milk and iodised salt, which is used in bread in Australia
How to get basic nutritional needs
Children will get their daily nutritional needs by eating a wide variety of foods each day from the 5 food groups. The amount of food your child needs from each food group will depend on their age, physical activity and gender. Foods in the 5 food groups also supply protein, dietary fibre, essential fats and many hundreds of substances needed for good health.
Vegetarian or vegan diet
If your child is vegetarian and eats dairy products and eggs, the 5 food groups will supply all the vitamins and minerals they need.
If your child has a vegan diet, you will need to plan their diet carefully. Check with an accredited practising dietitian that your child’s diet provides all the nutrients they need for healthy growth. You might need to give your child supplements to cover any shortfall, especially when breast feeding finishes.
A vitamin B12 supplement is a good idea for kids on a vegan diet. Vitamin B12 is found only in animal foods — milk (from cows or breast milk) meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Some soy-based foods have added vitamin B12.
Children having a vegan diet might need iron, zinc or calcium supplements if they can’t get enough from legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds, calcium-enriched soy and other plant-based drinks.
Possible harm from supplements
Supplements aren’t risk-free. More is not better for vitamins and minerals. Too much of some is potentially harmful.
Vitamin C is an acid. Chewable vitamin C tablets can strip enamel off teeth even with sugar-free tablets. Dentists warn against them.
Supplements can give you a false sense of security when children eat a lot of junk food. Adding supplements to a junk food diet will not make it healthy.
Foods in the 5 food groups supply vitamins and minerals as well as protein, dietary fibre, essential fats and many hundreds of substances needed for good health.
Previous:Junk food
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