Nutrients are crucial for supporting your toddler’s health and for helping him grow and develop. Giving your child the best milk product for brain development will ensure he gets all the nutrients he needs. Making sure your toddler eats the right foods every day will also boost his daily nutritional intake which will further sustain his good health, growth and development.
Although there are dozens of specific nutrients your child needs, you have to pay attention to the more important ones his growing body needs. These are:
1.Calcium
An essential mineral, calcium helps your toddler’s bones to grow and develop normally. It also enables kids to achieve their peak bone mass. It is a bone-strengthening nutrient that helps prevent fractures among children when they start climbing trees and become more active and playful.
Children aged between one and three need 700 milligrams of calcium every day. Good thing your toddler can get the right amount of calcium he needs from breast milk or his baby milk product.
Other excellent sources of calcium for your toddler include:
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Oatmeal
- Broccoli
- Salmon
2.Vitamin A
This nutrient plays a key role in bone growth and better vision. It also helps protect your toddler’s body from infections. In addition, vitamin A supports the healthy growth of cells and tissues in your child’s body including his hair, nails and skin.
Kids aged from one to three need 300 micrograms of vitamin A daily. However, nutrition advisers recommend giving children the suggested amount as an average over the course of several days or a week.
Vitamin A-rich foods include:
- Carrots
- Kale
- Butternut squash
- Spinach
- Mango
- Peaches
- Sweet potato
3.Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid or vitamin C helps form and repair red blood cells, bones, and tissues. It plays an important role in boosting your child’s immune system. It also assists with healing and keeping your toddler’s gums healthy. Lastly, vitamin C allows your toddler’s body to absorb iron from iron-rich foods.
Children between one and three years need 15 milligrams of vitamin C every day. You can ensure he gets this by including the following vitamin C-rich foods in his daily diet:
- Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, etc.)
- Kiwi
- Papaya
- Mango
- Berries
- Broccoli
- Spinach
4.Vitamin D
This vitamin helps your toddler’s body absorb minerals like calcium. It also aids children in building strong teeth and bones. It is a key nutrient essential for helping kids reach growth potential and peak bone mass.
Vitamin D also functions as a hormone which plays important roles in your child’s immune system health and regulation of cell growth.
Kids over a year old need 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day. However, similar to vitamin A, nutrition advisers recommend giving kids the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) as an average over the course of several days or a week.
The sun is the natural source of vitamin D. You can also boost your toddler’s intake of this nutrient by giving him:
- Salmon
- Canned tuna
- Swiss cheese
- Vitamin D-fortified food products such as yogurt, cereals and orange juice
5.Zinc
This mineral plays a key role in sustaining the immune function of your child’s body. It also helps with improving the cognition of your toddler and overall development. Lastly, zinc contributes to cell growth and repair.
Children from seven months to three years of age need 3 milligrams of zinc daily.
Common sources of zinc include:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Fish
- Eggs
- Lentils
- Cheddar cheese
6. Iron
Iron is critical for your child’s brain development. It helps in producing hemoglobin — the oxygen-carrying red pigment in blood — and myoglobin — a pigment that stores oxygen in the muscles.
Iron deficiency can cause anemia which can result in fatigue, irritability and weakness.
Children between one and three years old require 7 milligrams of iron daily.
Excellent sources of iron include:
- Avocado
- Broccoli
- Chickpeas
- Baked potato
- Spinach
- Soybeans
7.Essential fatty acids or EFAs
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) include omega-6 or linoleic acid and omega-3 or linolenic acid. They help build cells and strengthen the body’s immune system. In addition, they regulate and strengthen the nervous and cardiovascular system.
EFAs also assist the body in absorbing nutrients. Lastly, they are crucial for your toddler’s healthy brain function and vision.
Kids aged between one and three years need 7,000 milligrams of omega-6 and 700 milligrams of omega-3 daily.
Omega-6 is present in:
- Grapeseed oil
- Sunflower oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Pistachios
- Pine nuts
Foods rich in omega-3 include:
- Cold water high-fat fish (sardines, herring, mackerel, trout, wild Alaskan salmon)
- Avocado
- Walnuts
- Brazil nuts
- Flaxseed oil
- Kale
- Spinach
- Mustard greens
Preparing tasty and nutritionally balanced recipes for kids will give you the assurance that your toddler will enjoy eating all the meals and snacks you prepare while getting a good balance of the required vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients on a daily basis.
