Vitamins and Minerals That Children Need

For optimal growth and development, children need to eat a nutritious diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals. The most important vitamins and minerals that growing kids need are:

1. The B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12 or cobalamin, are important for metabolism, energy, and a healthy heart and nervous system. Good sources of B vitamins include salmon, green leafy vegetables, liver and other organ meats, eggs, milk, beef, oyster, clams, mussels, legumes, chicken, and yogurt.

2. Calcium is the essential building block of strong bones and healthy teeth. Calcium-rich foods include cheese, yogurt, milk, sardines, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals, fortified orange juice, soybeans, fortified soymilk, and enriched breads.

3. Together with calcium, vitamin D helps build strong bones, and may also help protect against chronic disease later in life. Foods that provide vitamin D include tuna, mackerel, salmon; fortified milk, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals; beef liver; cheese; and egg yolks.

4. Vitamin E strengthens the body’s immune system, and helps blood vessels stay clear and free of blockage. Good sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, margarine, nuts and seeds, leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals.

5. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen efficiently throughout the body. Good sources of iron include red meat, liver and other organ meats, kangkong (Philippine spinach), broccoli, oyster, clams, mussels, legumes, chicken, tofu, fish and dark chocolate.

6. Lysine is an essential amino acid that has been shown to stimulate appetite and improve growth rate. Foods rich in lysine include red meat, chicken, eggs, fish such as cod or sardines, beans, lentils, Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, wheat germ, nuts, and soybeans.

Aside from food sources, your kids can also get their daily dose of vitamins and essential nutrients by taking vitamins. Shop for your family’s vitamins and other health essentials at Watsons. Click here to start shopping!

References:

https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/features/family-vitamins#1. Accessed 17 April 2020

https://www.drugs.com/npp/lysine.html. Accessed 17 April 2020

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b-foods#section11. Accessed 22 April 2020

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/10-calcium-rich-foods. Accessed 22 April 2020

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/guide/calcium-vitamin-d-foods. Accessed 22 April 2020

https://medlineplus.gov/vitamine.html. Accessed 22 April 2020

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-healthy-iron-rich-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2. Accessed 22 April 2020

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324019#sources-of-lysine. Accessed 22 April 2020