Children need healthy and nutritious food to support their growth process, but many of us as parents do not know very well what foods our children should eat. In this post we will discuss about 5 important nutrients for child growth.
5 List of Important Nutrients For Child Growth
1. Calcium
The first important nutrient is calcium. Calcium is very important for the growth of strong bones, especially for children who are in their infancy. When children lack calcium, it can cause several problems that arise such as an increased risk of osteoporosis later in life.
It is very important to familiarize children with consuming foods that are high in calcium, including vitamin D, because these substances not only strengthen bones, but can prevent Type 1 diabetes and other diseases.
Some foods that nutritionists recommend to get calcium content include cheese, yogurt, milk, cereal foods, and soy milk.
2. Vitamin E
The second nutrient that children need is vitamin E. According to a survey conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, two-thirds of children lose their daily vitamin E. This is because children tend to consume fatty foods which can cause health problems because there is not enough vitamin E available for the body.
To overcome this, parents must pay attention to the food consumed by children, it would be nice if children were given foods that contain high vitamin E such as fruits including avocados, green vegetables such as spinach, peanut butter, and others.
3. Fiber
If the food consumed by children is not digested properly by the body then of course this can be a problem because good growth for children starts from a healthy digestive system. To help improve the health of the digestive system, children should consume foods that contain high fiber.
Nutritionists suggest that children should get about 19 to 25 grams of fiber daily. Children’s fiber needs are almost the same as adults’ fiber needs.
To get food sources that contain high fiber, parents can provide the following foods including fruits such as oranges, apples, pears and others. Cereals that contain high fiber, green beans, peas, and other green vegetables are also good for getting fiber-rich foods.
4. Potassium
Substances that have other names potassium is one of 5 other important nutrients needed to help the process of child growth and development. Potassium is useful for maintaining fluid balance and maintaining blood pressure. In addition, this potassium or potassium can help in muscle contraction.
To get food sources that contain potassium, some of them are bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, yogurt, milk, tomatoes etc.
5. Iron
Studies reveal that 20 percent of children aged 1 to 3 years have problems with iron deficiency in the body. Iron deficiency usually occurs in children who are overweight. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to cells throughout the body and plays a role in brain development. if not then the child can get a deficit disease which affects his learning and behavior problems. Having low iron levels also increases the risk of lead poisoning in children because it increases the absorption of lead into the bloodstream.
To fulfill adequate iron intake, parents must provide adequate sources of iron, including seafood such as shrimp, beef, chicken, nuts, etc.
That’s above 5 Important Nutrients For Child Growth. Children must be carefully considered related to the food they consume so that the child’s development process grows well and there are no health problems that come to them. For this reason, as parents, we must choose which foods are rich in nutrients and which are not. Hope it is useful!
