Food Facts

Iron and Minerals

Food Facts

Nutrition for growth and development for children is very important, but how do you ensure that your child gets a balanced healthy diet, and do you know what to feed your children and what not to give them.

Parents like you are swamped with information on healthy eating and nutrition, but how to make sense of it all when you haven’t got the time to read dozens of books.

To help here are the key facts that you need to know.

Iron and other minerals

Iron

There are two main types of iron

• haem from red meat
• non haem from vegetables, dried fruit and nuts (nuts should not be given to children under 3rys if there is a history of family food allergies)

Why do toddlers need Iron?

Iron is needed for healthy blood and muscles. A lack of blood leads to anaema, whic is linked to poorer health, slower development, especially poorer mental development. Anaema is common in children under 2yrs old, but less common in older children.

How to help your toddler with their iron absoption?

Iron which foods are more easily absorbed if combined with foods rich in vitamin C such as fruit or vegetables, for example orange juice and cereals for breakfast or meat and vegetables for dinner.

Tea, coffee, chocolate and foods rich in fibre prevent the absorption of iron and so should be sonsumed in moderation.

Iron rich foods

• Red meat
• Eggs
• Beans
• Oily fish, like salmon and tuna
• Druid fruit
• Wholegrain cereal
• Green vegetables

Calcium

Breast milk and formula milk contain all the calcium that a baby will need.

Calcium is needed for healthy teeth, bones, clotting of blood, and the functioning of nerves.

Sources of Calcium

Good sources of calcium are milk, canned fish and green vegetables. Hence the old mothers saying to kids eat your vegetables.

Zinc

Babies and children need zinc for healthy development and growth, to help with tissue repair and a healthy immune system.

Sources of Zinc

Red meat, sunflower seeds, peanuts are all good sources of zinc.