In today’s fast-food world, parents are rightly concerned that their children are being properly fed. One problem is that children can be picky eaters. Even access to sugary junk food doesn’t help this problem. Some children only eat certain foods. A big problem with food control is that the child refuses food at the table and later asks for an unhealthy snack or maybe snags a cookie from an unsuspecting grandparent or aunt.
To cover the basics, it is a good idea to supplement children with vitamins. Even if the diet is adequate, due to modern farming practices that involve growing food on depleted soils, it’s a good idea to make up the difference. It is no longer the time of the small farmers, when plant waste and manure were added to the soil to enrich it. Today the fields are free of vitamins and minerals.
There are companies that manufacture and package vitamins in a way that appeals to children. This can include fun shapes and colors. It can also be child-friendly shakes that are enriched with vitamins. While many use gummy-type vitamins, it’s important to recognize that this can be a bad idea. The gummy part is not good for your teeth. They stick to your teeth. Also, children can treat gummy vitamins like candy and take too many. This is not good. Too much of a good thing can be bad for vitamins. If a child is consuming too many vitamins, call your doctor or even your local poison control center.
Sometimes a pediatrician prescribes vitamins for a child. If so, buy the best available. There are quality differences. Vitamins are discussed among doctors. Some consider them necessary. Some believe they are not necessary if people eat right. The fact is, who really sticks to the food pyramid? As an adult, do you eat five to seven servings of fruit and vegetables every day? does your child have Supplementation is a good idea, but you can check with the pediatrician first.
One thing is for sure. Vitamins are not a substitute for good food. Nor are they meant to be a quick fix for an ongoing junk food diet. Teach your child about nutrition. Do things to make nutritious foods taste good. This is how good food is fun. You can have a child help a little with preparing the meal. You can find an alternative for foods that a child does not like. For example, if a child doesn’t like milk, see if they eat raw almonds, which contain calcium. Let your child choose fruits and vegetables when shopping. Make veggie pizzas for lunch or dinner. By applying some of these tips, you will find that you can help your child eat better and get the nourishment they need.
Thanks to Cheryl Jones
