Vitamins & Minerals FAQs

• My son is 17 months old and he only eats baby food vegetables... no meat. He sometimes eats fish. I'm concerned that he does not have a balanced diet. Should I give him over-the-counter multivitamins? NEW!
  
• My 15-month-old daughter has an allergy to all dairy products. I am very concerned about her not getting enough calcium. Any suggestions you have on how to boost her calcium intake would be greatly appreciated. NEW!
  
• Would you please highlight the nutritional needs of a six year old.
• How much protein does a toddler need?
• Do you recommend vitamins for my 1 1/2 year old?

My son is 17 months old and he only eats baby food vegetables... no meat. He sometimes eats fish. I'm concerned that he does not have a balanced diet. Should I give him over-the-counter multivitamins?

Yes, a child's vitamin and mineral supplement is a good idea. Toddlers are very picky eaters and because of this they often don't get the recommended intake of nutrients. However. If your child is eating only vegetables, he is also missing out on important nutrients that he won't be able to get from a supplement, such as protein and enough calcium and healthy fats. So, while giving him a supplement is important, it isn't enough. You need to be sure he is getting at least two cups of whole milk or equivalent, such as yogurt or cheese, every day. This will give him protein and calcium necessary for bone and muscle growth. If he's not eating meat, then some other protein is needed every day. He can get high quality protein from fish, peanut butter, tofu, cottage cheese and eggs. He needs iron every day, which he isn't getting if he isn't eating an iron fortified cereal or meat, so be sure to give him a supplement that contains iron. There are many snack items on the market that he may enjoy that will contribute to his nutritional intake. For example, Earth's Best has a Cereal Bar that has both iron and calcium in it, both nutrients that are most likely in short supply in your toddler's diet. Check out some of the other toddler foods available . Many may be very acceptable to your picky eater and will help to increase the nutritional quality of his diet.
 

My 15-month-old daughter has an allergy to all dairy products (breaks out into hives if she even touches milk). I just stopped breastfeeding & was abstaining from all dairy products as well. I am very concerned about her not getting enough calcium. We tried adding crushed calcium supplement tablets to cereal-she refused to eat it. We have also not had any luck with soy yogurt or ice cream. She drinks rice milk, but it only has 2% of the RDA for calcium in it. Any suggestions you have on how to boost her calcium intake would be greatly appreciated.

Calcium is a critical mineral for your daughter to be getting at this age, so you are smart to be searching out alternative sources to dairy products. Because there is no other food that naturally contains such a concentrated source of calcium, you will need to get it from supplements. Your daughter is most likely still on the young side to chew a multi-vitamin with calcium, so you will need to find age-appropriate calcium fortified foods. One good source is calcium fortified juices, especially orange juice since they are fortified with up to 25% of the recommended intake. Also, Earth's Best makes a juice that contains 10% of the recommended calcium intake, which is a better choice than a juice that is not fortified. There are many cereals on the market that are fortified with a significant amount of calcium. Earth's Best Organic Yummy Tummy Instant Oatmeal provides 10% of the recommended calcium intake. Some good, natural sources of calcium that you can serve her include tofu and canned salmon. If your pediatrician has given you the go ahead, continue to offer calcium-fortified rice milks which now come in a variety of flavors including chocolate and vanilla.
 

Would you please highlight the nutritional needs of a six year old, especially focusing on the most important vitamins and minerals, the role of protein, the best sources of carbohydrates and the amount of water they need daily.

A six year old is in a relative state of calm and equilibrium as far as growth and development. They don't tend to have big appetites, so getting them nutritious food is more important then the amount of food they get. In general, a day that includes two serving of protein (e.g. egg, meat, beans, or peanut butter), three servings of dairy, five or more servings of fruits and vegetables, six servings of whole grains, and a moderate amount of healthy fats (nut butters and oils, olive oil, fish oil) is perfect. Top it off with plenty of fresh water (offer to thirst) and you are sure to meet their needs. I also recommend a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that contains iron. Also, if they aren't getting their three servings of dairy, add a calcium supplement as well, or make sure the juice they drink is calcium fortified. The most important vitamins and minerals to pay attention to are those they are least apt to get, including iron, zinc, vitamin E and calcium. While they aren't more important than the others, because they are so often deficient in the diets of a six year old, I highlight them here. The protein in their diet is to help with growth of lean muscle mass. Adding daily vigorous exercise is as important as that protein, to make sure the weight they add is lean weight and not fat. The best way for them to get their carbohydrates is from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. That's because those foods also contain other important vitamins and minerals plus phytochemicals for health promotion and disease prevention. Carbohydrate rich foods such as snack treats, sweet baked goods, etc are okay on occasion, but they are not nutritious sources of carbohydrate. As long as you offer pure water regularly and allow your six year old to drink to thirst, they will be getting the fluid they need. If you notice infrequent urination that is concentrated, dark yellow and strong in odor, then they are not getting enough fluids and you should encourage more drinks of diluted juices, water, and low fat milk. Remember that many foods, especially fruits and vegetables are also full of water and will contribute to their daily fluid intake.
 

My toddler is 14 months old and eats lots of fruits and breads and cereal. I am concerned she is not getting enough protein. I am still breastfeeding three times a day. Does she need more protein?

A toddler needs about 16 grams of protein a day. Two cups of milk plus an ounce of meat or equivalent will provide her with adequate protein.

It is hard to know how much of your milk she is getting when nursing. There are a few ways you can help boost the protein content of her diet. Make her bread or muffins with added dry powdered milk and/or an extra egg. Serve foods that contain high protein ingredients, such as egg custard, rice pudding, pancakes made with milk and eggs, macaroni and cheese, fruit smoothies made with yogurt, etc. Have you tried serving her fish or tofu? Both are great kid foods and are high in protein. Well-cooked legumes are also appropriate. You can mash them and mix them with a little seasoning and spread them on bread for a sandwich. You can try hummus (mashed chickpeas and tahini) on soft whole wheat bread.

You can make some vegetable fritters out of some of her favorite vegetables, such as potatoes, zucchini and carrots by grating them, mixing them with eggs and grated cheese and a little seasoning and forming them into small round, flat cakes (the right size for little hands to pick up), and then cooking them in hot vegetable oil or melted butter, turning often until they are browned on both sides. Let them cool to a safe temperature before serving.

The following is a list of foods containing significant amounts of protein:

Amount/Food (Grams of Protein)

8oz milk (8g)
1/2 cup yogurt (4g)
1 large egg (6g)
1/4 cup tuna (11g)
1 T peanut butter (4g)
10z cheddar cheese (7g)
1oz chicken (7g)
3oz tofu (7g)

Some food combinations that provide complete protein are:
- Legumes such as chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, and soybeans with rice, wheat, corn, oats or barley.
- Cereal with milk.
- Macaroni and cheese

Use your imagination to find ways to incorporate the high protein foods into her diet.
 

I have a 1 1/2 year old, 27 pounds, still nursing, and also eating solids. Do you recommend multi-vitamins?

Yes, as insurance. A baby's multi-vitamin with iron can't hurt and could help. Just as car insurance shouldn't substitute for safe driving, multi-vitamins shouldn't substitute for healthy eating. However, there are some nutrients, that could have lasting consequences should they come up short in a baby's diet. And, as your baby approaches toddlerhood, if he follows the norm, his eating will fall off and he will become more particular. Some foods, or even food groups may be harder to get him to eat in adequate amounts. Then, and even now, you may be unaware of some nutritional voids in your child's diet. A multi-vitamin may help to ensure, should that be the case, he won't suffer and lasting effects from under nutrition of vitamins and minerals.

When choosing a vitamin and mineral supplement for your baby, be sure to choice one that provides no more than 100% of any of the vitamins or minerals listed. Too much of some may be harmful. The FDA has set the recommended daily intakes with a cushion, so as to meet a wide range of needs. That means your baby is not only getting what he needs in a supplement that provides 100%, he is also getting a little bit more.

There are a few nutrients in particular that toddlers don't get enough of. Those include zinc, iron, calcium, vitamin E and folic acid. Knowing food sources of all those nutrients and making a point to include them in your baby's diet is important. Plus, a supplement that includes those nutrients will help you to make sure that he is getting enough.