Can you believe there are over forty different nutrients your child needs for healthy growth and development?! We’re fortunate that in today’s world, a lot of our manufactured foods are fortified with extra nutrients to combat certain deficiencies. Just look at a box of Cheerios and you’ll see the plethora of vitamins and minerals added to make a common breakfast cereal a nutrient powerhouse. (Basically covering some gaps in the diet that may arise with allergies, picky or selective eating!)

As your child grows nutrient needs change and sometimes, especially for picky eaters or those with allergies, deficiencies can develop. The 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other studies that look into what and how much children eat have identified some shortfall nutrients – or key nutrients that our children are lacking. They are:

Calcium

Vitamin D

Potassium

Fiber

Iron

Zinc

Omega – 3 fatty acids

In this series I’ll dive into these seven nutrients telling you why they are important, how much your child needs, and how to make them more plentiful in the diet.

Before we jump in, let me give you some advice about nutrients and food that might simplify things for you in the long run. We were all taught in grade school the 6 food groups, right? Protein, Grains, Fruit, Vegetables, Dairy, and Fats and Oils… remember? If you stick to these food groups, you’ll be hitting most of what you need! See:

Protein gives us iron, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin E and magnesium

Grains give us fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and selenium

Fruit gives us vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and folate

Vegetables give us vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and folate

Diary gives us calcium, vitamin D, potassium and protein

Healthy fats and oils give us Vitamin E, DHA, EPA, and other important fats

If you serve your child variety out of all of these food groups, you’re doing great! If you notice that your child is not eating one or more of these major food groups (or they only eat one or two foods out of each food group), you may want to consider a supplement or speaking with a registered dietitian and I’d be happy to discuss that with you!

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Stay tuned for a deep dive into each nutrient - the first is Calcium!