Nutrients from A to Zinc

Here’s the lowdown on 10 vitamins and minerals that should be part of every child's diet, along with tips for getting these essential nutrients into the tummies of even the fussiest eaters.

VITAMIN A

Why it's important: Vitamin A is key for keeping kids' eyes healthy, for bone growth, and to help ward off infections. Yet toddlers and preschoolers, in particular, often don't get enough. Vitamin A-rich foods include milk, liver, cheddar cheese, spinach, and fortified cereals. Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, including carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes, are also superb sources.

How much your child needs:

• Ages 1-3: 300 mg/day
• Ages 4-8: 400 mg/day
• Ages 9-13: 600 mg/day
  
  

How to get more vitamin A:

• Half a cup of carrots provides all of the vitamin A your child needs in a day.
• Cooking increases the amount of vitamin A in foods so cooked carrots have more A than raw. Just be careful not to overcook them: Vitamin A gets depleted when veggies are cooked beyond tender-crisp.
• If your child's not a veggie fan, try shredding steamed carrots into sandwich fillings, like tuna salad, and mashing sweet potatoes with white potatoes for a healthier side dish.

Vitamin A-rich recipes:

• Mixed Berry Milk Shake
• Pot O'Gold Soup
• Creamed Spinach 
• Honey-Glazed Snow Peas and Carrots 
• Mini Sweet Potato Pies

VITAMIN C

Why it's important: An important vitamin for normal growth and development, vitamin C helps prevent infections like the common cold, and heal wounds like kids' skinned knees. Peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, mangoes, and broccoli are all high in vitamin C.

How much your child needs:

• Ages 1-3: 15 mg/day
• Ages 4-8: 25 mg/day
• Ages 9-13: 45 mg/day

How to get more vitamin C:

• One orange packs a whopping 70 mg of vitamin C.
• Keep a bowl of fresh fruit out on the counter so kids can easily munch on them for snacks.
• Add berries to muffins, pancakes, and smoothies or serve them on top of yogurt, oatmeal, or cereal.
• Slice up red and green bell peppers and serve them with a yogurt dip.

Vitamin C-rich recipes:

• Orange Smoothie 
• Linguine with Broccoli and Red Pepper 
• Chickpea and Tomato Soup with Pasta 
• Apple Mango Salad 
• Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Parfait