Thursday, August 20, 2009

[Article] Kids & Multivitamins

by Tracy Lew, Corporate Nutrition Advisor, Nestlé

"While a properly balanced diet should be enough for your child’s daily needs, providing additional nutrients can help make a difference in case of a deficiency."

We all know that growing children need the right vitamins and minerals to support their proper growth and development. Certain nutrient-specific foods like milk and some vegetables are highly recommended for kids, and parents are constantly looking for ways to include these in their child’s meals.

Although already aware of what your child needs, as a caring and responsible parent you may have noticed the many advertisements for multivitamins for kids and have asked yourself: “Does my child really need multivitamins?”

The role of multivitamins

Ideally, the normal food your child eats would always be healthy and nutritious, providing all the necessary vitamins and minerals he needs to grow up healthy and strong.

But the reality is that so many factors – from physiological to environmental - may affect your child’s growth that it is understandable for parents to worry if the nutrition regular food provides is enough. While a properly balanced diet should be enough for your child’s daily needs, providing additional nutrients can help make a difference in case of a deficiency.

When considering giving your child additional nutrients, here are a few things to remember:

- Giving your child a balanced diet is the best way to ensure he gets the vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for proper growth
- Multivitamins are only meant to supplement a balanced diet, and should never replace healthy food
- Consider giving your child enriched foods, which provide additional nutrients in a more natural manner
- Formulated milk is a good way to help ensure your toddler gets the right nutrition during the weaning years when his dietary needs change
- Always consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietician before giving multivitamins to your child

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