27/09/2014
Essential Nutrients
Calcium:is essential for strong bones and teeth. Milk is the most important source, which should be full fat up to the age of two years old.
Fats:play a vital role in providing energy, carrying vitamins around the body and helping build cell membranes. A low-fat diet is not appropriate for toddlers, it’s important to include good fats. Good fats are unsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats which should make up the majority of fat intake and include oily fish; olive and vegetable oils and spreads.
Vitamin D:helps the body to absorb calcium. The most well known source is sunlight (from May to September); food sources include oily fish, eggs and spreads.
Vitamin C:helps support the immune system. It’s found in citrus fruits, berries, blackcurrants, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and green leafy vegetables.
Iron:Without iron, the body can’t make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body. Red meats contain plentiful supplies of iron, but getting younger children to eat red meat may be difficult, so supplements may provide a good alternative for mums with fussy kids*.
