6 Nutrients Toddlers Need

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6 Nutrients Toddlers Need

November 30, 2022 Children

Some toddlers aren’t getting enough of these 6 nutrients, is your child one of them?!

Toddlers can be tough to feed. Some meals they want to keep eating and at others, it’s two bites and they’re out of there! This happens because growth slows down at around age 2, causing a dip in appetite. And blossoming independence means toddlers want to be in charge. These changes, along with toddler’s small stomachs, make it important to get the most nutrition from every bite. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines show how Americans are eating. Below are some of the nutrients toddlers are most likely to be missing, along with easy ways to ensure they get enough.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that helps growing toddlers with healthy bones and teeth. Toddlers ages 1 to 3 years need 700 mg of calcium each day, or about 2-3 servings of calcium-rich foods like dairy.

HOW TO GET ENOUGH?

Calcium is found in food. Dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese are great options that can help your child get enough calcium.
Make fun dairy options like parfaits with layers of fruit, yogurt, and whole-grain cereal.
Offer milk with dinner, and cheese as a snack.

Toddler drinking milk with milk mustache

Cereal topped with fresh strawberry slices in bowl

IRON

Iron is an important nutrient for children and pregnant women. This is especially important for little ones because iron carries oxygen to the brain to ensure proper development.

HOW TO GET ENOUGH?

Serve iron-fortified cereals like infant oatmeal or Cheerios with a vitamin C source like oranges, strawberries or melon to boost absorption.
Include iron-rich protein sources like red meat, soybeans and beans.

Vitamin D

Most Americans do not get the recommended amount of vitamin D from their diet. Vitamin D is needed to ensure calcium can do its job of helping to build — and maintain — strong bones. Few foods naturally contain vitamin D. The sun is a source of vitamin D but people with dark skin and those who use sunscreen make less vitamin D from sunlight.

HOW TO GET ENOUGH?

The chart below shows food sources of vitamin D compared to the recommended of 600 IU. Talk to your pediatrician about supplements, especially if your child does not drink milk and spends limited time in the sun.

Food Sources of Vitamin D

Recommended Daily Allowance from age 1 to 70 (RDA): 600 IU

Grilled salmon with rice and sliced tomatoes on plate

Vitamin D sources bar graph with mushrooms and foods

Source: NIH http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

Grapes with sliced cheddar and white cheese

Fiber & Potassium

Most children ages 1 to 8 get more than the recommended amount of refined grains, solid fats and added sugars. These include foods like cookies, chips, crackers, cake and other sweets. When toddlers fill up on these foods it leaves less room for potassium and fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

HOW TO GET ENOUGH?

Make half your grain choices whole grain like whole-wheat bread, oats, and brown rice.
Serve fruits and veggies often like fruit and cheese for a snack and carrot sticks or veggie soup with a sandwich for lunch.
Skip regular offerings of sweets and empty-calorie foods like chips for kids under two. After this age, offer these foods a few times a week, making sure they don’t replace the more nourishing foods listed before.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another nutrient many young children are lacking. One study showed that more than half of toddlers are not getting the recommended amount of this nutrient. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage.

HOW TO GET ENOUGH?

Swap out animal fats like butter with plant sources of fat such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, peanuts and/or peanut butter and avocado.

6 Nutrients Toddlers Need

Calcium