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How Much Iron Do Kids Need?
Ever wonder why so many cereals and infant formulas are fortified with iron? Iron is a nutrient that's needed to make haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells (RBC’s).
Red blood cells circulate throughout the body to deliver oxygen to all its cells. Without enough iron, the body can't make enough RBC’s, and tissues and organs won't get the oxygen they need. So it's important for kids and teens to get enough iron in their daily diets.
Kids require different amounts of iron at various ages and stages. Here's how much they should be getting as they grow:
Infants who breastfeed tend to get enough iron from their mothers until 4-6 months of age, when iron-fortified cereal is usually introduced (although breastfeeding moms should continue to take prenatal vitamins). Infants who are formula-fed should get iron-fortified formula.
Infants ages 7-12 months need 11 milligrams of iron a day. Babies younger than 1 year should be given iron-fortified cereal in addition to breast milk or an infant formula supplemented with iron.
Kids ages 1-12 years old need 7-10 milligrams of iron each day.
Adolescent boys should be getting 11 milligrams of iron a day and adolescent girls should be getting 15 milligrams. (Adolescence is a time of rapid growth and teen girls need additional iron to replace what they lose monthly when they begin menstruating.)
Young athletes who regularly engage in intense exercise tend to lose more iron and may require extra iron in their diets.
What's Iron Deficiency?
Iron deficiency (when the body's iron stores are becoming depleted) can be a problem for some kids, particularly toddlers and teens (especially girls who have very heavy periods). In fact, many teenage girls are at risk for iron deficiency — even if they have normal periods — if their diets don't contain enough iron to offset the loss of iron-containing RBC’s during menstrual bleeding. Also, teen athletes lose iron through sweating and other routes during intense exercise.
What Calcium Does
Milk and other calcium-rich foods have always been a must-have in kids' diets. After all, calcium is a key building block for strong, healthy bones. But more than 85% of girls and 60% of boys ages 9 to 18 fail to get the recommended 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day.
That's not surprising when you consider that many kids now drink more soda than milk, which is one of the best sources of calcium. And teens who smoke or drink soda, caffeinated beverages, or alcohol may get even less calcium because those substances interfere with the way the body absorbs and uses calcium.
But at every age, from infancy to adolescence, calcium is one nutrient that kids simply can't afford to skip.
During childhood and adolescence, the body uses the mineral calcium to build strong bones — a process that's all but complete by the end of the teen years. Bone calcium begins to decrease in young adulthood and progressive loss of bone occurs as we age, particularly in women.
Teens, especially girls, whose diets don't provide the nutrients to build bones to their maximum potential are at greater risk of developing the bone disease osteoporosis, which increases the risk of fractures from weakened bones. Younger kids and babies with little calcium and vitamin D intake (which aids in calcium absorption) are at increased risk for rickets. Rickets is a bone-softening disease that causes severe bowing of the legs, poor growth, and sometimes muscle pain and weakness.
Calcium plays an important role in muscle contraction, transmitting messages through the nerves, and the release of hormones. If blood calcium levels are low (due to poor calcium intake), calcium is taken from the bones to ensure normal cell function.
When kids get enough calcium and physical activity during childhood and the teen years, they can start out their adult lives with the strongest bones possible. Although there isn't definite scientific proof yet that taking in these amounts of calcium will result in stronger bones when kids grow up, the current recommendations are:
1 to 3 years — 500 milligrams of calcium daily
4 to 8 years — 800 milligrams
9 to 18 years — 1,300 milligrams
Getting enough calcium is just part of the equation. All children — from babies to teens — also should get 400 IU of vitamin D daily. If you don't think your child is getting the nutrients needed, talk to your doctor about modifying your child's diet or giving vitamin supplements to your child.
Figuring Out Fibre
Few kids would say they crave a good fibre-rich meal. Although the thought of fibre might bring gags and groans from kids, many appetizing foods are actually great sources of fibre — from fruits to whole-grain cereals. And kids are probably eating them without even knowing it.
Not just for the senior-citizen crowd, foods with fibre are beneficial because they're filling and, therefore, discourage overeating — even though fibre itself adds no calories. Plus, when combined with adequate fluid intake, high-fibre fare helps move food through the digestive system and may protect against gut cancers and constipation. It may also lower LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) as well as help prevent diabetes and heart disease.
Listed on food labels under total carbohydrates, dietary fibre is found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains. Some of the best sources are:
whole-grain breads and cereals
apples
oranges
bananas
berries
prunes
pears
green peas
legumes (dried beans, split peas, lentils, etc.)
artichokes
almonds
A high-fibre food has 5 grams or more of fibre per serving and a good source of fibre is one that provides 2.5 to 4.9 grams per serving. Here's how some fibre-friendly foods stack up:
½ cup (118 millilitres) of cooked navy beans (9.5 grams of fibre)
½ cup (118 millilitres) of cooked lima beans (6.6 grams)
1 medium baked sweet potato with peel (4.8 grams)
1 whole-wheat English muffin (4.4 grams)
½ cup (118 millilitres) of cooked green peas (4.4 grams)
1 medium raw pear with skin (4 grams)
½ cup (118 millilitres) of raw raspberries (4 grams)
1 medium baked potato with skin (3.8 grams)
¼ cup (59 millilitres) of oat bran cereal (3.6 grams)
1 ounce (28 grams) of almonds (3.3 grams)
1 medium raw apple with skin (3.3 grams)
½ cup (118 millilitres) of raisins (3 grams)
¼ cup (59 millilitres) of baked beans (3 grams)
1 medium orange (3 grams)
1 medium banana (3 grams)
½ cup (118 millilitres) canned sauerkraut (3 grams)
A simple way to determine how many grams of fibre a child older than 2 years should eat each day is to add 5 to the child's age in years (i.e., a 5-year-old should get about 10 grams of fibre). After the age of 15, teens and adult women should get about 20-25 grams of fibre per day. Adult men should get 30-38 grams of fibre a day.
Vitamin A
This vitamin plays a really big part in eyesight. It's great for night vision, like when you're trick-or-treating on Halloween. Vitamin A helps you see in color, too, from the brightest yellow to the darkest purple. In addition, it helps you grow properly and aids in healthy skin.
Which foods are rich in vitamin A?
• milk fortified with vitamin A
• liver
• orange fruits and vegetables (like cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potatoes)
• dark green leafy vegetables (like kale, collards, spinach)
The B Vitamins
There's more than one B vitamin. Here's the list: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Whew — that's quite a group!
The B vitamins are important in metabolic (say: meh-tuh-bah-lik) activity — this means that they help make energy and set it free when your body needs it. So the next time you're running to third base, thank those B vitamins. This group of vitamins is also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. Every part of your body needs oxygen to work properly, so these B vitamins have a really important job.
Which foods are rich in vitamin B?
• whole grains, such as wheat and oats
• fish and seafood
• poultry and meats
• eggs
• dairy products, like milk and yogurt
• leafy green vegetables
• beans and peas
Vitamin C
This vitamin is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums and muscles in good shape. C is also key if you get a cut or wound because it helps you heal. This vitamin also helps your body resist infection. This means that even though you can't always avoid getting sick, vitamin C makes it a little harder for your body to become infected with an illness.
Which foods are rich in vitamin C?
• citrus fruits, like oranges
• cantaloupe
• strawberries
• tomatoes
• broccoli
• cabbage
• kiwi fruit
• sweet red peppers
Vitamin D
No bones about it . . . vitamin D is the vitamin you need for strong bones! It's also great for forming strong teeth. Vitamin D even lends a hand to an important mineral — it helps your body absorb the amount of calcium it needs.
Which foods are rich in vitamin D?
• milk fortified with vitamin D
• fish
• egg yolks
• liver
• fortified cereal
Vitamin E
Everybody needs E. This hard-working vitamin maintains a lot of your body's tissues, like the ones in your eyes, skin, and liver. It protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. And it is important for the formation of red blood cells.
Which foods are rich in vitamin E?
• whole grains, such as wheat and oats
• wheat germ
• leafy green vegetables
• sardines
• egg yolks
• nuts and seeds
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is the clotmaster! Remember the last time you got a cut? Your blood did something special called clotting. This is when certain cells in your blood act like glue and stick together at the surface of the cut to help stop the bleeding.
Which foods are rich in vitamin K?
• leafy green vegetables
• dairy products, like milk and yogurt
• broccoli
• soybean oil
When your body gets this vitamin and the other ones it needs, you'll be feeling A-OK!
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