Kids Health: children and minerals

We all say we want our children to be happy and healthy and the habits we, as parents, lay down now for our children can go a long way to provide a healthy life. This article shows the food sources of minerals that children are sometimes deficient in.

Children are often deficient in minerals for a variety of reasons.  Up to 6% of toddlers have iron deficiency anaemia, which can have long term effects on brain development.

Common mineral deficiencies are the following:

• Iron: children might be low in iron if they follow a vegetarian diet, drink a lot of milk and don’t have much appetite for other foods, have coeliac disease, go through a growth spurt, or have gastrointestinal problems. A severe iron deficiency is called iron deficiency anaemia. Iron sources are beans, egg yolk, figs, fish, lettuce, lentils, liver, meat, offal, peas, poultry, raisins, strawberries, spinach, wheatgerm and whole grain bread.

• Calcium: this mineral makes up 1.5-2% of the body and is needed for strong bones and teeth. One survey has shown that more than half of Australian teenage boys and girls don’t have enough calcium in their diets. Calcium Sources are molasses, almonds, sesame seeds, broccoli, brussels sprouts, chinese cabbage, salmon, sardines, turnip greens, collard, hummus, kale, milk, cheese and yoghurt.

• Zinc: toddlers who have a limited diet for a long time and people who follow a vegetarian diet are most likely to not get enough zinc. Being zinc-deficient can harm your child’s growth. Zinc sources are brewer's yeast, chicken, corn, eggs, fish especially herring, mushrooms, oysters, soya beans, spinach, sunflower seeds, turkey and wheatgerm.

• Iodine: iodine deficiency causes the serious condition goitre and can affect the brain. Mild iodine deficiency is common in the southern states of Australia, but most bread sold in bakeries and supermarkets is now made with iodised salt. If you add salt to your cooking, you can choose iodised salt. Iodine sources are iodized salt, milk, egg yolks, and saltwater fish.

For more information go to:

Children and minerals.

Healthy Eating an Australian Government site.

Healthy eating at various life stages.