Be sure to give your kids a whole-foods diet and a daily multi to stimulate their optimum health.

Growing children need a varied and nutrient-dense diet. But increased intake of fast foods and sodas, along with “a consequent lack of recommended fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, whole grains, lean meats, and fish,” means kids are getting excess fats and empty calories “with insufficient consumption of micronutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium, as well as vitamins A, D, and C and folic acid,” finds the American Heart Association.

It’s critical that children get the “right” fats, even before birth, too. Because omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to higher IQ and fewer learning and behavioral problems, mothers-to-be would be wise to take fish oil supplements guaranteed free of toxins from before conception through birth and while nursing their babies. Infants taking cod liver oil in the first year of life have a lower risk for Type 1 diabetes than those who don’t consume essential fatty acids.

Whole, Organic Foods
Ensure [that] your child is getting enough whole, organic foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, unprocessed complex carbohydrates (like high-fiber cereal, sprouted wheat bread, and beans), quality protein, and nuts and seeds,” advises board-certified nutritionist Renee A. Simon, MS, CNS. Because kids tend to eat fewer foods than adults, they’re more likely to ingest pesticides and other dubious substances used in growing those conventional foods, increasing their toxic load at critical stages of development. Besides being produced without the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, genetically modified organisms, and sewage sludge (a source of heavy metals), organic foods appear higher in certain vitamins and minerals than conventional produce.

Supplements for Kids
Research suggests that nutrients in a healthy diet can help reduce absorption of heavy metals, like lead, that are detrimental to children’s growth and cognitive development. No wonder 31 percent of American toddlers (12 to 24 months of age) take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Schoolchildren who took a daily multiple that supplied half the recommended daily allowance for three months tested higher on IQ measures than they did prior to supplementation. Some researchers wonder if attention problems and hyperactivity may be a nutrition deficit, since essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals appear to help kids learn.

Even though obese youngsters consume too many calories, 81 percent were low in vitamin E, 55 percent were deficient in calcium, and 46 percent didn’t get sufficient vitamin D, a recent study finds. Offer your children nutrient-rich whole foods—and age-appropriate supplements.

While toxic overloads of vitamins or minerals are rare, they can occur, especially with overly sweetened multiples. Keep supplements out of reach, and read labels carefully to avoid artificial colors and dubious sweeteners in children’s multis.

Click here to download a Kids Vitamin & Mineral Chart.