What Makes Natural Vitamins Better for Kids

Whether you have a fussy toddler or a teenager engaged in athletics, meeting your child’s nutritional needs on a daily basis can be a big challenge. All kids require a wide range of nutrients to fuel their growing bodies. Ideally, these nutrients are consumed in the foods that they eat. However, it’s not always possible, and this is when it’s worth introducing natural vitamins for kids into their daily regime.

Some of the key nutrients that are most likely to be lacking in your child’s diet are:

• Calcium
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Iron

All of these can be provided in natural vitamins for kids.  However, most of the store brands of vitamins contain synthetic vitamins that, on a molecular level, the body cannot identify or absorb effectively. Food-based nutrients in vitamin supplements for kids are simply a smarter choice. Studies have shown that food-based nutrients are absorbed more than 70% more efficiently than synthetic vitamins.

Yes, natural vitamins for kids do sometimes cost more than the chain store brand vitamins. However, they are more beneficial because they are better absorbed, and they are also free of less than ideal additives such as corn syrup, aspartame, food colorings, and preservatives.

Animal Parade from Nature’s Plus, is one line of trusted natural vitamins for kids that contains nutrients from whole vegetables and fruits, including green super food extracts that facilitate vitamin and mineral absorption. They also contain bioflavonoids, botanical extracts, as well as natural forms of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. Their line of vitamin supplements for kids is also sweetened with xylitol which is natural and tooth-friendly.

Of course, every child’s nutritional needs are different. This is why there are many varieties of natural vitamins for kids. The most common include multivitamins, essential fatty acid supplements, calcium and vitamin D supplements, probiotics, and antioxidants. Because there are many options to choose from, it’s a good idea to discuss with your child’s pediatrician which, if any, supplements could be beneficial.

And, it’s always worth repeating that it’s vital to always provide a healthy, well-balanced diet for your child. No amount of supplementation can make up for skipped meals, junk food, and soda. With a combination of a healthy diet and natural vitamins for kids, you can have peace of mind that your child is getting what they need to thrive.

Incorporating vitamin supplements for kids into your summer eating plan

The lazy, hazy days of summer usually means lots of free time for the kids and hopefully healthy meals along with vitamin supplements for kids to make up for any nutritional gaps.  Unfortunately, with daily routines not as planned as during the school year and plenty of access to the refrigerator and pantry, summer eating can be a time when good nutrition goes right out the window.

Trips to the local ice cream shop, hot dogs at the ballpark, and cotton candy at the fair can only add to the challenges of good nutrition. With these challenges, many parents wonder how they can better manage their children’s nutrition in the summer months and whether or not they should be incorporating vitamin supplements for kids.

Without a good plan, the risk of weight gain grows substantially. And, the early onset of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are possibilities. The following tips can help you keep your children healthy through these fun, school-free months.

Get Excited about Summer Fruit
In most parts of the country, there is no shortage of summer fruit choices. From berries to apricots, peaches, and melons, kids enjoy the sweetness of a fresh piece of fruit. To get them interested in the variety of summer fruits, head to your local farmer’s market, and let them help pick out what they want to eat. Fruit can also be creatively used in frozen pops and baked treats like cobblers and crisps for summer desserts that are far healthier than cakes and cookies. While the best children’s vitamins can provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals, it’s always a good idea to get the bulk of these nutrients through fresh food.

Avoid the Fast Food
When the temperatures begin to climb, you may not want to turn on the stove or oven to cook a meal. But, don’t get tempted to head to the drive-thru window of your local fast food joint. There are plenty of great meals that you can make quickly with having to cook. Think turkey sandwiches, salads, wraps, salads, and healthy dips with plates of mixed fruits and vegetables. Not only will your kids eat better, you’ll save money, too!

Keep Track of Activities
Summer is usually when kids are swimming, playing games at camp, hiking, biking, and just enjoying plenty of active time outdoors. With extra calories being burned, kids often reach for junk food and sodas to satisfy their increased hunger and thirst. To avoid this situation from occurring, make sure to incorporate plenty of healthy proteins such as lean meat, low-fat dairy, nuts, and legumes into meals. And, consider adding vitamin supplements for kids into their daily routine to ensure that their daily requirements of vitamins and minerals are being met.

Evaluate Summer Camp Menus
If your child is attending a day or overnight camp, it’s also a good idea to evaluate what they’ll be eating so that you can help them stick with their healthy eating choices. If you aren’t happy with what they’ll be served, consider packing healthy lunches for them or discussing the meal options with the camp management. Yes, vitamin supplements for kids can help bridge the gap in eating, but you still want to make sure that they are consistently getting healthy meals each and every day.

If you will be supplementing, choose one of the best children’s vitamins and don’t just grab the first brand you see on the grocery store shelf. Nature’s Plus Animal Parade line of vitamin supplements for kids is highly recommended by many because of their natural formulas and great taste.

Can Multi Vitamins for Kids Help My Kids Stay Healthy?

Multi vitamins for kids are a source of much debate for many parents. Some prefer to give them to their children to ensure that they’re getting their daily requirement of vitamins and minerals. Others believe that simply eating a balanced diet is enough.

The reality is that there is no right answer when it comes to vitamin supplements for kids. Every child’s needs are different, and determining if it’s a good idea to incorporate multi vitamins for kids into their daily routine should depend on a number of factors including their overall health, their activity level, and what they’re eating.

No pediatric dietician or nutritionist will tell you that vitamin supplements for kids can replace balanced meals. Rather, they are designed to supplement an otherwise healthy diet or to augment diets for those children who have special nutritional needs. Thus, the primary focus when it comes to healthy eating is to start with providing the fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains that truly support good health in a child. Vitamin and mineral absorption is better in food, so healthy eating should always be a top priority for parents and their children.

Interestingly, many children are getting too much of certain nutrients due in large part to enriched and fortified foods like flour, orange juice, and milk. And, this should definitely be taken into account when you consider multi vitamins for kids. Before giving vitamin supplements for kids, it’s a good idea to go through your pantry and refrigerator to check all other sources. These often include cereals, breakfast bars, waffles,  juice drinks, and snack foods.

While not providing complete sources of nutrition like multi vitamins for kids, fortified foods often help supplement deficiencies in iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin C. However, there are also other nutrients that are not commonly found in enriched foods that are essential to a child’s health. These include calcium, potassium, and DHA.  In fact, many children fall short in these nutrients. This is when vitamin supplements for kids can come in particularly handy. Thus, it makes good sense to look for vitamin supplements for kids that contain the nutrients that are lacking in fortified foods and in your child’s everyday diet.

What to Avoid in Multi Vitamins for Kids
The sweetener used in vitamin supplements for kids is something to definitely consider before deciding on a particular brand. Many of the most popular grocery store brands contain either high fructose corn syrup or aspartame as a sweetener. Neither of these is a smart option for a child – or an adult for that matter! The best brands will be sweetened with xylitol which can help reduce the risk of tooth decay.

Animal Parade® GOLD Multi Children's Chewable from Nature’s Plus is one choice that has a sugar-free formula that doesn’t contain aspartame. With a range of features including all essential vitamins & minerals, probiotics, 20 certified organic whole foods, and more, they are also delicious with a variety of shapes and flavors. Animal Parade vitamins are also hypo-allergenic, gluten-free, and vegetarian – making them the right option for children with or without food allergies and sensitivities.

Can Children’s Vitamin Supplements Prevent Fall Colds and Flu?

Did you know that the average school age child gets six to 10 viral illnesses each year? And, most of these occur in the fall and winter months. While getting an illness about once a month isn’t all that uncommon for kids, there are strategies you can take, such as giving children’s vitamin supplements that can help reduce both the frequency and the duration of viruses such as colds and flu.

First, let’s look at where kids pick up these viruses. Obviously, those who are around other children (school, daycare, siblings), are going to naturally be exposed to more viruses than those who aren’t. But, this doesn’t mean that it makes sense to keep your child away from others. Instead, it means enlisting a variety of smart preventative strategies to minimize exposure and encourage a healthy immune response.

Children’s Vitamin Supplements
Children’s vitamin supplements are a quick and easy way to bump up your child’s immunity to viruses by ensuring that their nutritional requirements are being met. While not that long ago, the quick fix was to simply give large quantities of vitamin C, new research has shown that balanced vitamin supplements for kids are the best formula for fighting off seasonal viruses. The best options for kids’ vitamin supplements are those that are organic and sugar-free such as Animal Parade Chewable from Nature’s Plus.

Regular Hand Washing
Getting your child in the regular habit of washing his or her hands can also go a long way in preventing the spread of germs and viruses. This should include washing hands before every meal and when coming in from playing outdoors.

A Regular Sleep Schedule
Sleep is essential for kids throughout the year, but particularly during the months when viruses are prevalent. All the children’s vitamin supplements in the world cannot make up for getting a restful night of restorative sleep. School aged children need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep each night. So, staying up and watching TV or playing video games until midnight is definitely not a good strategy when it comes to fighting off viruses.

Rest When Symptoms Start
Taking one day off to rest at the start of a cold can often help prevent symptoms from worsening. And, it can help minimize the chance of other children acquiring the virus, too!

There’s nothing fun about being sick. Fortunately, using smart strategies like washing hands and taking daily children’s vitamin supplements can go a long way towards reducing the number of illnesses and the number of missed school days.