It is imperative that you provide your child with the proper nutrition from very early on in his life. This is one of the most important factors in the development of a child’s brain. This is when they start to form new ideas, and start exploring and discovering new things, day in and day out. For your child’s brain to develop in the right way, it is important that he gets a proportionate supply of all these different components:
a) Glucose: This is one of the best sources of energy that your child can get, and it has a direct effect on his blood sugar levels. It also plays a role in determining the attention span of your child.
Ensure that your child has a good breakfast. This provides him with enough glucose to keep his energy levels high throughout the day. If your child develops a habit of skipping breakfast, there is a chance that he will have trouble in retaining what he learns. His attention span will be short as well. Smart kids eat a good breakfast.
b) Iron: Our body requires iron for the transportation of oxygen throughout the body through the blood. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia and this can commonly be seen in children who eat unbalanced diets.
Iron deficiency can also lead to short attention spans, and an anemic child wouldn’t be
very interested in being a part of activities that require skill, imagination, or ability.
Broccoli, legumes, chicken, tuna, and red meat are good sources of iron.
c) Vitamin A: In order for your child’s brain to develop well, he requires adequate amounts of Vitamin A in his dietary intake. Oranges, lemons, and dark leafy vegetables are good sources of Vitamin A.
d) Vitamin B: Adequate amounts of Vitamin B are required to utilize the energy that your child gets through glucose. With there being different forms of Vitamin B, expecting to find one source for all forms is not quite realistic. Vitamin B deficiency in your child could lead to him being depressed and aggressive.
Cereals are generally a good Vitamin B source.
e) Zinc: Zinc helps in the communication which occurs within your child’s nervous system. Inadequate zinc supply in your child’s diet can result in his inability to solve easy educational problems, and this condition is referred to as Cognitive Impairment.
Zinc can be found in most cereals and peanuts are a great source of zinc too.
f) Folic Acid: Your child needs an adequate supply of folic acid to produce enough RBC (red blood cells) and WBC (white blood cells). Folic acid deficiency can result in your child complaining of lethargy, forgetfulness, and irritability.
Your kids eating habits should have a healthy mix of meat, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and lots of water. This is important if you want him to do well in all areas of his life. However, this doesn’t mean that you constantly stand on your child’s head and supervise everything that he eats.
Parents with busy schedules are increasingly turning to nutritional supplements in their children’s diet to ensure that they get the required nutritional components in the desired quantities.
However, if you want your child to take nutritional supplements you must realize that it might not be easy. Adults understand the benefits that these supplements provide and don’t generally have a problem in taking these supplements. Children, on the other hand, view this differently.
You might have to persuade your young child to take his supplements because telling him about the benefits usually does not work.
Your child might have a general aversion to taking pills, and there are chances that he will look at nutritional supplements in the same light. To your child, the bad taste could outweigh all the benefits that these supplements provide. However, this should not dishearten you as there are alternatives.
These include nutritional supplements that come in chewable and liquid forms. Chewables usually taste pretty good and are fairly easy to integrate into your kids eating habits. Children usually like them and generally do not have a problem taking them.
There are also supplements in the liquid form. They are quite useful as they can be mixed with a variety of food and beverages very easily. You can mix them very quickly into your kids fruit juice and shakes to ensure your kids are getting proper nutrition.
A good thing about supplements in the liquid form is that they are absorbed more easily.
Your child should get the necessary nutrients that aid growth from very early in his life. Expectant mothers should get enough amounts of vitamin B, as this aids brain development in the fetal stage, also folic acid is very important.
Also, even though not many people think it’s good to give very young children nutritional supplements, the truth is that your child could benefit from nutritional supplements even when he is only as young as two.
Remember that not much separates your child from the supposedly smart kids at school, and your child getting inadequate and inappropriate nutrition could very well be the differentiating factor.
You should now make sure that you bring about effective changes in your child’s dietary intake so that he receives the right amount of various nutritional components. Proper nutrition will not only make him feel and perform better, but will also have a positive effect on you.
