All Children

I continue to be a fan of WebMD and today one of their newsletters found my inbox. In this edition, certain nutrients that are important to children were noted, and concern was raised that some children may be deficient in these. At the very least, the writer who penned the letter suggests being mindful of these four nutrients. (also note that webmd materials are physician reviewed)

I want to say this first however , and you may have heard this from me before - "if it's good for or bad for pregnant women and children I want to get it or avoid it too!" Today I add - "though we may not all be parents, we ARE all children."

The ingredients to note are:

Vitamin D - yes it continues in its exalted state (supplements may be needed)
to quote the newsletter

The AAP specifies that children who don't drink a quart of milk fortified with vitamin D take vitamin D supplements to make up for what they miss from their diet

Calcium - fat free milk is a great source, fat free or lowest fat cheese and yogurt are awesome and for those who cannot or will not consume dairy, there is fortified OJ. Of issue is that children drink sugary beverages that are problematic in and of themselves, but also because they take the place of milk.

Potassium - I did NOT know that the more processed a food, the less potassium and the more sodium, but so says WebMD. I did know that fruits and veggies are good sources of potassium. Remember, you can use this USDA resource to find foods rich in any nutrient. I.E there are foods beyond bananas that are high in potassium :)

Fiber - sigh - you know this one right. If you like, these cereal bars are a great way to get fiber into you, your kids and those you love...