To best absorb needed calcium, children also need vitamin D, which is easily absorbed outdoors in the sun. The safest guidelines are to stay outdoors, baring your hands, arms and face for about 15-20 minutes during the day, without sun protection, before the sun gets too warm (early morning or late afternoon). Vitamin D is made when the sunbeam touches the skin, a process that is blocked by sunscreen. This small amount of time is usually enough to get all the vitamin D you need, especially in warmer months. If your child has light skin and you want to use sunscreen, you can also get supplementation from a daily children´s multivitamin or fortified cereals and non-dairy milk. Also, during the winter, all children living in temperate climates need daily supplement due to lack of sunlight.
B12
Since active B12 not is found in plant food, children need daily supplementation (usually about 3 micrograms or more per day is recommended). If your child already takes a multivitamin a day, just make sure to check the label to make sure it contains adequate B12. As well replace soy and rice milks and cereals with B12 fortified versions.
Iron
Among many other things, iron is needed for growth of a child´s organs. As well, too little iron can also make a child tired and sleepy. By eating whole grain, fortified breads and cereals, beets, dark green vegetables, nuts & seeds, your children will get iron.
Iron from plant sources is best absorbed with vitamin C, so try serving the vegetables together with a few slices of red bell pepper (which surprisingly contains much more vitamin C than oranges!)
Supplementation is recommended if a child has low iron stores but iron supplementation should only be started after advice from a doctor.
Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for children´s brain development. Some rich sources of fatty acids are chia, flax and hemp seeds. Chia seeds makes wonderful puddings when served with colourful berries. Chia seeds can also be served in a glass of water to older kids, and flax seeds can be sprinkled over salads or added to salad dressings, trail mixes or eaten as a snack.
Like seeds, hemp oil can be added to salads and shakes.
Supplementation is also recommended: Happy Delight (from Pure Planet), Udo´s Choice and some other oils are good sources of omega-3, in addition to flax and chia seeds. Happy Delight has a delicious fresh and light taste of citrus that some children enjoy.
(Just make sure you select a high-quality oil.)
